DIY SOS

DIY SOS started off as an alternative to the usual tedious property development programmes that suddenly proliferated in the late 90's, with a lighthearted half-hour of home improvement mixed with some banter and some useful DIY tips. It was definitely better than the average show where some poor prospective buyers with a mere budget of 3/4 of a million were struggling to find a decent house! In more recent series however, the home improvement side of the programme has been almost completely removed and instead it seems to have become a very weak sitcom featuring Nick Knowles and 'the gang' who are nowhere near as funny as they seems to think they are. There used to be two houses developed each episode, now it is down to one and yet there is less work to be seen on screen, barely a couple of minutes in each programme. Every episode now consists more of the 'hilarious' antics of the team going ice-skating, surfing, swimming, etc. Why? I can see that they may have wanted to re-jig the format to keep pace with the times, but it is now just plain silly.

Another aspect that has now changed is the fact that viewers can no longer vote for the house to be developed the next week, probably down to shooting schedules. It was never that great a system anyhow with idiots tearing their kitchen apart with no idea whatsoever how to rebuild it getting voted for ahead of more deserving applicants. Most of the 'winners' were not worthy of any sympathy for their position, which in the majority of cases was their fault. Having said that it is still better than the current system where they show two prospective developments then ask you to guess which one won.

The BBC seems to have decided to axe the show anyway since the day it is on changes every week and is frequently not shown for several weeks at a time. I can't say that I am particularly sorry.

Does Nick Knowles actually do anything in these episodes? He walks around with a mug of tea or coffee wearing a fleece with paint or plaster over it presumably trying to make out he is hands on and part of the build team! Just be honest Nick and host the show without looking like you've worked on it . He constantly uses the phrase... We've done this...We've done that.. Give us a break dude you have never got your hands dirty on mucked in!

I like this show and what it does , especially Billy he is genuinely a decent and talented bloke. As are many of the other talented builders and decorators. Nick take off the obviously put on painted fleece and just get on with presenting.

I really used to like watching this show when they had two teams redecorating people's rooms, and they would concentrate on getting the rooms done, or they wouldn't spend too much time mucking around. Since they have changed it to redecorate one room, it has been awful because they just spend most of their time messing about. Also, Nick Knowles doesn't do very much work, and sometimes the 'designers' work is rubbish e.g. some of the wall "art", which probably gets chucked away as soon as the cameras leave, and some of their ideas for good ceiling lights in the rooms are awful, or the colour schemes are often dreadful. I hate the people that want their rooms done just to have parties, or if they have unnecessarily taken their kitchen/bathroom apart when they do not have the skills to fix it themselves. In other words, they probably just want to get their faces on the screen.

DIY SOS started as a low budget TV show where a presenter (Nick Knowles) and a small team of builders and a designer would come to the rescue of a home owner that'd started a Do It Yourself renovation, but was unable to finish it for various reasons. It degenerated into almost a parody of itself, featuring more about the builders antics than the actual building or repair work.

Then it evolved.

It became DIY SOS The Big Build. This is a totally different beast.

The same presenter, and the same core of builders suddenly became the heart of a much bigger and important venture. Each episode, a deserving family, due to illness or disability, would have their home renovated to make their lives a little easier. Whether it's making the house wheelchair accessible, or a complete internal rebuild, local trades and builders giving their free time would descend and transform the house in 9 days, to give hope to the owners of a better, or at least a less terrible future. The amount of good will displayed by ordinary people is heart warming in these often self-centred times, and makes for an uplifting TV programme.

Ten years ago DIY SOS was a 'me too' programme about a group of builders trying a bit too hard to be funny while sorting out the minor disasters of incompetent home improvers. Then someone at the BBC must have been watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition and decided they had the perfect vehicle for an improved version stripped of corporate self glorification, mawkishness, product placement and over-engineered palaces which look as if they are going to cost a fortune to run and maintain.

The programme makers, of course, will always be looking for 'good television', but the usual focus is on practical and often beautiful changes to life-limiting or even life-threatening home situations for people in desperate need. The changes are frequently total rebuilds within the old shell, but never just for show. BBC budgets ensure that.

There are also larger community projects such as a street of homes for veterans which attracted the participation of two princes, and a huge boxing gym for kids affected by the terrible Grenfell Tower for in London.

The presenter and builders are the same but the programme has changed beyond all recognition, becoming much more significant and dealing in real, often heartbreaking family situations. The emotions are sometimes raw but for the most part the programme makers avoid sentimentality.

Nick Knowles is not to everybody's taste, but his contributions and interviews of family and friends have become much more perceptive and empathetic. A lot of time is given to tradespeople who come from all over the UK free of charge and to companies who often donate materials or staff free of charge, most importantly without advertising their names. The part of Extreme Makeover I really disliked was donors' corporate logos sprawled all over the screen and the inevitable words, "Our friends at CVS Pharmacy know how difficult life has been..." or similar.

One reviewer identified a problem with diversity. Perhaps there is something to look into there, but I have seen several featuring what the contributor might describe as non-white families (including in the two veterans episodes).

There is still some of the old 'banter' between the showbiz builders, but the regular builders' selfless enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment of the experience keeps the new version of the programme grounded. Nick Knowles' little sermon at the end of every programme can still sometimes be awkward, even cringeworthy, but in fairness he has got better. He can be annoying, but I don't think it's fair to see his light hearted insults as evidence of bullying.