In the show itself, the hosts say that they're going to "make the decks safe and usable", but didn't show the actual work, thus proving your point.
One show on HGTV was "Fix it Up", although I had a different name for it. Every episode would include numerous Building Code violations, proudly done and presented by the hosts.
The DIY shows like this don't show the nasty chores like stripping paint and sanding. If they started showing some preliminary steps like this, I'd some of the watchers would never tackle them.
