You may not even realize it, but one of the longest running shows in television history is the home repair program “This Old House.” It started airing in 1979 and was originally hosted by Bob Vila with assistance from master carpenter, Norm Abram. The program’s success spawned off a number of interconnected shows including Abram’s own “New Yankee Workshop” and “Ask This old House.” Now, a new program will be joining the family aimed at first time home buyers, “This First House.”
Roku purchased the “This Old House” brand back in 2021, and will be airing the spinoff though their own service. (You can even watch the original show for free!) And while home improvement will still be a part of the program, its evolving to be a bit more than that for a younger, millennial audience. The husband and wife duo of Zack and Camille Dettmore will be walking audiences through the home buying process as well as renovations and upkeep.
“Where we wouldn’t necessarily cover the search and the buying of a house on ‘This Old House,’ we actually dive into that early in the episodes of ‘This First House, where we’re actually following two couples as they struggle,” This Old House Productions director Michael Burton said. The new show focuses on realistic homeowner issues where there may not be enough money to do everything you’d like, all at once, so instead the focus is placed on a gradual process of renovating and maintenance.
It promises to be a more relatable show than the original “This Old House” is, where the projects on that program can be a bit more upscale or for people who are firmly established in their property. Roku aims to have the series premiering next year. We’re still hoping for a guest spot from master carpenter Norm Abram, who is the inspiration for Al Borland from “Home Improvement.” He’s a very thinly veiled parody of Norm and this is perhaps the only article where the author gets the chance to point this out and have it be relevant to the topic.
