The black and tan bus turns off 68th Street onto Platte Avenue and quietly rolls to a stop in front of the small, 1½-story beige house with hunter green trim.

The time is 9:33 Friday morning, and ABC’s Emmy Award-winning reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” officially has arrived to change the lives of Kenneth J. Machacek and Teresa Fullerton.

The bus doors open and out pops “Home Edition’s” handsome host, Ty Pennington, bullhorn in hand, followed by several others, including a smiling Fullerton and her three children.

Then it happens …

What more than 12 million viewers tune in to see each week.

What Fullerton and Machacek have wished for since sending in their application.

And what the 100 or so people gathered at the end of the block have come to hear.

“Good morning, Machacek and Fullerton families!” Pennington shouts.

As soon as he lowers the bullhorn, Machacek and his two children spring from the front door and leap from their porch into the group.

Yes, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” has arrived in Lincoln.

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Machacek is a foreman for Nebco, Inc., a construction and development company, and Fullerton is a pharmaceutical technician at Walgreen’s.

They’ve been planning to marry — he proposed Friday before the families left on their weeklong vacation to Paris while the house is under construction  —  and create one big family, a la “The Brady Bunch.”

But the one obstacle has been lack of space.

For the past four years, the families have been splitting their time between Machacek’s cramped, two-bedroom house at 6825 Platte Ave., and Fullerton’s tiny apartment at 14th and Superior streets.

Machacek has an 18-year-old daughter, Ericka, and a 14-year-old son, Justin. Fullerton has three children: Brianna, 18; Chelsey, 16; and Tucker, 14.

The couple considered selling Machacek’s house to buy a bigger one, but serious foundation problems made that option unlikely.

“My mom was saying, ‘Won’t you be sad to see the home go?” Machacek’s sister Lori Sailors said. “I told her, ‘No, I won’t.’”

The TV show selected Lincoln-based Hartland Homes to build the new abode. The house is scheduled for demolition at 10 a.m. Sunday. A new home will be finished by Friday.

“This is exciting and kind of scary,” said Duane Hartman, president of the homebuilding company. “We’ve never done something like this before.”

Area businesses and nonprofit corporations also support the project, either financially or with goods and services. The Lincoln Journal Star donated money toward the construction of the house, said publisher John Maher.

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Friends, family, neighbors and curious spectators watch Friday morning as “Home Edition” films scenes for the show.

The popular reality show airs at 7 p.m. Sunday, but there has been no word on when this episode will air.

The crew interviews Machacek and Fullerton outside Machacek’s home, then films Tucker and Justin playing street hockey with “Home Edition” designers Paul DiMeo and John Littlefield.

“I had not cried (about this) until today,” neighbor and friend Kris Young says about the families being picked. “They’ve been waiting so long to see what happens. They are neat people.”

Machacek’s mother, Mary Lou, is excited for them, too.

“This is phenomenal,” she says. “They are very deserving people. (Ken’s) worked so hard. Life is finally giving him a break.”

Nearby, “Home Edition” fans Ashlee Bowman, Hidy Bulau and Amber Steinkamp take in the scene.

They were at Fullerton’s apartment earlier Friday when Pennington picked up her and her family to head to Machacek’s house. The host waved to the young women while he was there.

“Hidy went numb,” Steinkamp laughs.

A while later, 7-year-old Alyssa Penner catches Pennington’s attention. She has a red, long-sleeve Husker shirt for him. He and DiMeo give Alyssa and her father, Greg, a tour of the bus.

“She loved it,” Greg said afterward. “We took pictures with all of them. She watches every Sunday night, and we were thankful for the opportunity to meet them.”

As are Machacek and Fullerton.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.

How the community can help

Volunteer: Information on volunteering on the project can be found here.

To volunteer

Volunteers are sought for the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” work site Sunday through Nov. 4 for around-the-clock shifts. Duties include helping with check-in of volunteers, parking, catering, construction debris removal, crowd control, landscaping and camera help. Catering shifts are from 4 to 6½ hours long; shifts for other jobs are from 4½ to 9 hours.

Volunteers must fill out registration and release forms; registration forms are at www.hartlandhomes.com/extreme,  or call 477-7427.

Positions will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Volunteers submitting forms online will be notified via email of their date and the shift times.

All on the build site must sign a photo release allowing their picture to be used in the program and in promotions of the show.

To volunteer, you must:

* be at least 18 years old.

* Wear close-toed shoes (no sandals, flip flops or open-backed shoes). 

* leave your cameras, cell phones and personal belongings at home. No still/digital/video cameras are allowed in the house.

* expect to take on some physical work. If you can’t, tell the volunteer coordinator.

There are no guarantees that volunteers will get on site.

To be a spectator

Park in spectator parking lots at the Lancaster Event Center at 84th Street and Havelock Avenue and wait to board the spectator shuttle bus. Spectators do not need any special passes or permits.

Parking

Do not drive directly to the build site.

 Workers and volunteers should park at the Havelock Social Hall, 4538 N. 62nd St. Spectators and media should park at the Lancaster Event Center, 84th Street and Havelock Avenue. Carpooling is encouraged. Shuttle buses will take everyone to the set.