Where have all the good home improvement TV shows gone?
 

My local cable doesn't have much left in the way of This Old House, Bob Villa, Hometime, etc. I don't see the woodworker guys anymore either. Router Workshop, Norm, Wood Works. What I see is reality type shows that teach nothing except what idiots homeowners can be.

Even though I've been butchering wood for nearly 40 years, I watched everything that I could. I learned more than a few tips from Norm and David Marks. Now, nothing.

What's next, you won't be able to buy a table saw? No one will know how to use the thing.

Oh, and what put all this in my head today? I was hanging French (or rabbeted pairs) casement windows in an existing frames. That's always a little dicey. ;)

Norm, This Old House, Woodwright, Hometime are still on the local PBS channels around here.
Those reality shows are pathetic. The stuff on HGTV is annoying too. Would be nice if they showed stuff the average homeowner would deal with. Not everyone has a $125,000 kitchen overlooking the ocean.

I love those shows. Of course, Norm makes everything look so freakin' easy.
If you have the "Create" channel they have some good shows as well.
We don't have cable anymore so I can only catch a few of the good shows.

A family from Saginaw won a "green" house in Florida, including a new GMC pickemup last week. The whole package was worth $750,000.

Huge dittos on this one! Especially HGTV...Cindy watches, I respond: "We haven't won a lottery, kid."

Norm's "New Yankee Workshop" and "This Old House" are still around, but I have no idea what channel. I began downloading the episodes from the internet and stopped trying to find the shows. The HGTV drivel is purely entertainment and designed to place homeowner's expectations well above reality.

The guy on Woodworks is a craftsman, an artist--a dying breed in this age of mass-produced crap.

Check out your local PBS station, CREATE TV. It is probably one of the higher number digital stations (say you local PBS is 8.1, then CREATE is likely 8.3/4)

Best of luck, and I have LOVED seeing your work over the years!!

yep PBS. It's usually 8.3 for me. but my converter box thing has a mind of it's own!

I don't think there's much market for people fixing up houses these days.

Yup watch PBS. Around here TOH is on at 7pm on thursday followed by ASK TOH at 7:30. They play it all again on Sat morning.

Oh, a couple of us young ones are still out there. Well may be not young, but been doing it for 20 years since high school.

Lots of people loves HGTV. The only program I like is Devine Design. I think she's pretty good, but I can't sit through the whole program. I just really like the last 5 min of the show. Thankffully both my wife and I hate HGTV.

DIYNetwork has 'This old house' and the 'new Yankee workshop' and I still watch them. I started out watching them with my dad when I was a teeeny tiny little wood chipper.

Now I do things occasionally but not very well...

This Old House is still on as is the New Yankee Workshop with Norm. Still watch Norm's show but TOH hasn't been the same since they changed host. Not a big fan as I once was. I think since I have completed most of my "home improvements" over the last 18 years I don't have the same interest.

+1 DIY Network A great show is Ask This Old House. The guys from This Old House answer letters from viewers about specific issues and physically show how to do the project. Great to watch step by step.

I'm still waiting for the deathmatch between Vila and Norm

the good stuff is on PBS here.

I always thought that a 'Iron Chef' version of wood working would be cool. Give two people the exact same set of a weird combination of tools and wood and let them create something.

-Bernie

My father used to watch Bob Vila. Bob always seemed like a really pompous guy.

You can always watch someone else. ;)

Bob Villa did appear to be pompous and impatient. I know he was trying to cram a lot into a scene, but someone should have directed the show better. Villa and Abrams? Two different cats. I don't think ol' Bob had all that many skills.

That situation with Bob and his main carpenter Riley was interesting. If you remember, Riley severed his finger on a saw. He was back in the show in a sling as a one armed carpenter for awhile and then I noticed he was just in the credits. I wonder if that was some form of "workers compensation." Anyway, Riley did all the work on camera while Bob stood by asking scripted questions and then adding his own "knowledge."

I put up with BV just to see what they were doing. Steve Thomas was BV's replacement on TOH. If anything, it would be those 2 who should have a showdown. I think ST has the goods.

Every time Bob would use the word "pilaster" - I would give my Dad a high five! He always used that word. Ha!:D

I always liked when he said "oscillating spindle sander"

Edit: Sorry, that was Norm.

Steve thomas is an interesting guy. IIRC, he was a carpenter for the Navy for a while - worked on their old classic stuff.

I always thought it would be interesting if Norm would do a show where he built something cool using only the more common power tool the average dude has in his garage. Some of his stuff is pretty high tech. And I think he's an MIT engineering grad himself.