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Interesting topic. I think a show that focused on tips and techniques could be interesting. I lost interest in Norm’s show because it was more ‘project’ focused. If the project did not interest me, then the show did not interest me.
Oh, and Scarlett Johannsen would host it.

-- Go STARS!

I don’t usually have time to watch TV….but I would suggest a show that devotes itself to proper tool use, project design, tool reviews and tips/techniques….maybe something very similar to what we do here on the blogs….but have folks doing the comments and demos in person…

-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!

I would like to see a show that had Marc, Todd, Chad and Thomas all in it. The combination of presentations and techs would be great and would attract a very broad array of viewers.

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings

I would prefer starting with Norm’s episode One, and go from there. The series is timeless. Norm wasn’t perfect, but he came closer than anybody, by far, so far. I give a lot of credit to the producer, director and film crew. After all it was a TV show.

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."

Personally I want two shows:

I want one show where the person shows me how effortless things can be to build. This gets me motivated thinking that if the host can do it, so can I. Personally, Norm did this and his demeaner was one where he just seemed like a nice guy. I’d like to replace that and see projects done in 30 or 60 minutes. Waiting for weeks for a single project just doesn’t cut it for my short attention span.

The second show would be one were it’s tips and techniques and screw ups. One thing I didn’t like about NYW is that there were never any mistakes or “dicey” things to do. There were never any “whoops, here’s some tear out I’ll have to fix” or “hmm..that’s a bit too short/long I’ll have to re-do it”. Not that I need to see mistakes but I’d like to see and learn from the pitfalls others fall into. “Well, it looks good by my miters weren’t coming out exact so THIS is what I did to solve that problem”.

Unfortunatly Norm did have a quality that made him very likable and sometimes watching the show was very relaxing, much like the afro-haired painter dude from the 70s. I couldn’t paint but it sure was fun watching him do it;)

I would like a show about a bit of everything, tips and jigs, projects, how-to’s, shop safety and more. But at the same time I would like the show to be consistent, this may be a bit of a challenge. I like the size of shop Norm had, it was small enough to make it cozy but large enough to do projects of any size and film a show while doing so, I wouldn’t want to see an industrial shop on tv, nor a small basement shop, not that there is anything wrong with a basement shop as I have one myself it just isn’t practical for a tv show. As for all the tools Norm had, some didn’t like that aspect but that is what it is to have a sponsor, they want you to have their tools and push them so people watching will hopefully buy, that being said I hardly think there was a need for the Timesaver on the north wall of the shop, I have operated one of these and they may be freaking awesome and their name rings true but with a $65,000 price tag its hardly practical for most watching the show. I guess the show I would really like to see is like the NYW in its early seasons. Thanks for the post!

-- A hammer dangling from a wall will bang and sound like work when the wind blows the right way.

I have thought Norm and the other shows tried to do too much in a short time. Maybe more tips and quick hitters. I don’t want to see the basics over and over.

-- I'm a lumberjock and I'm ok, I sleep all night and I work all day!

I would like projects tips and jigs, tools relating to a more advanced woodworker like Bombay chest, chest on chest etc. I think Charles Neil fits the bill perfectly and Tommy McDonald could appeal to the younger group as well as old wood heads.
Charles has an on line subscription show that is showing how to design and make a classic corner cupboard it’s great for those who want to upgrade there skills.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I’d like to see a show in the style of WoodWorks but with revolving designers so that I could see how a bunch of different high end furniture makers went about their craft.

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

I think a cross between Norm Abram and David Marks would be ideal. Norm being pragmatic and David being artistic. I enjoyed watching both for different reasons.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

I would like to see a traveling show where a host visits shops all over the country / world showing what the shops do.
Kind of like how it’s made except directed only toward woodworking.
The shops could be the basement size shop turning out one off boxes or all the way up to custom shops building commercial cabinetry, and everything in between.

Bently, I believe that show was called “modern masters” on HGTV. One of my favorite shows. Well almost like it. Just like Woodworks, Norm, or any other woodworking show that isnt gay, it was cancelled. WoodWorks was a great show. I think we need a show with realizm, where we see everything and nothing is magically built on the down time to make the series go faster.

-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~

Keith, just goes to show what a sheltered life I live because I never saw that show. :(

Modern Masters was a great show… showing peoples talents across a diverse set of crafts and art forms.

-- Scott, Colorado

Since Norm came from TOH, I kind of like the format they have developed – although I havn’t seen it for a long time. They spend the first 40 or so minutes working on the house, then go into the shop where they answered people’s questions. The folks on the show would go to the people’s homes and have them work alongside getting the project done. A good ensemble cast would include men and women with different specialties. (woodcarving, joinery, inlay and marquetry, upholstry, etc. and good basic projects for beginners as well as more advanced projects to inspire those who need a little inspiration.
I hate that those shows are always all male. There are quite a lot of women woodworkers out here and women would be encouraging to those of us who have been chased out of the shop all our lives.

Museum and manufacturer’s field trips would be a good inclusion if they related to the subject at hand or introduce a new product. For instance I would like to see how they make bamboo plywood. It’s new, green (sort of) and not what everyone is used to seeing down at the HD. Of course mastercraftspeople could be invited on as a guest to show something really inspiring. Kind of like Roy Underhill does – kinda folksey, yet he gets it and askes questions of the master that we are all wondering.

If you want it ya gotta support your local PBS station. Telling them what you want when you subscribe will go a long way to getting it. There are over 12,000 of us, last time I checked – we do have a say if we put ourselves out there.

To start let me say this is going to take a a few minutes to read.

What needs to be in the show is content that both entertains and informs the viewers, and from the underwriters’ perspectives, drives brand recognition and sales of their products. As such you have two distinct clients (the viewers and the sponsors), each with different objectives.

For the sake of argument, let us assume that the sponsors’ objectives are similar and will remain constant; to drive sales of their products.

The objectives of the viewing audience will be more diversified. Some may seek only entertainment. Other will watch to learn. Some want to be challenged.

Countless years of television have proven that viewers will watch many shows once. The result of that are “Pilots” that never get picked up by the network. Some will watch a few times then stop. The result of that is a show that runs one season and gets no re-airs through syndication. Others will remain loyal fans for decades. We all know what those results are.

This boils down to the real question. “What would make someone a loyal long term fan of a Saturday Morning Woodworking Show?”

The simple answer is “Tommy MacDonald or someone like him hosting the show.”

The next question is “Why?”.

The answer is:

1. Tommy MacDonald knows what he is doing. The Man can definitely wear the “Got Skills” T-Shirt

2. He lives his passion for his craft.

3. He recognizes his own limitations and seeks others to teach him or allows those with better skills to support his work.

4. He wants his fellow woodworkers to embrace a goal of constant improvement in all areas of the craft,

5. He knows how to inspire people to seek progress, to seek excellence, and to grow in their woodworking skills.

Now, to substantiate these plaudits:

1. Look at his body of works. Nothing more need be said here.
2. Assess the countless hours of toil he has spent producing his work AND driving the formation and growth of MLW/207, his support of LJ’s, etc.

3. Tommy delegates the “finishing process” of his masterpieces to those who can do it the best. He seeks out the help of proven mentors from TSBS. He also identifies his own woodworking performance issues and then shows how to fix them.

4. His video series from ‘the old T-Chisel’ days are full of content that demonstrates the HOW TO aspects of wood working, with a constant message of ‘do the best you can, learn from your mistakes, and move on’. And, if you have to do again to make it right…Just do it.

5. He’s brought new woodworkers into his shop. He routinely visits TSBS to identify and mentor new talent. He provides legitimate critical comments to those who post their work.

From my perspective he has the ability to teach us how to be better woodworkers, is entertaining and would probably make a great TV show host of a long running show.

FlWoodRat.

-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning....

Who is Tommy MacDonald and Charles Neil? Never heard of either one of these guys? +1 for tbone. I lost interest also in the NYW, because some of the things N.A. built didn’t appeal to me. I liked the simple stuff, like coffeee tables, hall tables, etc. Pretty simple furniture you could make easily. Like his router table and shop jigs and assembly table. Things for the shop and home. But the best help for us was the
videos, DVDs, and plans. I’ve got several, and they are a great help to all woodworkers from the novice beginner, the cabinetmakers, to the master craftsman. I wish I fit in there, somewhere. Oh well—someday maybe. Give me a show like that, and I’ll watch it, and hopefully learn something. Just my perspective.

-- Remember--- one good turn-- gets most of the blanket!!!!

Rick Dennington

Tommy MacDonald and Charles Neil are very talented wood workers with active websites and blogs.
You can visit the workshop of Charles Neil at http://charlesneilwoodworking.com/ and go to http://www.mlwwoodworking.com/ to see Tommy MacDonald’s site.

Both of them have documented many hours on their video blogs about woodworking and might make good hosts on TV.

-- I love the smell of sawdust in the morning....

i like the way charles neil has a comon sence way of showing how he goes about doing things.

-- gagewestern

Here’s what I’d like to see:

A show with an engaging host who is not an expert on everything. The format would be both project and technique-oriented. The host would raise a question such as ‘how do I…’ or ‘I’d like to…’ and then would seek out guests who would help him/her to develops the skills or knowledge to get the job done.

The show would mostly be devoted to the episode’s problem/project, but there would be short segments like ‘jig of the week’ and ‘what are you working on’. I’d also like to see a little philosophizing where appropriate. For instance (as others have suggested) mistakes should be addressed (perhaps with a segment each episode). This magazine format would, I believe, address some of the criticisms of TNYW.

-- Life is too short to suffer bad food and lousy speakers

I like to see a show on how to build Extreme Birdhouses :)

-- John in Belgrave ,(Slideshow ) http://cid-69bce320c6d8b119.skydrive.live.com/play.aspx/Extreme%20Birdhouses/P1030026.JPG?ref=2 (Website) http://www.extremebirdhouse.com

just so you guys know charles recently started a weekly web based show that airs every thursday, the first two episodes were each an hour in length and were no-nonsense woodworking start to finish.

there is a monthly fee for the shows but its worth it so far!

http://mw.charlesneilwoodworking.com

-- David - Houston, Texas.

I’d like a show more like David Marks diy show that would feature a little more hand tool work. If I was a beginner I guess Norm would be at the top of my list, but I just think David Marks show showcased his talents better, and didn’t have to use a power tool for EVERY operation.

I am a sucker for woodworking shows so I guess when it comes down to it, as long as the show was hosted by somebody who knows his sh$t, and not a tool like Bob Vila.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

At the risk of sounding negitive, I met David marks in person and he is a great instructor. His show (woodworks) is not so good. What is wrong is that it spends what feels like half of its show reviewing what you just watched. That drives me crazy. I hate to say it, but if you watch Woodsmith shop, you get the same wasted time of reviewing. NYW was a great show and had lots of great projects. The show was produced very well. Like all great things, it has to end. If I was just starting off in woodworking and had never seen a NYW episode, It would still be a great way to develop your skills by starting with episode 1 and watch them once a week in cronological order as you spend some time in your workshop gaining experience.

has anyone seen the great british woodshop with david free? I like that show. Hard to find here in america though. some of his episodes are on www.thewoodworkingchannel.com along with other past wood shows.
I like marc at the woodwhisper sometimes also. not every episode, but i have seen some great ideas come from him. he will always make you smile at least once an episode, too.

I think now I just want to get a good video and watch it when i’m ready to sit down and relax for a while between projects. I like to watch different woodworkers.

Doug stowe put out a great 3 part video of box making that was very good. again, I don’t think he would hold up for 20 years like NYW. Rob cosman put out a couple of nice learning videos also. I think now its better to watch variety. I really can’t think of anyone out there that would drive me to the boob tube every single week like NYW

russv

-- yknotwood.com: where to go because you don't want no stinking plastic!

I like the Woodsmith show

-- With each new day, celebrate life. Love God with all of your heart. Share Jesus with those around you and make a positive impact on those you meet. Bob

I like the diversity that each woodworker brings to the public. Each person such as Charles Neil, Tommy MacDonald, or Marc Spagnuolo are going to appeal and connect to certain people. With the varied skill levels out there and the thirst for knowledge, each has something to offer.

Some will like all of them. Some will like one or another. Personal tasted is quite subjective. Even the NYW has generated opinions across the spectrum. Some love it, just like it, or can live without it. It is impossible to please or fit the needs of everyone.

Sustaining a TV show for years could be more difficult than just sharing on the internet.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

I enjoyed NYW and would have preferred it stayed just the way it was. It was fun watching him visit places that inspired the project for each episode. I think it would be nice to watch a show where they visit different woodworkers shops and film them doing a project.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

Hey Wayne,
great idea for a show. I would volunteer for an episode of that. although in my shop, there would be no room for camera crew while i work. anyone else have that problem?

russv

-- yknotwood.com: where to go because you don't want no stinking plastic!

Hey russv…the camera person could just ride around on your shoulders while you work!! ha ha ha.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

I love NYW…...but one thing that always bothered me was the fact that they used too much exotic wood which is not what I use. And they never did say what the cost of different projects were.
It was interesting to see them salvage logs from rivers and have it cut, finished and used in projects ,, but how many of us would be able to get that wood? Or could even afford it?

I second that about T. Macdonald, he is definitely not camera shy. I wish they would make these shows longer or atleast not make them feel rushed, when I watch NYW with Norm, I feel like I should be able to build that project it no time. Plus Norm used tools that I would never get my hands on. But when I watched “Wood Works” with David, I felt like his projects were way above my head, I know he’s an artist. The main reason I watched “Wood Works” was for the techniques David used because he had some ones that were “out of the box” that Norm never did. The same thing could be said the other way around though. I will say that since I found internet blogs and videos I have turned to guys like Marc S. because his video’s are very informative. Plus if he makes a mistake, he shows you and is not afraid to.

I liked watching the Modern Masters also. I liked Norm, but, only when he was making something that I was interested iin. I like Thomas Macdonalds show really well…......he just makes everything seem more interesting, no matter what he is doing.

Robin Renee’

AKA…........Woodchic

-- Robin Renee'

wayne,
it would get crowded up there with my wife up there. But that’s another story. lol

The one name I haven’t seen mentioned is frank klausz. I like his video’s a lot. All his videos are instructional as oppossed to project oriented. I try to read any article he writes when I see them also. Anyway, most of his videos are older but you can’t tell by watching them.

russv

-- yknotwood.com: where to go because you don't want no stinking plastic!

I’m a big David Marks fan. I like seeing woodworking done without commerciai fastners and the use of exotic wood. Norm was very good but too often he painted or stained things. there are too many great woods to use where stain & paint isnt needed.

-- Keep Your Stick On The Ice