This old house rant

[vvzz]

I just finished watching the latest season of this old house(Arlington arts and crafts) and I just have to vent. I know it's entertainment, but the show has gotten to be just ridiculous - like how many millions the homeowners could possibly spend. The contractors on the show are all very knowledgeable, but again, the little 5 minute scripted segments are not very conductive to teaching.

The whole show just feels like a giant ad to all the latest and greatest products.

I really wish they went back to doing more modest projects with realistic budgets and owners sweat equity(like real work and not holding the hammer while Tommy and Norm finish the whole project with their $1000 festool saw)

[JRC]

I guess it's relative. I still think TOH is a lot more informative than the commercial alternatives. (the visit to the marble quarry comes to mind as something that none of the HGTV shows would do)

As someone who grew up in apartments, in a lower middle-class family, just about all of the projects I remember seemed extravagant, except maybe the Boston triple-decker. But I was just a little kid, when I first started watching, back in the late 80s.

[Lily left the valley]

I do feel like there is a lot more product placement now than I recall when I watched it as a kid. It was always evident that some things would be expensive because there was hand crafting involved, and it made sense to show the best of the best. However now it seems more focused on trendiness of the "old house look" and "featured tool(s) of the house" more than actual restoration in a lot of cases. It really depends on the house and/or project being focused on, but that's my overall feel with them now.

I actually stopped visiting both Villa's and TOH's sites regularly when I realized that neither felt really "quite right" anymore. I find myself haunting more old school tradefolk sites and sites like this one.

Maybe it's my budget, or maybe it's because I like to do what I can myself. Not really sure.

I guess, in truth, I've come to think of TOH as more "house porn" than anything. I'm not sure if the term is as prevalent as "food porn" is. (I hope no one takes offense at these references!)

Edit: I just checked, and apparently it is. There's even a hashtag.

[Seabornman]

I quit watching a long time ago. Every time I happen upon it I'll watch for a few minutes then remember why I quit. Even tried the magazine for a year 'cause it was only $10. I'd leaf through it, find nothing of interest, and toss it in the recycling bin. A shame, as the show really was enjoyable and instructive at one time.

[phil]

I think family guy is more informative than most of the old house shows on TV Most Ive seen are nothing more than daytime TV drama. You get the best bang for your buck right here

[Olson185]

I stopped watching TOH, on a regular basis, around 1987-89 and eventually migrated to Norm's "The New Yankee Workshop". I never cared for B. Vila (one who asks too many -stupid- questions and doesn't actually do much work) and always preferred Norm Abrams (for being the opposite of Vila).

Posted April 1990:People article re: TOH

I'll watch an episode, now an then, but it seems it's more of a video diary rather than DIY. Like most wonderful things that satisfy a niche, the drive for widespread, mainstream success usually requires a lowering of quality, the dilution of what made it great, and a general dumbing-down and acceptance of what's most commonly acceptable. When something tries to be all things to all people it usually ends up being rather mediocre. For reference, consider the programming of TLC, A&E, MTV, CNN, etc. in their early years compared to now (and if you're too young to remember...you missed out on some good stuff).

HGTV's "Rehab Addict" and "Fixer Upper" are tolerable in that neither pushes the newest trends, materials, and etc., there's respect for an old home's character, and both shows set a good example for reusing materials. Unfortunately, these, too, are largely video diary shows and not DIY how-to shows. I would like each task to be explained in cost, procedure, and time; not just a "before" and "after" pic.

[heartwood]

i subscribed to the magazine for years and was a faithful follower of the program on PBS...stopped years ago...I call it 'this old gutted house' or 'this old vinyl sided house'...

[JRC]

Has anyone been watching the newest TOH project(s) in Detroit? https://www.thisoldhouse.com/watch/detroit-house

I enjoyed the first episode. The homeowners seem to want to do a lot of the work themselves. They don't seem to have an unlimited budget, and just want to make their house (that had been abandoned for a few years) livable again. And, it looks like they want to keep/preserve the original character, for the most part. (of course, they want to gut the kitchen...)

However, in the second episode, they introduced another house being restored by a Detroit group called "Rehabbed and Ready." This group doesn't seem very interested in preservation, at all, and wants to modernize the homes they work on. First, the contractor plans to remove the plaster crown moldings in the living room, so that they can put in some recessed can lights. Next, they want to enlarge openings into the kitchen. And finally, when the host asked the contractor about a damaged arch between the kitchen and breakfast nook, the contractor said the arch gave the house a dated look, and they want the house to look new. With this last comment, my first thought was: "It's an old house! Looking dated is half the point!"

[Gothichome]

And that is the reason I stopped watching well over a decade ago. Last episode I watched, they were converting a barn, it was a fashionable thing at the time. A few episodes in some one descided they couldn't work with the darn, tore it down and started afresh, new every thing. Buckled to the whim of some one with deep pockets I think. Shook my head and turned off the TV.