» This Old House Options

[Raguel]

*sniff* I miss Vila.

[candynecklace]

I also liked the Steve/Bob shows the best. They were regular Saturday AM viewing. Have seen very few of the newer shows.

Give me a man who knows his way around a chop saw, a receptacle analyzer, and a pipe wrench any day!

That's Mr. Candynecklace-he's a carpenter. Alas, he does NOT have his own show!

[screamapiller]

I'm still reeling from the decision to abandon Fats Waller's "Louisiana Fairytale" as the theme music.

I'm sure Kevin O'Connor is a perfectly nice guy, but he makes Steve Thomas look like Lawrence Olivier. However, I do still watch out of my insane loyalty to Norm, Rich, Roger, and Tommy.

[Breakdance Duck]

Happened to catch the BEST. MOMENT. EVER. on This Old House the other day.

It was the end of the show and Steve finished up his end of show spiel and turned and went and helped Norm and the crew lift up a frame. As the theme music started to play you hear Norm say quite clearly, "Thanks, Steve. Bob never did this."

This post has been edited by Breakdance Duck: Oct 1, 2005 @ 4:16 pm.

[etexlady]

That's some ugly house they are working on this new season. An ultra-modern (for the time it was built) that has aged poorly. The home owner is kind of strange. Seems to like the camera. He's gone thru four architects over the past few years so I hope TOH can satisfy him.

This post has been edited by etexlady: Oct 22, 2005 @ 1:27 pm.

[Hairymango]

When I saw the beginning of the first episode with the host out on the Charles, I started to sweat. I thought, "Oh, gosh they're going to do one of those great brownstones on Comm Ave". But that was short lived when I saw them pull up to a tear down in Cambridge. I don't know exactly where they were, but I've never seen that much land for one dwelling in Cambridge whenever I walked around there. It must be nice.

The house, though. Goodness, why not tear it down and start over. I know the homeowner (yes, he is a geeky thing) likes his kitchen and it does hold up well for having been designed 13 yrs ago, but he'll probably want to redo it in 5 yrs anyway. At least I like the look that this 5th(!) architect came up with.

This post has been edited by Hairymango: Oct 27, 2005 @ 5:55 pm.

[Svenska Flicka]

I miss Steve Thomas.

I'm old enough that to me, Bob Vila is This Old House. Along with Norm, of course. It took me forever to adjust to Steve Thomas...and even then, I didn't like him all THAT much. He reminded me too much of a rich prep-school kid. Meh. I've watched very little of Kevin, so I have no opinion to offer on that!

Factoid? I know someone whose home was featured on TOH back in the early 80's, and then re-visited about 10 years ago to see how things had held up over the years! I get a huge kick out of it when I happen to catch one of those episodes. I won't say who/which house it was, for fear of revealing my snarky other-self to friends/family ;)

[Rickster]

But how did it hold up?

I lost interest in the last project they did but have been watching this one. I agree, I would have nuked this place rather than renovate.

It's interesting how these mid century modern houses don't seem to hold up in structure or appeal. I live across the street from a similar vintage and style house in much better condition (although older kitchen) that the owners have been unable to sell for 10 months despite dropping the price considerably.

[gnbhull]

You know, I like Kevin. He's just so clueless and the older guys seem to delight in showing him up. Bob Vila got so full of himself that he was unwatchable to me. I've always like Norm and since I've been watching again I really like Tommy too.

This post has been edited by gnbhull: Oct 28, 2005 @ 2:12 pm.

[wyndham]

I never liked Villa either. I found him arrogant and really obnoxious about bullying people into projects that they couldn't afford. Only kept watching because I loved old Norm and Tommy. Now there are two guys who believe in doing a job right and insist that others do the same. Really hard to find folks like that anymore. And the landscaper guy is great too (tho his name escapes me at present).

Steve took a while to get used to but he had the experience of building boats so he knew his way around the construction pretty well. And he had great hair. Kevin bores me - good hearted fella but doesn't seem to have any knowledge or experience about the work.

I caught part of an episode of the new season last nite - that is one crappy looking old house IMO. But I admit, I'm biased. I want to see them restoring old places that have stood the test of time and just need some TLC.

[Rickster]

I can remember seeing the very first episode as a teenager. Can't confess to seeing all the projects though. While I liked Bob when he was the host, looking back at reruns and that other show he does now, the arrogance gets to me. Steve was the best. Kevin I think is too weak a personality, but I understand they chose him as a person the viewers could identify with without feeling intimidated, which I guess was the case with Steve.

[Hairymango]

I've watched TOH since I was a kid, and I remember my mother laughing at how Bob Vila would always insist on trying some of the work that the others were doing and how he would always do a sloppy job in comparison to the more skilled laborers.

I liked Steve, and his hair especially, but I wasn't attached to him.

Viewers of Ask This Old House, might remember seeing Kevin as one of the hapless homeowners who called in the TOH people to help him out. I think that when Steve abruptly quit the show, the producers took a second look at Kevin and his Campbell Soup kid face and offered him the job. His lack of experience was supposed to make him and the show more accessible.

I try to watch the show every season, but I usually wound up frustrated. I would tune in week after week and dutifully watch while Norm got all excited at some quartz or linoleum factory, and then when it came to the final week's reveal, some pledge drive would come along and preempt it with a show about how to play piano without learning music and I'd never see the project's completion. Thankfully, Tivo put an end to that torment.

[nh lass]

I remember my mother laughing at how Bob Vila would always insist on trying some of the work that the others were doing and how he would always do a sloppy job in comparison to the more skilled laborers.

Do a Google search on Bob Vila and Conrad Janis, he bought a house from Vila that he built, and the house was a death trap, everything broken, sewage coming up into the house, it went to court, I remember Bob testifying and admitting "no, I'm not a licensed contractor". Don't remember how it was settled though.

[ncjeff]

I don't watch This Old House regularly because, like others have already mentioned, the projects aren't "accessible" to the average homeowner. Still, some episodes catch my attention and I sit through them. However, I set the DVR for Ask This Old House and usually find it both entertaining and informative.

Kevin O'Conner is OK, he may not stand out on This Old House but he shines on Ask This Old House. A&E runs some old Steve Thomas episodes and I think Kevin is much more personable than Steve. I never did think much of Steve's delivery on either show, Kevin seems to have it down. The fact that he's a novice helps, the back and forth with the experts is funny at times, everyone seems to have found their rythm much better than when Steve was the host.

[queasy]

I don't guess every example of modern architecture is worth saving, but I love the style and would rather have seen them restore the house rather than rennovate it so extensively. I'm looking forward to this season, though, and am glad the HO is sticking with modern.

I couldn't stand Bob Vila, liked Steve and think Kevin is doing a surprisingly good job, especially considering the way they found him. I mostly watch for Norm, anyway.