'This Old House' is built frame by frame

While it's not surprising to see a small army of remodeling pros descend on a suburban home, the crew working in Winchester, Mass., on this day is no ordinary collection of contractors.

Some of the craftsmen hopping out of the pickups are among the most famous on-air talents in home-improvement television, including master carpenter Norm Abram and general contractor Tom Silva. These guys are stars of "This Old House," a long-running PBS favorite.

It's 8 a.m., and joining them on the "set" are a producer, his assistant, a cameraman, a lighting technician, the show's publicist, one of the homeowners, and a few others. By the time taping begins an hour or so later, about a dozen people are scattered around the backyard.

The TV audience will see only two people, though: Roger Cook, the show's regular landscaper, and guest Bob Childs, an expert on an insect pest that threatens some of the property's large hemlock trees.

The ringleader is executive producer/director Russell Morash, who is putting them through their paces. There is no script, so walk-through and talk-through rehearsals proceed until Mr. Morash, the show's creator, is satisfied.

On average, six takes are required. "There's a point we reach called the Morash 85 percent rule," he explains. "If it's 85 percent of the ultimate, that's good enough."

Morash is an expert at taking the often-imprecise ramblings of an expert, honing them, and capturing the results before things begin to feel mechanical.

Mr. Cook and Mr. Childs are touring the property, discussing what needs to be done. When Cook talks too fast, Morash – who stands off-camera wearing a headset and holding a small video monitor – implores, "Relax, I won't shoot you."

When Cook seems to be whispering toward the camera, Morash barks, "You're being too confidential."

Only after the taping is done does Morash drop his guard and tell the insect specialist, "Sorry about the abuse, Bob. That's my middle name."

If he seems demanding, though, the results speak for themselves. The show is a hit – so much so, in fact, that its reruns, "This Old House Classics," air on Home & Garden Television (HGTV). Starting in October, a 30-minute program called "Ask This Old House" will be bundled with the regular half-hour show to create "The New This Old House Hour."

The old standby has covered a lot of ground since it debuted in 1979 with a Boston house renovation. It now includes a slick magazine, books, videos, a website (www.thisoldhouse.com), and numerous public appearances by the resident craftsmen.

" 'This Old House' is like a smorgasbord," says Steve Thomas, the on-air host for the past 13 years. "We present a groaning table of possibilities in design, in materials, in decoration, and so on."

The show likes to celebrate old-world craftsmanship while keeping an eye on modern technology's contributions to home improvement. It is not reluctant to use the latest and greatest materials it can find, from rubberized "slate" to decks fashioned from recycled plastic.

"This Old House" unfolds in "taped real time," meaning that it captures what happens as it happens, making it the "original reality television," except no one gets voted off the job site à la "Survivors." The regular cast of craftsmen and contractors are too likeable for that.

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