Help! We Bought a Village

.....but I'm too busy watching this to do any!

This is an interesting series to watch for anyone who's ever considered doing up an old house. Although saying that, for some on this show, it's more like major construction than DIY.

The series is a bit repetative - they give a lot of info after each ad-break that we've had 5 minutes ago, as if they think their audience is a tad forgetful, but if you record it, you can skip though all of that fluff and get to the interesting stuff.

I enjoy following the people who have got a big renovation project going on. I'm not really interested in those who've already done theirs (which they do tend to show when they're a bit short of content). It's inspiring to see people who are such go-getters and not afraid of hard work. I always wish them the best in their ventures.

I'm a tad envious of the lives they are creating for themselves, but also too lazy to go and do it myself unfortuantely, so will be content to wait for the next series to see how they are all getting on.

The series follows various families who - in a similar way to Escape To The Chateaux - purchased run down properties for a relatively small price and a considerable refurbishment obligation. Here instead of one big property, in the other example, they purchase a series of smaller dwellings, usually to rent out to holidaymakers. It's a joyous exploration of a dream towards the simpler things in life.

The one -big- downside I find, is the amount of superfluous padding that the producers put into each episode. The homeowners and their journeys are reintroduced again and again. Earlier experiences dusted off for a second, third or fourth time. Oftentimes within a single episode. When you begin to notice this it grates and detracts from what would otherwise be sublime viewing.