TOH host information

[Dave Beyerl]

From "TV Preview," October 5, 2003 By Taylor Michaels

TV Q & A

Q: What happened to Steve Thomas from "This Old House"? He disappeared without explanation. Laurie

A: There's no dirty little secret. It's simply that after 14 years on "This Old House," Thomas wanted to move on to other things, reportedly including some new projects on the DIY Network. He left under very amicable terms and will continue to be seen in repeats of older episodes of "This Old House."

New host Kevin O'Connor is still in "pinch me, I must be dreaming" mode. The former bank executive landed his "House" gig through sheer serendipity, after he and his wife, Kathleen, e-mailed "Ask This Old House" for tips on renovating their first home, a Queen Anne Victorian.

To the couple's shock, a "This Old House" crew showed up to offer advice and assistance, and the show's producers noticed O'Connor's easy on-camera rapport with the "House" team. He spent much of the past summer at "This Old House boot camp" with master carpenter Norm Abram, general contractor Tom Silva, heating and plumbing guru Richard Trethewey and landscape contractor Roger Cook. "My friends are so jealous O'Connor laughs.

[Traves W. Coppock]

On 6 Oct 2003 03:15:37 GMT, [e-mail] (Dave Beyerl) Crawled out of the shop and said. . .:

snip

No shit?! lol i thought they might remove him and cut/paste a different actor in digitally in all those repeats...

*BSEG*

Traves

[Brad Bruce]

Traves W. Coppock wrote in news: [e-mail]:

How many Bob Vila episodes have you seen lately? Bob didn't leave on as good terms as Steve.

NJBrad

[Jim Stuyck]

How many 14-plus years old episodes would you be willing to watch? ;-)

Jim Stuyck

[Wood Butcher]

All of them actually. I'd love to see the old shows where Boob buys a $18K fixer-upper, does the needed work, and sells it for $50K(probably not the precise prices but they're in the neighborhood). I'm kind of tired of seeing the new episodes all featuring Taj Mahal's that damn few people can afford.

Art

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Agreed. I want to see how Joe Sixpack can do some renovations to his own home. It is now just a showcase for new products available in Yuppiville.

[Lee Gordon]

Brad ...

[MJ Wallace]

Lee:

Disagree with your assesment. I would say that Time Warner, which now owns TOH properties, probably wants the public to know that there is only one host. That there might have been earlier hosts, but Kevin is now the host. The fact that Steve disappeared from the website is really no cause for alarm. I'd say it's a normal side of business.

BTW: in the last year, I have seen Bob V. on shows when he was the host for TOH. They were TOH reruns on HGTV. However, I would say, that the chances of seeing those shows in the future are slim. There is now close to

12 years of Steve Thomas as host and the kinds of houses TOH did during that time are more in line with how the show is going. More upscale, larger size, big huge rooms, etc.

Figure - there are 24 or so house projects that Steve did as TOH host. Each project was on average about 12 episodes (mix of long/short projects). In a year, you probably would see no more than 4 or 5 old projects. So if you taped Bob doing a show - you probably have a rarity and might want to hold on to it.

MJ Wallace

[Lee Gordon]

MJ ...

Don't be too surprised if you continue to see both Steve and Bob in TOH classics from now until the end of time. In the world of TV syndication and cable networks, nothing beats quantity. Once the producers bit the bullet and began to re-acknowledge the existance of Bob Vila (first in the re-packaged TOH episodes they called "Renovation Guide" and then in the current form of TOH Classics) he was here to stay. They are no more likely to consign Bob to oblivion than the Star Trek syndicators were to banish Captain Kirk once they had enough Picard episodes in the can.

Lee

[Ed Foster]

You'll gag on this week's show. :-)

[Bay Area Dave]

In the Bay Area fixer uppers START at about $450,000. So I'd say you aren't "in the neighborhood"! :)

dave

Wood Butcher wrote:

[John]

My favorite was a while back, where at 360 thou, they were "slightly" over budget.

[Fly-by-Night CC]

I just don't get it. (BTW, I thought the new guy seemed OK and I think he'll fit in well.) (Did you get the feeling the new guy was feeling out of his element in that house - and the lady giving the tour was a little arrogant toward him and the other homeowner?) I don't begrudge people having or spending money, but how much home is enough? I don't think I'd ever be comfortable in that house. It just lacked warmth and an inviting sit-down-and-take-your-shoes-off ambiance. Did anyone notice the echo in the "rustic" family room? It's all show and no substance behind the look.

A home is so much more than expensive marble counters, a library, a computer monitor rising from the desk surface. Can anyone imagine kids playing in that house? Can you picture warm, family memories in that house? "Jeeves, make me some cookies like Grandmama's servants used to make." It was cold and without feeling - just too much like a showroom of what money can buy and not enough like a home.

I became disgusted before they even finished the tour and turned it off

- I'll take the old BV episodes any day over the shows of the last 8 years or so.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You're right. Home should have a wet bar in the dining room, a wet bar in the office, a wet bar in the family room and a full sized bar with stools just outside the movie theater.

Architecturally speaking, the house had some nice features, but as a home, it was a dismal failure. I can't imagine the cost. It is probably at least $30,000 more than my house. ;)

Aside from the fact that it had a carriage house and the new project does also, it was not really anything to do with the project at hand. Just seemed like they took the opportunity to show how the other side lives. Personally, I think the show had long ago take too far in that direction. (maybe the typical PBS supporter?)

As for Kevin, I agree. He is already doing better and looks more comfortable than Steve was after 12 years. On Ask TOH, he was doing some of the work and learning some skills, just like many of the viewers want to do. He's a keeper. Ed [e-mail]

[Ed Foster]

That was also annoying, the house was for sale, if they're going to flaunt all that tasteless opulence, shouldn't they at least have told us what the asking price was? I'm guessing about $10M.

Exactly my feelings.

Yep I agree, a keeper. I'm jealous, as John Cleese said many years ago in Monty Python's Flying Circus - "You lucky bastard!"

[Tom Watson]

People can say what they want about Bob Vila but on his watch they didn't do the horribly overwrought yuppie palaces that they've been doing since he left.

Bob left to go to work for Sears.

Steve Thomas is more likely to have left to go to work for The Sharper Image.

Bob was architecturally trained.

Steve was a trust-fund-sucking-docksider-wearing-nonentity.

The new guy's hands are hard as a baby's butt.

The trend looks like we'll have a female MBA for the next host.

Just my opinion, you understand.

I think they should have left Steve Thomas go away and left Silva to do the job. I understand that this violates the previous paradigm but what of that?

I never thought I'd say this...

I miss Bob.

Regards, Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania

[Renata]

So... a male MBA would be OK?

Renata

--snip--

--snip--

[Charlie Self]

Renata asks:

Probably not. IME, the MBA is the limiting factor, not the gender.

Charlie Self

"The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf." Will Rogers

[MJ Wallace]

Edwin:

I saw the new shows (TOH and ATOH) and Kevin probably will work out ok. I also like the fact that he did the work on ATOH - neat idea of the producer to show someone OTHER then Tom or Richard doing it. I like how he was introduced on ATOH. That was funny.

The wife misses Steve tho. He was actually pretty good. Remember it took him several shows/years before he really felt comfortable in the job. So we should give Kevin a hearty welcome until such time he begins to wear out.

The tour of the mansion was too much. For what reason? Time killers? They probably started on a such and such date and realized that the permits were slow in coming, and so had to fill it with something. At least it wasn't another tour of a factory making wallboard.

As far as BV goes - why is he doing a place in NYC? Does he think that a lot of people will be that interested? To what end? BTW: Bob's homes these days are not cheap either - he just does them in sort of "cheaper" to build states - like the one in Vermont. But, I'd say he's homes are in the $500k range at least if not more. Out here in CA - they would be $900k or above. The only building team doing something "cheaper" is Robin and Dean. They appear to be working with real couples and families.

MJ

[Fly-by-Night CC]

I'll take a factory tour any day of the week over a stroke the wealthy home tour. But then, that's just where my interest lie.