The Capital Remodel + Garden Show returns to Chantilly, Virginia, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
You can meet Kevin O’Connor, host of PBS’ “This Old House,” at the Dulles Expo Center on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“I’m looking forward to coming back,” O’Connor told WTOP. “I’m talking about two projects, one currently airing on PBS, a 1960s mid-century-modern home [in Massachusetts] that we renovated for a family with accessibility because they have a young son with muscular dystrophy. … I’ll also be talking about our next project in New Jersey — an 1887 Victorian that we are renovating for a family so they can have two generations living in the same house.”
Raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, O’Connor grew up watching “This Old House” with his father, a civil engineer. The popular home improvement show launched in 1979, meaning it’s now celebrating its 45th season in 2024.
“Bob Vila was the first host,” O’Connor said. “You never forget the first guy who climbs Mount Everest. Back in 1979, this type of show never existed … so he gets credit for being at the helm of this unbelievable idea that very quickly took off, became a national phenomenon and still happens to be the most-watched, longest-running home improvement show on TV to this day. … He was also spectacularly talented … these were long continuous takes.”
From the start, Vila would interview master carpenter Norm Abram, who also became a household name.
“He was up on scaffolding talking to Bob [and] the founder of the show Russ Morash quietly said, ‘Somebody pin a microphone on Norm,'” O’Connor said. “He was never hired to be on television, he was only hired to be a master craftsman, but his wisdom, patience and extraordinary skill graced our show for 40 years. He also did ‘New Yankee Workshop’ for over 20 years. … He is the godfather of this form. … He cemented this show in people’s minds.”
Abram remained a fixture even after Vila was replaced by Steve Thomas, who hosted from 1989 to 2003.
“Steve stepped into the shoes of a giant and he carried it well,” O’Connor said. “He replaced Bob Vila and had a 14-year run, longer than Bob’s, I think he charmed the audience, he was able to keep a juggernaut going at that high level, not an easy thing to do. Failure often comes to the second string, if you will, the sophomore slump.”
O’Connor first appeared on the show as a featured homeowner, but he wowed the producers.
“When I bought my first house with my wife when we were a lot younger, we bought a fixer-upper,” O’Connor said. “They came and filmed a segment of the show there 22 years ago that turned into a request to be the host, so it was a fortuitous decision to buy that old house. … At the time, Steve Thomas had already announced to the staff that he was leaving, so they had their eye out looking for a possible replacement and I guess I caught their eye.”
He thinks his lack of experience was actually an asset, asking thoughtful questions to a team of experts, including general contractor Tom Silva, master plumber and HVAC technician Richard Trethewey, landscaping and gardening experts Roger Cook and Jenn Nawada, and of course master carpenter Abram, who retired in 2022.
“I think it was the opposite of knowing what I was talking about,” O’Connor said. “The host is sort of the proxy for the viewer, the host has never been a professional contractor but always works beside professional contractors. In the very beginning, Bob Vila would be asking Norm, ‘What do you plan to do about this rotten soffit? How are we gonna hang these cabinets?’ … I think the producers … saw me as a good proxy for the audience.”
He urges viewers to try their own projects at home, insisting you don’t need to be “handy” to try.
“It’s mostly being willing to try,” O’Connor said. “It’s unlikely that a wall is going to fall down or a roof is going to collapse. Generally, we tell people to stay out of the electrical service panel, leave the plumbing to a professional, but when it comes to the carpentry, scraping, painting, [doing] drywall, hanging windows or residing, people can take that stuff on if they have the fortitude. … There’s quite a bit of honor and pride in working with your hands.”
Just don’t forget to grunt like Tim Allen’s “Tool Time” on the smash ABC sitcom “Home Improvement.”
“Imitation is the highest form of flattery,” O’Connor said. “They made no bones trying to hide the fact that they were completely imitating Bob and Norm. Those were the two characters right down to the red-flannel expert talking to the not-so-knowing host and having good fun with it. There’s an iconic picture that I have in my file somewhere of Bob Vila standing next to Tim Allen and Richard Karn. That was a parody of ‘This Old House.'”
Listen to our full conversation on the podcast below:
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
