Hot Shots: Part Deux may not have been the most memorable movie, but it did include the appearance of one celebrity: Bob Vila. Watch this video at about two and a half minutes in. His last line made me laugh out loud.
Thirty years ago, do-it-yourself home improvement on TV was born with the launch of This Old House. To celebrate, Boston Magazine has a history of the show as told by people involved in the making of it, including our very own Bob Vila. It has some fascinating nuggets in there, including how the show was originally envisioned, got off the ground and recruited people to participate. In the first season, houses were purchased by the show, renovated and sold! News to me. The interviews with people whose homes were renovated was also fascinating. It's a great read. Check it out at Boston Magazine.
According to ESPN writer Ric Bucher, NBA assistant coach "P.J. Carlesimo's likeness to a certain home repair maven has him answering to the name Bob Vila." Very interesting! I'd never seen the likeness before. Decide for yourself. Here's P.J. Carlesimo and here's Bob. Thoughts?
During the course of his 25-year career on television, Bob Vila has traveled far and wide covering the home improvement industry. Now if you've ever wondered if Bob has ever appeared in your area, you can check using the Official Bob Vila Google Map. The map shows project locations and includes appearances made at various manufacturing plants, museums, gardens and historic buildings across the country. Clicking on each point brings up a summary of the show and a link to the film clip.
Well, we are sending a shout out to all handymen and women. If you know how to wear a tool belt, put on a pair of safety goggles and perhaps hammer a nail, we have got some exciting news for you. GotCast.com is doing a nationwide search to cast a handyperson for Carter Oosterhouse’s show “Carter Can.” You could be an on-air personality for Oosterhouse’s construction team, helping create miracles on a small budget. A little know-how, a dash of creativity and some imagination could land you on this show, which features small-scale renovations (2-day maximum) that transform rooms into a big “wow.” Are you the next Ty? I am thinking about auditioning for this myself. If only my body weren’t built for radio. Good luck.
The United States has been celebrating Labor Day for over 100 years. For more than 25 of those years, Bob Vila has been inspiring countless do-it-yourself projects. We're proud to offer this tribute from Bob Vila to workers across the U.S.: "Our country was built on the relentless effort of men and women to build a better life for themselves and their families. On Labor Day—and every day—it's a privilege to recognize their plans, dreams and accomplishments."
Trolling through the Bob Vila video archives a couple of weeks ago, I came across a clip that made me stop and say, "Whoa, who's that?" Turns out it was none other than Pam Anderson, from an appearance she made on Home Again season three, back when she was the Tool Time girl on Home Improvement. If you must know, I was proofing all our videos in the new streaming format, so her appearance was a welcome change of pace. In the clip, Bob and Pam talk about water heaters and somehow Bob keeps a cool head throughout. I know that if I were in the same situation my questions would sound more like, "Ah..now..uhm..water..uhm..ah..heaters?" and I'd be in a cold sweat the whole time. I guess that's why he's the pro and I'm in the backroom.
