"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."

    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 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.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Bob Vila

    Bob Vila on his childhood fascination with buildings

    00:33
    Thumbnail of Bob Vila

    Bob Vila on being telegenic and creating This Old House

    00:46
    Thumbnail of Bob Vila

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

    03:36
    Thumbnail of Bob Vila

    Bob Vila on advice to people renovating their homes

    01:42
    Thumbnail of Bob Vila

    Bob Vila on his longevity in television

    01:06
    Thumbnail of Bob Vila

    Bob Vila on being the forefather of home improvement shows

    00:19
    Play Full Interview

    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

    11:37

    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

    12:41

    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

    26:15

    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

    09:47

    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 

    16:26

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

    03:52

    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

    12:34

    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

    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

    Hosts

    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

    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

    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

    Norm Abram

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

    01:01

    Tim Allen

    Bob Vila on guest-starring on Home Improvement

    03:36

    Fidel Castro

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

    01:07

    Katie Couric

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

    00:16

    Bryant Gumbel

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

    00:16

    Dick Holden

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

    01:31

    Russell Morash

    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

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