The Real Reason Bob Vila Left "This Old House”

[@elisag.9136]

This show along with the Victory Garden were a staple in my house when I was growing up. I loathed then when I was a kid. Now I can't get enough of those kinds of shows.

[@MrToast-hj6kp]

As a UK fan over the years, I recently got access to the early episodes with Bob Vila then I got to watch the episode when Steve Thomas took over when Bob Vila was replaced due to the issues raised in this video. Though I enjoyed Bob's programs, I have to say I found Steve's presentation a lot better, a lot warmer and there seemed more chemistry between him, Norm,Tom and others. More the format I am used to having watched the more recent episodes with Kevin O'Connor.

[@HipsterDoofus100]

Horsecock Bob Vila is a man's man. A true asset to America the likes of which we will never see again. We love you Horsecock Bob!!!

[@garbage854]

This Old House . I have been watching it since the beginning . 😀

[@Amidat]

yeah I stick to that because of the detail... HGTV style shows are nowhere near as detailed.

[@mscupcakedreamson36]

I remember being a little girl in the 80s, watching this show on LPB. Now, I’m an adult and I still enjoy this show. I found a station on my television, that’s dedicated to this show only. I’m in love. I remember Bob so well.

[@1997cr80r]

Hey roku streaming has "This old house classic" and it's all the original Bob Vila episodes

[@carlhenry4206]

Early on when Bob Villa ran the show, they would work smaller projects in a house, say a basement remodel. They later started redoing the whole house over an entire season. With the newer shows, they are doing a lot more new construction. I liked seeing the rework/upgrade better than the new building. its called This OLD House for a reason.

[@matttanglewood2522]

This Old House is the only home improvement show I will watch, but I think they took a wrong turn when they started doing only the extremely high dollar projects. Still decent craftsmanship, but doing jobs that 90% of Americans can't even come close to affording. Yeah, what happened to the old house that was getting the much needed repairs?

[@christopherfoland1104]

They literally started the show with the Dorchester house! The my remodeled it from top to bottom! The next house was the one that was a mansion and they converted to 5 condominiums! So I’m not sure what you’re talking about them staring out doing small jobs!

[@neoasura]

@@christopherfoland1104 The Dorchester house cost $17,000 back in 1979, thats' $69,000 in todays money, that's VERY cheap for a house that size even back then.

[@christopherfoland1104]

@@neoasura well your talking in dollars and cents when discussing the size of a project. I’m talking about the amount of work that went into remodeling that house and it was no small feat!! 🤷‍♂️

[@cathykeim1088]

Loved watching This Old House with Bob Vila. He made the show what it was. I was so surprised to hear he was paid so little. No wonder he went elsewhere. I stopped watching the show after he left it. Some people just make the show and he did.

[@FactsVerse]

We're happy to know that you love the show. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. If we may ask, which episode did you like the best?

[@cathykeim1088]

@@FactsVerse "Loved, past tense." I don't remember what episode was my favorite. I followed Bob Vila to his new shows.

[@ron4448]

Don't care why he left, just GLAD he did. Everything was about him, in his mind. I'll watch Norm on New Yankee Workshop, he's more of a "Craftsman" than a Camera Hog, Bob always Re-Explaining to people what someone else Just said.

[@johnjoiner18]

The show was never the same after Bob left.

[@steveharte8712]

It was 100% better!

[@williamjackson5942]

It was much better, I remember Vila hawking some silly heaters in an "Amish" wooden case. Put a cheap 35 dollar resistance heater in a 50 dollar box and sell it for 299.99 !

[@WorldHistorian]

I have been watching TOH since the beginning with my father as a kid. I still watch today and I think all the Hosts add their own charm to the franchise. It was fun to rewatch them recently and laugh as Bob and Norm learned how to act for the show. Watching their evolution is priceless.

[@jerryuptmor2826]

Home Again with Bob Vila. I loved it.

[@jerrysmith9780]

Bob started this trend for sure and I always enjoyed watching him. The new crew has amazing chemistry though.

[@35thvert1]

True fans will remember Rilley. He was a great carpenter as well.

[@RepTheFam]

Idk about them but Norm Abram's that's a great carpenter.

[@christopherfoland1104]

@@RepTheFam yeah I remember after I made the statement about being Bob Vila after I had made a birdhouse my uncle told me if you want to be like someone on This Old House be like Norm Abram, he’s the real deal! I eventually grew to find out this was a very accurate statement!

[@troyeager8877]

I enjoyed both. I graduated in 89. Bob Villa was a big part. My joy is wood working and home projects. This Old House is still part of my life. Not my problem big corporations cant share a popular person. I have no loyalty to big corporations. As you see its was a two way street.

[@russellthornton9283]

I enjoyed watching Bob Vila’s Home Again when I was a Teen. And then discovered that he was on This Old House before his show when I turned on PBS one day. I watched some of the Episodes of TOH with Vila and it was Very Good. I can see why he left TOH and was Very Successful with his own show and Sears Craftsman for about 16 years. Today’s TOH has better Team Chemistry than during the Bob Vila days but it was the early days of TOH that really paved the way for all of these Home Improvement shows that are on HGTV today.

[@RecollectionRoadEntertainment]

One of my favorite shows! Between TOH and KZbin, I can do anything!

[@kenborne8215]

I enjoy watching Bob from the beginning of this old House

[@jonehaney8939]

I watched it from the beginning . i even sent away for their t-shirt... and still have it .Bob Vila was my favorite!

[@markmaryanderson1856]

I'm old enough to have watched This Old House from the beginning and Bob Vila did a great job working as host with NO SCRIPT and lots of low budget projects and finding his footing when things screwed up while filming. I love this aspect, lost today. The comments that he was arrogant and so forth--just opinion, as I rather like someone who is up front. What you see is what you get. Big ego people are needed for the job and many moderate it better than Vila, but it is fun to watch him and Norm kind of push each other's buttons in the early shows. And he had a major point about PBS and hypocrisy. BTW like the other two hosts as well, but Bob and Norm and Rich were pioneers which I'll always appreciate!

[@thomasbeckett1245]

Although I’ve seen home again, it is this old house that my father watched so very many times. It was pure entertainment to watch together... something home’s again never acclaimed.

[@hijodelaisla275]

Acclaimed? Huh?

Bob and Norm were the best!

[@Tarabull7353]

I love watching those shows. The ending of "Home Improvement" when Tim left his show and him and Jill moved always made me wonder if they were telling Villa's story a little bit by the way it ended.

[@dawnwagoner8307]

Best show on OPB , never missed an episode

[@allensirkis6799]

I like this old house

[@dansimon1100]

I remember the old episodes for Bob villa on this old house. But they were reruns by that time but Bob villa's home again. It's more what I watch because my dad used to watch it all the time. He like those home improvement shows. But that's what I remember watching when I was growing up.

[@Stuart68505]

Very interesting. Commercial forces and politics do affect public broadcasting behind the scenes. I had many issues of “This Old House” magazines. That magazine was not mentioned. The program paved the way for many other home improvement and informational shows about construction which I still enjoy today.

[@arnettebowman6640]

Vila had a great eye for design and details even though he didn’t have the skills necessary to do the work himself as a master craftsman. He was a very good spokesman and did it well for the products he was selling. He also loved the type of old homes that he was looking to get renovated and do the project management for and that is not a easy task to do. So I give him prop’s for that. He out grew the job he was doing at public broadcasting. I don’t blame him. Now Norm Abram is a great master craftsman and a excellent one at that! He also had experts in the field who knew what they were doing beside him who took the time to talk about the project with the audience for the project as well as Norm which made the program very successful. I loved all of these programs because they showed us how to create a beautiful home and that it was possible for us to do it ourselves with the right tools and materials. It started a whole industry of do it yourself businesses and people who got the confidence to create the perfect home for themselves.

[@808v1]

that was a great presentation of the reasons etc behind his involvement and departure, no BS hype or speculation...appreciated this ty.

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for watching! We're glad to know that you love our video. What other types of video would you like to see on Facts Verse?

[@dc5723]

New Yankee Workshop with Norm Abrams is the best.

[@jjyemg2397]

correct That was Morash's gift to norm and he invested a lot of money on the workshop

[@danno8852]

Yes, Boston native here. Grew up watching this old house with my dad, local narrative has always been that..Bob Vila sucks and Norm Abrams and Tom Silva are where it’s at

[@innputinnput7049]

Another problem he was he disregarded building codes on his residence in the upity section of beacon hill in boston a legal battled brewed between the city and him and pbs didn't want that kind of exposure so they parted ways the story was carried by the boston newspapers. The boston globe and the herald

[@ENCwwe]

I used to watch that show with my dad as a kid in the early 2000s. Good memories

[@deniseroe5891]

Bob Villa started me on my flipping my homes. Three of them now, working on a fourth, my sons house. My son and husband call me “Bobette Villa”.

[@nestor8369]

nice

[@hestheMaster]

I am by no means a woodworker but a "jack of all trades "and well " Master of none" type yet with my OWN plans I have built a small mission style bedroom oak table lamp, a 4" tall CD/DVD oak storage shelving unit, and a 2' by 1' mission style oak wall clock with brass pendulum with a hinged glass front door. Thanks to the inspiration of both Bob and Norm from the This Old House show and still watch it to this day. Longest running " how to " show on TV .

[@bullettube9863]

I always thought it was strange that WGBH in Boston had a problem with Bob Villa. The show soon started featuring brand names, visiting local stores, and allowing GM to advertise twice on each episode. Now that PBS has sold the show to a private company the show has become one long infomercial. Bob was an experienced home re-modeller, and he understood the need to keep things moving on the show. I also liked how he sat down with the owners and went over their budget, something they never do now. Now days, the cost of their renovation are so high, I wonder why they don't just tear it down and start over! Bob was also a likeable guy on and off the set, and no one ever said a word against him.

[@mark9118]

The problem they (mostly TOH producer Russell Morash) had a problem with Bob Villa is that Villa had started some endorsement deals on the side with Sears, and the sponsors of TOH (who competed with Sears on tools, etc) got upset. Despite being a public TV show, it is all about the money.

@@mark9118 The Sears deal came AFTER he left TOH. Re-watch the vid. It had to do with a regional competitor of HomeDespot.

[@Redandranger]

@@mark9118 It was Home Depot ---- that original owner was a total ass.

[@daveclark8337]

Bob was journalism student and then became a TV spokesperson. He has no more construction skills than Ty Pennington, Joanna Gaines or Martha Stewart. Contractors don't wear pink button down shirts with cashmere sweaters on jobsites.

[@bullettube9863]

@@daveclark8337 Well he must have learned something helping his father build their home plus work he did to pay his way through school. Too may people think that remodeling is all about hammers and nails, but remodeling requires knowledge about local restrictions, engineering standards and architecture which is what makes a house look good.

[@davidmellott5049]

This Old house was my all-time favorite restoration show because it covered everything from start to finish and explained it all, it's damn shame he was forced off the show, thereby ending my interest forever. I cannot believe how little they paid him, shameful.

[@FactsVerse]

It was one of our favorites too! What's your favorite This Old House episode, davidmellott50?

[@steveharte8712]

They paid him what he was worth, could not stand the guy!

[@retrocloud760]

@@FactsVerse Trump Tower! Season five

[@snatt420]

Bob Vila, simple the best.

[@bobwigg761]

Norm Abram hasn’t appeared very much in recent seasons, it would be more accurate to say Tom Silva is the second host alongside Kevin O’Connor who actually first appeared on the show as a home owner when Steve Thomas hosted.

[@stanleykeith6969]

Norm is getting up in age. Slowing down. Norm is a Great Guy !

[@mcarroll598]

They don’t even need Kevin O’Connor to be the host.

[@hijodelaisla275]

"actually"

[@rustybeatty6567]

The real reason why Norm Abram left This Old House was to focus all of his time on his other TV Show on PBS where he was building furniture and and other wood related projects Norm Abram didn't do very much on the This Old House show he was more or less an extra set of hands and occasionally doing finer detail work when it was needed modern manufacturing of building materials like trim pieces and stairs railing and cabinetry and bookcases rendered his use obsolete on the show.

[@matttanglewood2522]

I liked it when Steve Thomas was on the show.

[@fredciba]

This Old House with Bob Vila was like the Beatles. He/they invented the format that everyone else followed. Bob Vila's Home Again even raised the likeability.

[@Jared-91]

This Old House was a show my mom loved to watch. My mom was more of the "handywoman" while my dad wasn't very useful in that area. She was always fixing things, or remodeling. I grew up watching it too.

[@stevem048]

Bob: Hey Norm, what are you doing there? Norm: Um , hammering in a nail Bob.

[@allensirkis907]

I love this old house because it is the best show ever I’ve ever seen I like what they do on the program.

[@davefoc]

I have a paid subscription to the This Old House website and I've watched the show for many years. When I got the membership I watched a lot of the earlier shows with Villa. My view: The early shows were nice and they were groundbreaking. However Bob Villa's personality didn't wear well on me. I think the show was very lucky to get him and they were lucky when he left. The show's approach after Villa left was to distribute air time between the on-air personalities who all had easy going personalities that I haven't gotten tired of after all these years. As far as Bob's show. I have watched it a bit. It is relentlessly Bob the pitchman, which I don't find appealing.

[@russellkendall7055]

I never missed This Old House; I learned a lot!

[@FactsVerse]

What was your favorite episode, Russell?

[@edcrego396]

Bob got a raw deal from this old house he is the one that made that show what it is today !!!!

[@tedtolentino4955]

I find both old and new programs both entertaining and informative. I have no problem with Bob V. In fact, all the programs we watch today, including the HGTV programs such as those featuring Joanna and Chip Gains offer more variety and information. What's not to like? If you have the experience and know better than the hosts of these shows, share it!

[@johnmcclanahan2272]

Bob always knew more than the experts. I never cared much for that.

[@ErnestODell]

All these years, I didn't know that Bob Vila had left the show, nor why. I always enjoyed the show through its transition(s), and learned a lot about building. I'll always be grateful to Bob Vila, Norm Abrams, and the many show transitions for showing me how to build a stair stringer that wasn't too short... or too long. LOL!

[@FactsVerse]

The show really taught us a lot! What else has the show taught you how to make, Ernest?

[@markjordan4994]

The original This Old House wtth Bob and Norm was my favorite DIY home improvement show by far. Nothing since has come close to it, although New Yankee Workshop was great for cabinet makers.

NYW was a different animal altogether. And it was the very best of it's kind, as was the original TOH.

[@robertwilhite9821]

I like new yankee work shop.

[@hoffer54]

Getting ready to build three of the blanket chests from the book, have a lot of wood I need to get rid of!

[@someonespadre]

It was a show about renovating houses but it has evolved into tear down this old house and build new house for rich people with bottomless bank account

[@jeremymurphy7320]

1:00 Just look at that fantabulous vinyl Linoleum flooring. Same pattern (withdifferent color) as the stuff that was in the house my wife and i bought.

[@retrocloud760]

Yeah from like 1982! Unreal, lol

[@candiceperry7916]

It is awesome to watch this old house

[@debandmike3380]

I was glad to see Steve come along. He included everyone and it became a family. Bob was all about Bob, and if you notice, not a single episode ever ended with another name added to the closing, even when people were standing right next to him. Not even Norm who was on the show every time. I hated that.

[@retrocloud760]

Norms name was mentioned several times as master carpenter in the episodes in at least one of the seasons. Yes, Bob was very talkative and outgoing. His personality grew on me quickly. Norm was pretty amazing too!

[@harldave9850]

I liked them both actually and still watch this old house.

[@MegaGeorge1948]

I watched the first "This Old House" on a PBS show in 1974, when Norm and Bob were upgrading an old house in Dedham, MA. What stood out to me was they were demo-ing a asbestos covered old steam boiler in a dirt floor cellar with no face masks for protection.

[@MAGAMAN]

And they are still alive and in good health. Kinda makes you wonder.

[@williamjackson5942]

@@MAGAMAN I think I remember that one, they kept the think damp so the fibers wouldn't fly about? I know that was the method used when they were cleaning up the set up at a restuarant I worked at. Then they wet vac'ed it and hosed it and wet vac'ed again.

[@retrocloud760]

That was in 1979 I believe. And they mentioned aspestos protection for the workers removing that old boiler I believe or at least someone writing in to the show did. Can't remember for sure. They knew it was bad then, lead paint as well (IF my memory serves correct).

[@222INFINITY]

I remember reading about when Vila's Company was being sued for poor workmanship. Vila was the star witness for his Company and during cross examination the opposing lawyer asked him one question; are you an engineer, architect, carpenter, plumber, electrician, what exactly is your expertise? Bob answered, I'm Bob Vila and got laughed out of the courtroom.

[@bill5552]

Bob Villa is a sarcastic , condescending know it all. When he left the show it improved greatly,

[@webbtrekker534]

I like the original This Old House when Bob left I pretty much did too. I appreciate Norm Abrams and his programs. The "suits" behind the scenes can basically screw up a wet dream. If something is new and original they will mess with it until its worthless and they have killed it.

[@johnccargill4665]

Reagan didn't want to defund This old house, he wanted to defund pbs because it had left leaning politics, which is even stronger today.

[@rhymereason3449]

"Left leaning politics"... code words for "intelligent discussions based on facts".

[@tombob671]

@@rhymereason3449 or we need the gubbmint tit to fund what we cannot 😜

[@SH-pc4xt]

@@tombob671 Sure, sure. I'm pretty sick of so-called conservatives who claim to want small gov't and then supported TRUMP. TWICE. Look at all the RED states that TAKE far more federal dollars than they contribute as opposed to the many BLUE states that pay more in taxes than they get in return. So the GOP goons say down with big government, but their states are so pathetic that they depend on gov't programs for basic needs for their under-educated and under-trained workforces. And this all works because low-information voters just "BELIEVE" what ever BS FOX/TRUMP/OANN feed them. So glad TRUMP lost. So sorry it was not the massive GOP defeat the country really needed...

[@williamjackson5942]

@@tombob671 You need help, Obama care is still available for your mental health needs!

[@Shazistic]

The harder you fall, the higher you bounce. -The Shades

[@13squier]

Been watching TOH since the 90s so I always knew Steve and Kevin as hosts. When I watch the old Bob Vila episodes I find him annoying; pushy and pretentious. That he just became a corporate pitch man was fitting. The pros always carried the show anyway, nobody tops Norm, Tom, Richard, and Roger!

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for watching, Clay!

[@vilod]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@cmeller55]

Villa seemed to act like he was above all the trade folks in his old TOH shows. I’m a big fan of Kevin OC as he genuinely seemed impressed by the experts and asked questions no matter if they seemed too simplistic.

[@66limelight]

I kind of agree with your take on Bob as host of TOH. I like both Steve and Kevin as hosts more than Bob but I still like watching those old shows with Bob as host because he was the pioneer of hosts for DIY shows. Given the reasons in the video as to why he left, I don't blame Bob at all. They were holding him back on lucrative endorsements. I agree with one of the other commenters about how the show has changed. They aren't remodeling the average American family home anymore like they used to. I like watching them turn a small or average family home into something beautiful rather than remodeling a huge Victorian. But they have stuck to renovating an "Old House" and I like the idea of saving history.

[@toma5153]

Agree. I found the way he interrupted or talked over guests or staff was rude and annoying. Good riddance.

[@dtom1145]

The reason shows like TOH , Ask This Old House, Holmes and New Yankee Workshop are so much better than the DIY shows today is that they actually showed you WHY and HOW! Today’s shows gloss over everything or do quick before and after shots so you learn very little. You Tube has more value than most of today’s DIY shows. Same goes for problems you might (will) encounter doing the work yourself and how to solve them - today’s shows show you nothing. TOH... set the bar high and none have been able to come close.

[@765kvline]

What killed the show for me was that the show was geared towards the "average" homeowner and middle class waif who was trying to remodel his/her kitchen, add an extra room or garage to their house, rehabilitating their basement or older home. Then . . . they got presumptuous. Villa had left by then. The episode with the two Harvard University Professors (husband and wife) who had purchased this huge Victorian mansion in Cambridge and were going to spend $1,000,000.00 on the rehabbing . . . well . . . how "typical" middle class that project turned out to be. I still recall just ignoring the show after that episode. Didn't even watch the full episode. Just . . . turned it off. I'm sure a lot of others . . . did, too!

[@TheOtherBill]

Yeah, they went stupid expensive on the renovations and I stopped watching it too.

[@shortfuse43]

Me too. Too much emphasis on upscale work on wealthy folks homes and estates...not the average Jack and Jill home. I quit watching too.

[@sarsebola4148]

opposite for me. i like watching the guys work on high end craftsman type projects like detailed molding, massive kitchens, primer products, that kind of stuff. they have ask this old house to show you how to fix up dumpy apartments and average homes.

[@Redandranger]

@@sarsebola4148 It feels like a scam. Rich people who can afford to pay full scale for the work, appliances and other materials want to get on the show so get free and reduced costs one these things for allowing their palce to be on TV. Now they have Kevin --- a guy who was a banker and had TOH working on his place so they hired him. Ugh.

[@sarsebola4148]

@Jacko Sargs nobody is telling you you have to do anything.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

Norm , with his hat and blue jacket looks like he's about to direct Jaws.

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for watching!

[@leannmeixner8073]

idiots here bashing Vila as not being a "Real" carpenter... THAT WAS NOT HIS JOB ! Just like all the other hosts, his job was to try to ask the questions a real homeowner might. Being that he was already in the remodeling biz, he knew what to ask. So did Steve Thomas, and now Kevin O'Conner. Granted, they are highly coached too, and scripts are written to make it all flow. Overall, they have done a VERY good job. Before TOH, there was no such thing as a home remodelling/repair/restoration show on TV. Cut them some slack ! Oh, and it was all done on a PBS budget, which is 75% or more DONATIONS from viewers, not the government.

[@chrisburns5691]

there are episodes from the early 80's that had Vila doing formwork (inspected later by norm) he also built kitchen cabinets in place using half lap joined face frames, tiled the counter, etc. I was a bit surprised that he did indeed have some skill.

[@retrocloud760]

@@chrisburns5691 yes! Season 3 I believe, from 1982. He did work with his hands as well as speak! Said they had a low budget that season due to the economy back then.

[@bluesanty]

I remember Bob Vila's first project on This Old House on PBS it was a huge house/barn/maids quarters/ gate house all in one building and he and the This Old House crew turned it into a 5 unit condo . We never missed an episode and their reruns , and their reruns.

[@msmith4700]

That wasn’t the first season..

[@cdjhyoung]

@@msmith4700 Correct. That was the second season project, but the first to get a national audience.

[@mark9118]

@@cdjhyoung They must have re-run the first season nationally, because I saw when I lived in Texas. It may have been after it first aired on WBGH, but it was shown nationally by most PBS stations (I think each station has to pay to air it).

[@cdjhyoung]

@@mark9118 I'm not sure when season one was aired nationally. It's almost 40 years ago, but I don't think we saw it in my market until after season 2 and 3.

[@dennisfahlstrom2515]

TOH was my favorite by a big margin. Much more detail and less product promotion.

[@PatriciaSanchez-ds3wd]

This Old House was #1 for the whole run IMHO, followed by Home Improvement! LOL!

[@AlexCBrandon]

Extremely well put together video with just one edit… I wouldn’t consider the reason Bob left the show to be “shocking” by the time I watched the whole thing :) No need for early watch bait terminology. The facts and your presentation style speak for themselves.

[@FactsVerse]

Thanks for the tip! What other types of video would you like to see on our channel?

[@AlexCBrandon]

@@FactsVerse Eye opening actually was that Republicans have tried to cancel government funding for public broadcasting. Would love more info on that for shows of this era.

[@EarthREALTOR]

I love that show! Practical, not showy and kind of "fake" like so many of the similar shows today.

[@MAGAMAN]

TOH is extremely fake. They do multiple takes and reshoots on a lot of what you see and it is very scripted. Once I learned that, it kind of ruined the show for me. They also don't seem to show much construction on the show anymore, which is weird, considering that is what the show is about.

[@lox_501]

Does everyone know what time it is? TOOL TIME! That's right! Binford Tools is proud to present Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor!

[@rogerhansen1314]

this old house was a great leader

[@slehar]

My sister was ripped of by Bob Vila for hundreds of thousands. She bought a penthouse apartment in Boston renovated by Bob Vila, who had added the penthouse illegally. After about 10 years of legal wrangling (and loss of rental income!) the penthouse was removed, dropping the value of the penthouse apartment by at least half. Settled out of court with a "nondisclosure agreement" to preserve his reputation.

[@slehar]

@@dropndeal They made me sign a "non disclosure agreement" (NDA) as a condition of the settlement. So I can only say anything on a KZbin forum. Just sayin.

[@stanleef]

i hate NDA’s.

[@jimmystewart5586]

Norm was the man. True carpenter

[@walterulasinksi7031]

While the original format of This Old House in assisting homeowners in their renovations still is being used and successfully, Bib Villa seemed to always try to place his design concepts above the homeowners wants and needs. He also did not seem to embrace new technology on the show, going more for older and more inefficient products. There always seemed to be an undercurrent between Villa andNorm Abrams. Who as a craftsman, was more open to helping homeowners to attain their wishes while. Using the best products affordable. The same has applied to. Richard Trethewy , who while helping homeowners to understand diy plumbing issues made sure that everything that was done would pass a building inspection the same applied with the addition of Tom Silva, who while owning his own construction company has allowed a number of his contracts to be used as TOH projects with the homeowners permission and including the current drive to enlist apprentices into the building tradesmen also has given his expertise to homeowners who are in DIY mode, most recently the Detroit episodesThis leaving Steve Thomas and Kevin O’ Conner to be presenters learning along with the public the how to’s of renovation and building repair be it. Stone work , landscaping, carpentry plumbing and new products.

[@mark9118]

Walter, it mainly had to do with historic preservation rules, which in many cases was mandated by the cities or neighborhood the houses were in.

[@davidwyatt4845]

This Old House with Bob. But of course Norm is the man. My youngest daughter is 32, and she can still tell you Norm’s tool safety speech verbatim.

[@nephetula]

True, some of the "stars" on PBS make very little. However, the executives and officers are well taken care of, and the remaining 500+ employees make an average of $120,000 per year.

[@TheOtherBill]

That's why they need all those fund raisers. And why I stopped watching them.

They didn't make that back then (even adjusting for inflation).

[@Notguilty1]

I loved the show only when Bob Villa was on it. And I loved Yankee Workshop.

[@TheHartsook69]

I remember watching that show back in the 80s with Bob Vila is a pretty good show it was a lot better than this stuff they put out now

[@FactsVerse]

What's your favorite episode of the show, David?

@@FactsVerse What's your IQ?

[@williamjackson5942]

Bob was a pain!

[@anonymousperson4363]

I liked the show, but not Vila. His personality didn't seem so likable to me. However, this video did give me some insight that he wasn't as bad as i thought.

[@John-mz8rj]

Worth 70 million, good for you Bob.

[@blackjackjoe7]

It is shameful how little they paid him but I was never enamored with him as the host anyway. I didn't think he had much personality. TOH always my favorite and I used to also watch New Yankee Workshop each morning as I ate breakfast. I really like the TOH 'stars' and think they do a great job.

[@joewilbur5075]

this old house was the very best/better then what we have now /clowns..

[@ROGER2095]

I remember liking that Bob Vila always wanted to ride the bulldozers, cranes, Bobcats, etc.

[@FactsVerse]

We liked that about him too! What's your favorite episode of the show, ROGER2095?

[@StevenTorrey]

This Old House is really about how a house is engineered.

[@BBQ_kevin]

This old house, and now the spin offs as well. Magazine, and ask this old house. Was glad to see they invited bob onto the anavesary show of this old house. Yes he was the host that came up with this concept, but it was the cast that really carried the show. Lots of the time he talked a talk, an people like Norm, Richard Tommy and others have broke it down showed and explained what was going on. Best show for Bob was the one where him and Norm redid a persons basement.

[@FactsVerse]

What's your favorite This Old House episode, bbq kevin?

[@SkyWire88]

I found the initial shows of This Old House fascinating and waited each week to see the newest episode. Soon, I grew to despise Villa for his bombastic style and I just stopped watching the show. Villa had become arrogant and obnoxious and talked down to the workmen on the show a bit. Anyone could sense this. Then came Norm Abrams, who had a much softer approach and better delivery of technical info. Norm's "show" was better for me for two reasons: One, it wasn't Bob Villa, and; Two, the show was almost all carpentry type work and was a bit easier to digest. I never gave Villa's new show a shot --- it was not what I wanted to see.

[@tatsumaru12345]

The REAL reason I left this video, 3 minutes in and haven't even began why Vila left

[@EarthREALTOR]

TRUE!

[@silasmarner7586]

Settle down there, Beavis!

[@westroadelectric5444]

I always like Home Time on PBS out of Minneapolis MN

[@TheOtherBill]

I was crushed when I found out Dean and Joann weren't really a couple.

[@beauxdodson642]

Bob had a habit of always introducing himself on the show, even when someone walked up to him and said, "Hi Bob." He would respond, "Hi I'm Bob Villa! And Bob did this about a dozen times in the show! At the end of the show, he would reintroduced himself again, "Remember, I'm Bob Villa, see next week with Bob Villa!" The last reintroduction with his own third person.

[@retrocloud760]

Did he make that up himself though or was he scripted to do so. Seems they would have told him to, doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

[@donaldjaggers3255]

My favorite was THIS OLD HOUSE where middle class people could learn to repair their own homes.

[@johnkelsey2482]

please do a video on Norm ....Bob's side kick....Thanks...

[@chrisburns5691]

side kick? he was the one who actually knew what he was doing, lol.

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

THIS OLD HOUSE is my favorite but ... really did NOT like watching Bob VILLA in any of his iterations I like the Details & the INSTRUCTIVENESS of THIS OLD HOUSE & always learn something With BOB VILLA it is always about his persona or EGO IMHO COOP .........................................

[@rayfalcon777]

This old house but only when bob villa was on it and when it had “tool time “ on it back in the day

[@kc0lif]

this old house the innovativer of home improvement shows even the sitcom home improvement had bob vila as a guest star and helped norm Abram start new yankee workshop.

[@krazzygranny7032]

the producer of the This Old House, produced New Yankee Workshop also in fact the work shop was in the back yard of the Producer, it replaced the old shop for Victory Garden

[@bb9800]

Liked it better when Bob Villa left. I thought he acted like no one knew as much as he did

[@FactsVerse]

What's your favorite episode of the show post-Bob Villa, bb9800?

[@Taximan90]

Between the 2, This Old House but I do watch re-runs of Home Again on Dabl on Sunday mornings, I am also a New Yankee Workshop fan even tho I don't think it is on anymore anywhere.

[@FactsVerse]

What's your favorite This Old House episode, Eric?

[@hijodelaisla275]

"Home Again" is great. I love the way Macaulay Culkin plays tricks on those criminals - but he really does mess up the house.

[@Taximan90]

@@hijodelaisla275 That would be "Home Alone" not "Home Again" just sayin

[@hijodelaisla275]

@@Taximan90 Yeah, just being silly.

[@hijodelaisla275]

@@Taximan90 Yes, I know. It's my (apparently lame) sense of humor.

[@Edgardocelectric007]

Both were very good as well as Yankee Workshop, ground breaking if you ask me

[@FactsVerse]

They both were! What's your favorite episode of This Old House, Edgar?

[@ed9492]

He teamed up with Sears and you can see how that's worked out for them.

[@mikemakuch2824]

You JackAss, Villa had no fault in sears going down. K-Mart was going Bankrupt and was allowed to buy sears out! Think about that for a minute you damn fool, Villa only had endorsements, Not control of the company! What an AssHole!

@e d It was VERY profitable for both for many years, ms.Jackov. Were you born this stupid, or are you a product of your trailer-park environment? Just asking.

[@bslcouple]

I liked both. Can't blame Bob for wanting to make more money.

[@FactsVerse]

What was your favorite This Old House episode, Doc Hood?

[@jackagain8346]

I heard Bob was forced out of the show because he was doing Sears commercials and PBS told him not to. Bob told them to take a hike....so they got rid of him.

[@travis8106]

Heard he fucked a house up in Malibu. Homeowners went to sue WGBH. They axes him.

[@skipduld3630]

I WORK AT THE PHILLY NAVY YARD AND AS A CARPENTER HELPER. SO DURING THE THIS OLD HOUSE WE WATCH EVERY WK. MY WIFE AND I WOULD GET GREAT IDEA'S FROM THIS OLD OLD HOUSE. IN THE BEGINING BOB WOULD BRING IN AN ELE. TO DO THE WIREING AND THEY TOLD HOW TO DO IT. THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG. I GUEST THE PRODUCER'S DIDN'T WANT ANY ONE TO GET HURT. MY WIFE KNOW WATCH POD CAST COOKING SHOWS AND THE GRILS WHO TRAVLER IN TRAVEL VAN. I WATCH MIKE HOLMES OR THE HISTORY CHANEL OR JOSH GATES. TKS