Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Conway, AR, USA
Posts: 263

I'm a big fan of "This Old House" and didn't know until today that the show have a new host, Kevin O'Connor.

Here's a link to their web site with some information on him:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/html/news/newhost.html

Was I just living in a black hole and somehow missed this or has this slipped by any other "This Old House" fans?

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Binghamton, NY
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So why is Steve Thomas leaving? I wonder if he's going to start his own show like Bob Vila did?

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Conway, AR, USA
Posts: 263

quote:

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Originally posted by JimSpence
So why is Steve Thomas leaving? I wonder if he's going to start his own show like Bob Vila did?

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 3529

Here's the only article I can find on Thomas' leaving the show: http://www.freep.com/entertainment/...s9_20030609.htm

It says that Steve Thomas is scheduled to do a 5 part series on Habitat for Humanity for DIYnet.

Edit: here is a better article: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...16p-81462c.html

All it says is that he "wanted to move on."

Last edited by LoadStar on 08-18-2003 at 04:15 AM

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Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Wylie, Texas
Posts: 3716

I didn't even know Bob Villa didn't host this show.




Stew

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 225

Maybe Steve should do a show on the structural aspects of a comb over? Does anyone actually watch DIYnet? I'm guessing they're looking to use Steve to establish them much in the way H&G used JoAnne Liebler of Hometime fame.

I always felt the Bob was a vastly superior host off TOH. Steve is a bit too saccharin for my liking. On the other hand, Bob's current show leaves a lot lacking. The pacing is just too quick. They try to fit too much info into an episode, glancing over too many details with too little true info. Reilly(?) the carpenter has got to be the worst DIY personality on TV! That pieces of his hand have occasionally disappeared over the years is disturbing. Pay more attention and slow down with that saw!!!!

I hope the new host reinvigorates TOH. The show used to feature ideas that the average home owner could incorporate in their own projects, but has increasingly become "This Old House of the Filthy Rich". Ask This Old House was a major disappointment, many shows have already covered that ground a lot better.

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Registered: May 2001
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 5528

Doesn't everyone watch DIY? You should be.

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Binghamton, NY
Posts: 12718

The problem I have with the do-it-yourself genre of shows is that I learn what I should have done.

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Sony SAT T60 (146 hrs), DSR6000, HTL-HD HD receiver, DVDR985 - DVD recorder, URC-6131 Universal Remote
DirecTV since '96, Dish Network for superstations (WB/UPN) only
Waivers for all four nets are in place.
I'm suspicious of newbies, but tolerant!
And, just because I have a bunch of posts doesn't mean I'm always right.
Add 1231 for accurate post count.

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 3529

Personally, I always liked Hometime more than This Old House, because when the show started out, they made sure that the Average Joe could follow their instructions and reproduce the projects. They had a workshop where they showed various things being put together step by step.

This Old House was always the show that showed the host (Steve or Bob) walking around a million plus dollar home playing foreman to a cast of thousands. Interesting to see what they're doing, but completely useless to a do it yourselfer.

However, even Hometime has fallen victim to doing over-the-top projects that no one at home could ever reproduce, and they've brought in more and more contractors over the years. That's pretty much when I stopped watching them as well.

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Registered: Feb 2002
Location: CT
Posts: 2651

Thank goodness that Bob, Steve, Norm, et al, will live on in perpetuity via reruns.

Steve got much, much better as the show went on, but I never believed for a second he was as into it as Bob used to be...

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Registered: Dec 2001
Location:
Posts: 1994

quote:

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Originally posted by doom1701
Doesn't everyone watch DIY? You should be.

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Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Crown Point, IN USA
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by doom1701
Doesn't everyone watch DIY? You should be.

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Especially this Friday. Oh, wait, it won't be on until January. Nevermind.

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Last edited by Philosofy on 08-18-2003 at 03:20 PM

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Acworth, GA, USA
Posts: 54

I am a big fan and this is news to me.

Steve is sortof a dumbass, everytime they hand him the power tools I get a little worried. This new guy sounds like even more of a n00b. This concerns me greatly.

I used to think that I liked Bob better. That is, until they started playing the really old re-runs of the show with Bob on them again. After seeing a few of these I changed my mind to liking Steve better.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 3891

wow...this is news to me. I enjoyed Steve especially as time has passed. I feel like we were both learning at the same time

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Lansing, MI
Posts: 5232

Steve? Oh yeah, he's that guy that talks to the camera in between the segments with Norm in them.

I long ago stopped watching the show for ideas on what I could do myself (putting up a knee-wall and converting an attic, etc), ever since the $500K timberframe-barn conversion it's been more like "This Old Mansion". But Steve wasn't nearly as bad as Bob Villa (too smarmy).

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: DC Suburbs
Posts: 4375

I never really cared for Steve as a host. He never seemed to know what was going on and he knows less about the business that even Bob (I'm a freakin Genius ) Vila did. I don't miss Bob and I won't miss Steve. Norm, tommy and Rich have always been the heart of the show. They know they and they don't bite the hands that feed them.

I do agree on the this Old Mansion comment by jPriller. I did like it more in the early days when the did the kinds of projects normal people do. Hometime is better but has moved in the mansion direction a lot of the time too. I still learn al lot but I take it all with a grain of sand. Some of the stuff they do is SOOOOO far out of normal that I just laugh.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Conway, AR, USA
Posts: 263

I agree with all the comments about the show focusing on larger projects. One of the articles LoadStar mentions touches on that point. I hope they'll use this transition as a way to transition back to more modest projects.

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Dallas (or L.A.)
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I like TOH.. Yes, it certainly is "This Old Mansion" If I ever come into serious money and can afford my own place the way I would want it, the show has given me lots of good ideas. But one can always dream.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Conway, AR, USA
Posts: 263

quote:

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Originally posted by jsmeeker
I like TOH.. Yes, it certainly is "This Old Mansion" If I ever come into serious money and can afford my own place the way I would want it, the show has given me lots of good ideas. But one can always dream.

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Registered: May 2001
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 5528

quote:

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Originally posted by IJustLikeTivo
I do agree on the this Old Mansion comment by jPriller. I did like it more in the early days when the did the kinds of projects normal people do. Hometime is better but has moved in the mansion direction a lot of the time too. I still learn al lot but I take it all with a grain of sand. Some of the stuff they do is SOOOOO far out of normal that I just laugh.

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I own a timber company? That's news to me.

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