Bob Vila

Host

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his one-and-a-half-hour interview, television host and "grandfather of home improvement" Bob Vila discusses growing up in Miami and Havana, studying architecture in college and graduate school, and serving in the Peace Corps before starting his own business renovating brownstones and converting them into condominiums. He describes his unintentional foray into television as the featured guest on the local Boston show House Calls -- a program that soon morphed into This Old House and aired nationally on PBS with Vila as host. He explains how the program was a natural pairing of his passion for restoration and construction and his easy-going demeanor. Vila details his departure from This Old House, the creation of his own program, Bob Vila's Home Again (which then became Bob Vila after he lost Sears Craftsman Tools as a sponsor), and shares his thoughts on Home Improvement - a television sitcom that may have been based on Mr. Vila himself. Karen Herman conducted the interview on June 10, 2010 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"From the point of view of the personality coming into your living room, I think I've always had the ability to help people just kind of kick back and relax and listen. Or watch. I've been approachable and the subject matter has been well received. I think that's one of the most important things."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Bob Vila on his childhood fascination with buildings

00:33

Bob Vila on being telegenic and creating This Old House

00:46

Bob Vila on guest-starring on Home Improvement and whether or not the show is based on him

03:36

Bob Vila on advice to people renovating their homes

01:42

Bob Vila on his longevity in television

01:06

Bob Vila on being the forefather of home improvement shows

00:19

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his childhood and early influences; on living in Havana for three years; on being an adventurous kid; on his interest in architecture

On his education and interest in journalism; on serving in the Peace Corps; on rekindling his interest in architectural history and restoration, pursuing a graduate degree, and starting R.J. Vila Design Build

On getting into television and the beginnings of This Old House; on the first episode of This Old House; on going national on PBS and the production schedule on the show

On being forced out of This Old House; on creating his own show, Bob Vila's Home Again; on partnering with Sears Craftsman Tools; on the contractors at This Old House and his favorite projects on the show; on television parodies of This Old House; on watching This Old House after he left the show and what he wanted to differently on Bob Vila's Home Again

Chapter 2

On Bob Vila's Home Again and its middle class target audience; on traveling for the program, losing Sears as a sponsor, and changing the title of the show to Bob Vila; on the projects that meant the most to him; on Bob Vila going off the air

On promoting green methods of construction; on serving as a correspondent for Today and The CBS Early Show

On bobvila.com; on Home Improvement; on then-current projects, advice to home renovators, and advice to aspiring television hosts; on how he'd like to be remembered

Shows

Bob Vila

Bob Vila on the last three seasons of Bob Vila

01:43

Bob Vila on the Bob Vila show that was most personal to him

01:38

Bob Vila on why Bob Vila went off the air in 2007

02:31

Bob Vila's Home Again

Bob Vila on the beginning of his association with Sears Craftsman Tools and starting Bob Vila's Home Again

00:27

Bob Vila on watching This Old House after he left the show and what he wanted to differently on Bob Vila's Home Again

01:45

Bob Vila on Bob Vila's Home Again and its middle class target audience; on the involvement of the sponsor (Sears Craftsman Tools) on the program

01:34

Bob Vila on differences between This Old House and Bob Vila's Home Again and the projects he did on Bob Vila's Home Again

04:22

Bob Vila on shows he wanted to do on Bob Vila's Home Again; on budgets, failures, and audience feedback

02:56

Bob Vila on changing the title of Bob Vila's Home Again to Bob Vila after Sears pulled out as a sponsor

01:40

CBS Early Show, The

Bob Vila on serving as a correspondent for Today and The CBS Early Show

01:27

Extreme Makeover

Bob Vila on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

00:51

Home Improvement

Bob Vila on guest-starring on Home Improvement and whether or not the show is based on him

03:36

In Living Color

Bob Vila on parodies of This Old House on Saturday Night Live and In Living Color

00:26

Saturday Night Live

Bob Vila on parodies of This Old House on Saturday Night Live and In Living Color

00:26

This Old House

Bob Vila on the beginnings of and the original pilot for what would become This Old House

05:15

Bob Vila on early production on This Old House

01:24

Bob Vila on his role as host on the first This Old House and the format of the show

02:05

Bob Vila on the intended audience and actual audience of This Old House

01:29

Bob Vila on This Old House going national on PBS and on losing his anonymity

02:06

Bob Vila on how houses were selected for This Old House

02:26

Bob Vila on the title and theme music for This Old House

00:44

Bob Vila on a typical week shooting This Old House for PBS and ad-libbing on the show

03:31

Bob Vila on Dick Holden, the cameraman for This Old House

01:31

Bob Vila on the editing on This Old House and how editing changed when his shows went from PBS to commercial television; on how structured the PBS show was

03:34

Bob Vila on his role being limited to host of This Old House as the show went on, and being forced out of the show after ten seasons; on the beginning of his association with Sears Craftsman Tools and starting Bob Vila's Home Again

05:12

Bob Vila on the craftspeople he worked with on This Old House

01:01

Bob Vila on favorite projects on This Old House

00:44

Bob Vila on This Old House being the first TV show of its kind and the show's influence

01:28

Bob Vila on parodies of This Old House on Saturday Night Live and In Living Color

00:26

Bob Vila on This Old House being groundbreaking

00:16

Bob Vila on watching This Old House after he left the show and what he wanted to differently on Bob Vila's Home Again

01:45

Bob Vila on differences between This Old House and Bob Vila's Home Again

02:25

Bob Vila on promoting green methods of construction on This Old House

00:53

Today

Bob Vila on serving as a correspondent for Today and The CBS Early Show

01:27

Topics

Advertising and Sponsorship

Bob Vila on his role being limited to host of This Old House as the show went on, and being forced out of the show after ten seasons; on the beginning of his association with Sears Craftsman Tools and starting Bob Vila's Home Again

05:12

Bob Vila on Bob Vila's Home Again and its middle class target audience; on the involvement of the sponsor (Sears Craftsman Tools) on the program

01:34

Bob Vila on Bob Vila's Home Again and its middle class target audience; on the involvement of the sponsor (Sears Craftsman Tools) on the program

01:34

Bob Vila on changing the title of Bob Vila's Home Again to Bob Vila after Sears pulled out as a sponsor

01:40

Bob Vila on changing the title of Bob Vila's Home Again to Bob Vila after Sears pulled out as a sponsor

01:40

Advice

Bob Vila on advice he was given for hosting This Old House

01:13

Bob Vila on advice to aspiring hosts

01:19

Fame and Celebrity

Bob Vila on losing his anonymity

01:37

Bob Vila on his fan mail

01:40

New Media

Bob Vila on bobvila.com and his internet presence

01:34

Pop Culture

Bob Vila on losing his anonymity

01:37

Bob Vila on his fan mail

01:40

Technological Innovation

Bob Vila on bobvila.com and his internet presence

01:34

Television Industry

Bob Vila on losing his anonymity

01:37

Bob Vila on his role being limited to host of This Old House as the show went on, and being forced out of the show after ten seasons; on the beginning of his association with Sears Craftsman Tools and starting Bob Vila's Home Again

05:12

Bob Vila on advice he was given for hosting This Old House

01:13

Bob Vila on advice to aspiring hosts

01:19

Bob Vila on bobvila.com and his internet presence

01:34

Professions

Hosts

View Profession

Bob Vila on being telegenic and creating This Old House

00:47

Bob Vila on his role as host on the first This Old House and advice he was given for hosting This Old House

02:05

Bob Vila on making others feel at ease in front of the camera

00:47

Bob Vila on advice to aspiring hosts

01:19

Interviewer

View Profession

Bob Vila on his role as host on the first This Old House and advice he was given for hosting This Old House

02:05

Genres

Comedy Series

Bob Vila on guest-starring on Home Improvement and whether or not the show is based on him

03:36

Service Shows

Bob Vila on his first home improvement show, This Old House

36:02

Bob Vila on the beginnings of his home improvement show, Bob Vila's Home Again

00:27

Bob Vila on Bob Vila's Home Again and Bob Vila

16:26

People

Norm Abram

View Person Page

Bob Vila on the craftspeople he worked with on This Old House - Norm Abram

01:01

Tim Allen

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Bob Vila on guest-starring on Home Improvement

03:36

Fidel Castro

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Bob Vilia on living in Cuba for three years and returning to the United States after Castro's revolution

01:07

Katie Couric

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Bob Vila on serving as a correspondent for Today and The CBS Early Show

00:16

Bryant Gumbel

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Bob Vila on serving as a correspondent for Today and The CBS Early Show

00:16

Dick Holden

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Bob Vila on Dick Holden, the cameraman for This Old House

01:31

Russell Morash

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Bob Vilia on WGBH producer Russell Morash wanting to produce This Old House

01:04

Bob Vila on the title and theme music for This Old House

00:44

Bob Vila on the editing on This Old House

01:27