...the original
This Old House
and
New Yankee WorkshopDrinking Game
Updated 3/13/98!
Updated 3/13/98!
This old, honored game, originally created here in 1996, is based on two popular public television programs, often seen on weekend afternoons. This Old House deals with the renovation of older, often historical, homes and buildings. It stars Steve Thomas and Norm Abram. However, several contractors and craftsmen make regular appearances, including Tom Silva, Rich Trethewey and others. In the course of their onscreen This Old House projects, they have chiefly renovated residences in New England, but have also had projects in the Southwest, Hawaii, Europe and Savannah, Georgia, and are now taking a crack at a former synagogue in San Francisco. I do hope they play this game a lot.
Bob Vila, lately seen hawking Craftsman tools, was actually the earlier host of the show but split to the commercial networks (rumor has it there was litigation involved and more than a few personality schisms, though no shots were fired and no one was subpoenaed by Ken Starr) and was replaced by Steve Thomas, a sometime actor. This is similar to how Siskel and Ebert blew out of the Chicago public television scene and went for the big bucks in syndication, and some other guys replaced them on the renamed show. If anyone has actually spotted Steve in any big-time movies, please let me know. I'm curious. Steve Thomas actually reminds me of a guy named Dave Thomas, who was a fixture on local Buffalo, New York television when I was growing up, as host of Rocketship 7 on WKBW-TV, channel 7. He starred opposite Biff Beeper, and Promo, The Robot. I guess they're not related, though.
Norm Abram is eternal. He's the great force of consistency in the shows. In reruns, particularly on cable channels that have bought the rights to the early shows, such as The Learning Channel, you will see a definitely younger Norm patiently dealing with a poorer Bob Vila. The shows are commonly rebroadcast under the name The Renovation Guide and have altered title and closing sequences.
You know, the weird thing is, I bet Norm has volunteer groupies, but I'd also bet now that he's a "bigtime pro," Bob Vila probably has to pay his Home Again groupies.
For those of you who don't watch the show, Norm Abram also has a show he does solo, The New Yankee Workshop, where he constructs unusual woodworking projects, often creatings replicas of antiques and period pieces he's found somewhere, though he's also built small buildings and a small sailboat. He's big on shop safety, and seems very relieved he doesn't have all those other guys, particularly the well-meaning but somewhat, well... well-meaning Steve Thomas, around to trip over.
My wife is an absolute addict of all these shows, as well as "Hometime" and the various other shows traversing the ether that relate to ways you can plow wheelbarrows full of money into your house and be the envy of everybody down at the home center or lumberyard. That had a lot to do with creating this game a couple of years ago.
Over the last few years, this game has caused much mirth and furor on various Usenet newsgroups, home-repair and otherwise, has been visited by various members of the WGBH crew, and has also collected at least one new rule submitted by the show's producer. We no longer display the strange awards we've gotten. There are several.
So far, [an error occurred while processing this directive] people have played the game. That's a hell of a lot, if you think about it. I try not to think about it. Just don't think about it.
We've spawned a couple of interesting imitators, and while we appreciate the acknowledgement, we do remind everyone that "This Old Souse" and the This Old Souse parody logo shown at the top of the screen are © 1996-1998, Weightless Dog Productions, and reuse of any material on this page should not be made without permission.
Please note: this game is not sponsored by WGBH, the Public Broadcasting Service, your local public television station, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Ford Foundation, or anyone else who in any way has any connection to any of the creators, participants, sponsors, or hangers-on of This Old House, The New Yankee Workshop, or any other identifiable public television program produced anywhere on the planet. I think that should just about cover us.
Please do not attempt to operate heavy machinery, light machinery, power tools, hand tools, dental tools, marital aids, or a Zip drive after playing this game. As anyone who's been around the block (plane) a few times knows, alcoholic beverages may f**k you up and render you incapable of measuring boards accurately, among other things. Just remember to cut on the waste(d) side... In addition, overconsumption of such substances may cause hair to grow on your hands, snails to appear in your nose, or might lose the war for the Allies. You heard it here first. |
I've considered expanding this into other public television shows, but am uncertain if the world can handle that much drinking. Possible candidates include:
If you have any strong feelings one way or another, tell me about it and we'll see what happens. We always welcome suggestions people have sent us. Why not become the envy of your friends and send us one, too? Just try to make it clever... we have pretty high standards. And nothing that involves liquid explosives or animal waste, OK?
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