Time Machine: Snow Leopard; 12 clean installs followed by restores: NOTHIN GETS RESTORED!

Ok, this looks liuke the place.

iMac Intel 10.6.8

time machine back up on ext Hard drive

Clean install Snow Leopard 10.6 from disc.

Software upgrades run (to get from 10.6 to 10.6.8).

Time Machine restore from ext HD.

Date of restore selected.

Whole thing (iMac HD folder)

2 1/2 hours later...NOTHING!!!

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to select every one of the 425, 683 files that I want installed?

I followed the instructions to the tee.

Really I'm open to suggestions