I think this years Block is boring, more of a game show, not a renovating show. The first two Blocks were the best. Scott Cam is good value, but would prefer he took on a little more serious role. But Shelley Craft .....WHY, a little goes such a long way, and who cares what she thinks.
I like watching people renovate and pick up a few clues, but you see very little other than the finished (or near finished) rooms this year. There is probably more time shown on the decorating side than the actual building work. Even though Rod makes a few innocent but major mistakes through lack of knowledge (we probably all have, whether we know it or not), at least you see the work he is doing rather than being at the hairdressers or nail beauticians while the tradies do the work and see very little of it in progress.
The contest to paint the chest of draws was the biggest wast of air time, followed by flipping the items they bought from the second hand shop. The plumbing contest was a little more relevant (did not realise you could glue pipes when wet!!! but hey, they didn't prime either
) Until I saw them gluing the pipes wet and it was actually holding to some extent, the first thought that came to my mind was to put a couple of elbows and lengths aside (longer than needed which could be cut to size) for the section at the start and then work backwards from the finishing point so that they were gluing the joints dry except for the last one or two joints when they reached the water supply end. Surprised the plumber did not think of this. Did anyone look behind the panel to see if the water could have been blocked off like clamping a hose if possible. Maybe they are not used to problem solving and looking outside the box!!!
I don't mind the sisters, although they can get a bit much sometimes - girls will be girls. Had to laugh at Amie's comment about the sacked builder charging $7k for the work he did "who does he think he is, a surgeon (or something along those lines)" I know the feeling, the price for a job by many tradies does not reflect the time for the job (at a reasonable rate for the trade), materials (at retail) and allowances for incidentals like taking stuff to the tip, hiring gear etc.
I am surprised as I did not expect Josh and Jenna to do so well, especially with the fighting, thought others would have had the edge. Polly and Waz are my least favourite, especially Polly. How do they pick these people, skill has little to do with it as the twins proved in the first week. I think the producers just took up the opportunity of having twins as contestants......... because they knew nothing about renovating!! I just shook my head when they dipped the paint roller into the tray and lifted it out dripping without rolling it on the tray
I was hoping the other new show Top Design may have been better - but where did they find those people - did only 10 apply. Some had no idea, like the bloke who got dumped. How embarrassing to be caught sitting around not doing anything.
Anyway, one chance left. The Renovators has promise and may blow channel 9 to the weeds, but by then some people will be over the renovating thing and three shows in succession, channel 10 losing some of the audience on this alone. It has been sooooo long coming, but maybe that is because a friend of a friend was on it until she was eliminated and I know how long ago she started.
