Thread: Woodworking Show from the UK called "Handmade"

Yes I watched it when it was on originally. If I was to write what I actually thought, I would be banned from this forum forever. It's just TV entertainment.
Rgds,
Crocy.

Originally Posted by Old Croc

Yes I watched it when it was on originally. If I was to write what I actually thought, I would be banned from this forum forever. It's just TV entertainment.
Rgds,
Crocy.

But at least woodworking is getting TV coverage, there seems to be an endless number of cooking/food shows, so if someone watches it and takes inspiration to start woodworking, then for me that's a good thing.

Saw this on the UK forum at least a year ago. This bed episode was the first of a series. I wasted an hour of my life watching it and never saw any other episodes. I am with Old Croc with this one. To me woodwork and reality TV just do not mix. Actually nothing mixes with reality TV for a civilized person.
Regards
John

Yes I agree unfortunately I sat through half the first episode then I came to my senses.

I watched the series. Most of it wasn't the sort of work I do, but I found it quite interesting. Guess I'm easily pleased.

I hate reality shows with a passion as the very name of course, in the TV context, is an oxymoron. However my neighbour, work colleague and good friend (who are one and the same person) recommended it to me because he knew I was into woodworking (well sort of). Consequently, I watched the complete series on Netflix and while I could be extremely critical at times, overall I felt the challenges and the way in which the individuals coped with the tasks was interesting enough to hold my attention: I concede that like Alex it could be I am easily pleased and it is also remotely possible I have an additive nature.

The series took people mainly with only a cursory knowledge of woodworking (one was a builder, but not a furniture maker) and presented them with designing and building something in what I think was an extremely limited time frame. They had only minimal assistance from "assistants" with moving bulky materials around. Otherwise it was all down to the individual.

My biggest criticism was the pregnant pause each time before the results were announced. When it was for the now defunct Miss World contestants at least you could "study" the participants (to decide for yourself who had the most merit) but these contestants were not so appealing in that regard. So just bl*&%y f&%$#@g get on with it and say who has won! Sorry about that. I needed to get if off my chest and debunk the scenario that I am partial to syrupy thingies.

Regards
Paul

I watched the complete show with a sort of morbid fascination ... like a moth flying near a flame.

The issue was that there were no expert woodworkers among the contestants. There was one decent woodworker, who knew joinery, but he tried too hard to impress each time, and always fell in a heap. The woodworker who won the competition was learning as she went along, and was wise enough to not over-extend the complexity of the designs so as to avoid joinery beyond butt joints. The remainder of the contestants were not more that weekend warriors, and pretty average at that.

This competition may have attracted an audience who did not know any better, but knowledgeable woodies would have watched while gritting their teeth in a combination of amazement and frustration. Britains Best Woodworker, indeed ...

Regards from Perth

Derek