Television series

This Old House

Name: This Old House
Genre: DIY
Released: 1979
Cast: Tom Silva, Kevin O'Connor, Norm Abram, Richard Trethewey, Roger Cook

Light-hearted

This Old House transforms real houses into showpieces while teaching genuine renovation skills. It's methodical, practical, and deeply soothing—you'll learn why things are done certain ways, not just watch them happen. For anyone who loves homes, craftsmanship, or the satisfaction of seeing something broken made whole.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy watching skilled people patiently solve a stubborn problem, where the pleasure lies in seeing how a sagging porch or cracked foundation actually gets fixed, one careful step at a time.

Skip it if you want a story with characters you follow across episodes, since each segment is a self-contained repair and the hosts are there to teach rather than to be drama.

What it asks of you: Settle in for half an hour at a time, with no plot to keep up with; it moves at the unhurried pace of real construction and rewards you for paying attention to the hands and tools.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Ask This Old House2002

Distilled wisdom from the This Old House team answering viewer questions in bite-sized episodes. Faster-paced than the main show but retaining its clarity and expertise. Perfect for specific problems.

But Lacks the narrative arc of following a full renovation from start to finish, so it can feel a bit scattered.

Ugly Betty2006

Follows ambitious people learning their craft in a competitive field with real mentorship and skill-building. The show celebrates competence, design, and how things are actually made.

But It's a dramatic comedy-drama about fashion, not instructional. The soap-opera plotting may irritate if you want pure substance.

The Great British Bake Off2010

Shares This Old House's DNA: real people solving practical problems under pressure, genuine expertise teaching viewers, and deep satisfaction from watching something well-made emerge.

But The competition format means some episodes are tense rather than restful. If you watch for comfort, sometimes it stresses instead.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from This Old House

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Repair Shop2017

Identical teaching DNA and pacing: expert explains problem, demonstrates solution, shows finished result. But these are treasured individual objects, not houses, and every repair carries someone's memory.

British antiques specialists repair broken, beloved objects brought in by owners. Pure instruction in technique—woodwork, metalwork, upholstery—with profound emotional weight. Methodical, kind, deeply satisfying.

But Shorter form and emotionally heavy. Not relaxing background TV; it demands your attention and your feelings.

Mythbusters2003

Two charismatic experts testing ideas through hands-on experimentation. Same blend of practical knowledge, clear explanation, and genuine curiosity about how things work.

But Explosions and chaos are the point, so the methodical patience that makes This Old House restful is absent here.

Downton Abbey2010

Period drama that obsesses over how things actually worked—the infrastructure, the labor, the craft behind maintaining a grand estate. Respects the knowledge of people who make things.

But It's narrative drama, not instruction. You're watching a story, not learning skills, though the detail work is exemplary.

Queer Eye2018

Five experts in different domains (food, fashion, culture, grooming, home) teach real people through patient mentorship. Genuine skill-sharing meets human warmth. Celebrates craftsmanship and caring.

But Heavy emotional arcs and life-coaching overshadow the actual expertise. If you want pure instruction, the therapy element may feel intrusive.

Flushed Away2006

Same respect for traditional craft and modern execution, same clarity of teaching. But it's continental, contemporary, and framed as art rather than practical home improvement.

French YouTube series where skilled makers teach practical crafts—woodworking, leatherwork, metalsmithing—in ten-minute episodes. Pure instruction, no drama, beautifully shot. This Old House's international cousin.

But Subtitled, and the shortness means less depth than you might want. Sometimes feels more like a gallery than a classroom.