First appearance of Norm Abram 1979
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- Опубліковано 26 гру 2024
- This Old House first appearance of master carpenter Norm Abram who is investigating the rot on the eaves of the Dorchester project with Bob Vila. From "This Old House" Season 1 "The Dorchester House" Episode 2 "House History and Kitchen Plans". Originally aired Thu Feb 01, 1979.
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I’m 43 and spent a good 30 of those years admiring Norms work. Was addicted to watching The New Yankee Workshop!
I'm 40 and grew up watching TOH from about 1987 on. I great show that taught be a lot back in the day before UA-cam.
when I was a kid, I preferred New Yankee Workshop and This Old House over cartoons. also watched hometime, but wasn't a big fan of it.
We’re the same age and I spent the same amount of time doing the same. And I still watch the show to this day!
Norm Abram: The most famous carpenter since Jesus!
Facts!
And Jesus wasn't even a carpenter
ROGER2095 - This may be true. But I think Norm Abraham would be totally embarrassed by the comparison.
Only Noah would compare to the two of them. If Noah had Norms tools, the Arc would still be sailing today. Norm is an inspiration to all carpenters today.
All my children know that Norm Abrams will haunt them in their sleep should they spill ANY glue outside of the pieces they are joining.
It’s funny how houses that were being built new when “this old house” was starting can now be featured on new episodes of “this old house”...
This particular clip is older than me, but just hearing this intro music and "Hi, I'm Bob Vila" takes me back to being a child at my grandparents house as my father and grandfather watched This Old House. Sometimes I'd watch too, because my grandparents didn't have many channels and this was by far the most acceptable thing to watch as a child for the vast majority of the day.
I watched it at my grandparents house as a kid too in the early 80s. My grandpa had a workshop and was constantly doing all kinds of DIY projects, we loved this show and Norm's New Yankee Workshop a few years later.
We had 5 TV channels back when this show started and if you were not into sports (golf, tennis, figure skating...) that all the networks played over the weekend you watched PBS and TOH and NYW.
back when, in NY, at least, there were channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, PBS 13, PBS 21, and that ... was it, unless you had cable, which was not by any means, common.
I loved watching this as a kid back in the 80s. I remember checking out a Bob Vila book from the library when I was in 5th grade. His show inspired me to join the building trades as a young adult. I have since rehabbed over 20 homes as side projects. This man is a true inspiration.
That scaffolding looked precarious and Bob was hanging off the edge of the ladder with zero fear. It is a great old production with a budget feel. Very cool.
The board flexes way too much when he walks 😬
That wouldn't be allowed today for sure! YIKES
I watched a vintage clip of Richard cleaning off PVC with solvent using his bare hands and a rag while talking about safety measures.
I grew up working on scaffolding like that with my dad and grandfather in the 80's. It was such a big deal when we got aluminum pump jacks. It scares the hell out of me to look at that now. I am so glad I got into the design aspect of construction.
@@feonix138 It is always better to work with a pencil than a hammer.
oh wow the old clarinet TOH theme song! Haven't heard that in AGES!
I enjoyed hearing it too. Those were simpler times, I guess.
Called louisiana lullaby's it's on you tube
@@rsprockets7846 Louisiana Fairytale by Fats Waller
Norm if I could have dinner with anyone it would be you. You inspired me to pickup a tool and create with wood. Making furniture for my children and grandchildren has been one of the greatest joys of my life and I owe it to you patient teachings and time proven techniques.
You and Tommy are brothers from a another mother but you are carpentry’s super heroes!!
I met Norm at a home show, years ago. He is a really nice , down to earth guy. I miss him and the New Yankee workshop
Yep, I met Norm at a woodworking show. He talked to me like he new me for years. An all around nice guy.
In the 80s Bob came to our local Sears. I went to see him and he was surrounded in bulletproof glass with body guards. My friend and I had a hard time not laughing and left without talking to him. I have a feeling Norm could never be so full of himself.
@@TheInsaneShecklador He stayed until all questions were answered and shook everyone's hand. A very nice guy
@@wurly164 👍
Bob: "I'm going back inside.. It's a little bit too cold for me so I'll let you get back to it".
Norm: "Okaaaay...."
That sums up Villa's work ethic right there. LOL.
So VERY true. Hell, it would not have hurt Villa to pick up a hammer and help Norm out on that project.
I don’t remember seeing Bob actually DO anything other that flap his gums...
@@jeffj2495 Relax it was all part of the schtick.
@@halc.2899 I want Norm's job. You will notice LOTs of comments in this vid, same as mine.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?!!
Thank You Russell Morash and BGBH for without you This Old House ,New Yankee Workshop and the French Chef ,the Victory Garden and others would not have happened. I have spent many hours entertained by your shows. People may not want to admit it but without TOH and New Yankee folks would not have gotten involved with taking on the remodeling their own houses and The New Yankee Workshop launched a whole new wave of wood workers that has now morphed into the makers movement.
You are very accurate
True, but it always KILLED me that those shows were only 30 minutes long! Such great info flowing out of the TV for a small instant.....then POOF! It’s OVER! Huge fan.
I'm 47, and watched This Old House every week with my Dad all through the 80s. Bob used to irk me as a young kid, and I always felt relieved when Norm would guest host, or at least do more of the talking.
As a professional carpenter for the past 42 years, I’ve always had the utmost respect for Norm and his trade skills. As for Bob, if he were on one of my job sites, I’d probably just send him for coffee... but apparently Norm wasn’t that comfortable being on camera, so the suits had to find him a sidekick...still a great show, lots of good information for anyone looking to get into the trades.
I wouldn't send him for coffee I would send him home
Bob was pretty good at his job, mind you he's no Kevin O'connor but Bob was never there to work he was there to host a show.
@@alec4672 He's no Kevin? Are you serious? Clueless Kev has been killing TOH ever since he started, the kid is an idiot.
As a professional carpenter for 42 years you should also realize it's people like Bob that give you a job, so you might want to just keep your mouth shut and do your job :)
@@farmcentralohio I couldn't agree less. Kevin fits the role he was hired to do perfectly. He is there to ask questions that probe what the professional are talking about. Are some of his question too basic for most of us? Yes. Are there viewers that benefit from the answers he receives? Absolutely. I think Kevin really is the best host this show has had over the years, and I've been watching since it first appeared locally on WKAR, probably TOH's second season.
Amazing. Norm Abrams risking his life on that rickety scaffolding.
Those are pump jacks-that’s what we used back in the day my friend...if you saw the way they worked you’d be even more shocked🤣 yup-been there done that...
@@johnm5714 Use to do block and tackle scaffolding on some of the most ricketiest billboards imaginable during college to earn those green backs. A miracle no one got killled.
@@thyslop1737 how far back you going?
@@johnm5714 Too far to mention.
Bob never let anybody finish a thought without interrupting. Even Richard appears in this season with his brother and dad.
Roku has season 1-5 on demand
Roku TV is definitely on the "great ideas" list.
NO WONDER PBS HATED HIM HE GOT FIRED
HE ALWAYS YAKKED SO MUCH OVER THE YRS
WATCH THE TRUMP VISIT IN 1983
I think you still have to subscribe to pbs
@darkwood777 ... agreed, bob was the face & epitome of the first decade of this old house. some people knock him, but he helped establish the show from its debut in `79 to where & what it is now. it was weird & shocking when he left (fired) & then a new face, steve thomas, came out of the woodwork, so to speak, & a lot of viewers had to now adjust to steve & then to kevin after that. the same thing happened to me with americas test kitchen & cooks country, when christopher kimball left & it was kinda odd how those shows felt without him, as he was there for 15 years.
Norm: be sure to read, follow, and understand the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools correctly will greatly reduce the risk of injury, and remember this, there is no more important rule than to wear these, safety glasses.
Never mind fall hazards though
@@danielmcelrath8178 ..."ya can't think of EVERYTHING!!!
@@danielmcelrath8178 Yeah...I was looking hard at that board Norm was standing on...
Ha, I used to recite that too!. Boy, would my Dad laugh!
This brings me back to my childhood watching the show with my father. He was a big fan of Norm Abrams.
In the 80s, remember watching the first TOH episode. I was immediately enthralled and soaked up every episode moving forward. Recently married, we bought our first house, which needed everything, for $65k. I wasn't raised with any experience from my father or other people. 2 years later we "flipped " the house at a profit and moved on from there. 13 years, having become sick of my corporate job in Manhattan and having developed a near obsession with living this type of "lifestyle" that provided freedom, hands on accomplishment, etc and having honed many of skills I quite corporate and invested in a "Remodelers License" and insurance policy. And, oh yes, my first F-150. I have a very understanding wife. I recently retired at 64 having put in over 30 years in the business. It was the best move I've ever made. All of this happened because of my admiration and interest in Vila and Abram's work. I even had the honor of meeting both of them on a couple of occasions. I told them how grateful I was to both of them. Although I went to college, it is not for everyone. A very nice living can be made and the benefits of owning your own business are many.
Norm, another one of my childhood heros...again, Norm, you still are. Always loved watching you on pbs 8 in Houston.
Me to!
Norm was one of the first guys I ever saw on TV as a Carpenter and I always enjoyed watching him and Tom. I grew up building homes with my hands and worked my way up to Carpenter and eventually a Leadman and then in 2003 I got my builder contractor license in Alabama. I love to build and love to hear professional builders talk about their knowledge and skillset. Building is a art of its own, from the ground up, you build someone dream, I always say, I build to place my signature on the home I built.
A joy to watch. Remember it well. I was glad when Bob Villa left the show.
Bob looks like a garden gnome...😂
Hey, that was the 70s and that was one groooooveee hat maaan!
Best comment
LOL, I thought the same thing. Not sure where they got those caps from.
@@kman-mi7su “Groovy” had been out of the lingo for 8 years by then.
Addicted....🤣🤣🤣
I still can't believe This Old House is still going 40 years later! My favourite show then and now.
We were all a lot younger then!
Thanks for posting this. I didn't start watching This Old House until it was already a couple of years underway, and it's great to see how it all started.
Loved watching New Yankee workshop. Norms cool calming manner, made for a relaxing program. I loved his workshop, I've never seen so many clamps. He had a clamps for every eventuality, I think I had clamp envy.
Bob: "It's a little bit cool for me out here Norm, so I'll let you get back to it".
That says it all. Bob looks ridiculous in his little coordinating outfit.
Bob was the host. If he were to be the Master Carpenter as well, they wouldn't have needed Norm.
My thought exactly - he looked like some whimpy little garden gnome with that ridiculous hat that couldn't stand the cold! And there ole Norm is outside working in it all day long!
@@stevejensen3471 amen 🙏
We all looked ridiculous in the 70s, especially when we thought we were looking hip ... LOL
That pump jack setup was scary.
The pump jack doesn't concern me. Standing on that one plank is troubling though. Pump jacks are designed so two planks fit. That's actually the outrigger arm too. So he's using it backwards.
I remember building the red barn. I used to record it on VHS to watch it later. Notice in the beginning there was no nail gun. He is definitely a fantastic man.
Love seeing Norm from back in those days-brings me right back to the beginning.I started in construction right around this time and on all our Job sites the big saying was”Norm would never do it that way-take it apart and start over” yeah-he was and still is --the carpenters Jimi Hendrix😂😂
@@craigjensen6853 you did that perfectly Pete😂 my NY accent on top of the Boston makes it sound just right
The theme song...Wow. Takes me back to my childhood.
I watched all of these episodes, loved the show, Bob Vila - is - This Old House, I learned so much from these guys, Thank You.
Wonderful! I watched This Old House from the beginning till about 2010. In fact, I have at least 10 years of the show recorded. The cast were like friends to me.
John
Truly the Master Craftsman! Norm is great! I loved The New Yankee Workshop and almost never missed an episode. And of course he's awesome on TOH an Ask TOH as well.
Obviously OSHA wasn’t as aggressive and well staffed back then. There’s just not enough guys like Norm in this world, rich people with fancy houses are going to learn soon just how valuable skilled craftsmen really were.
Yeah that was some pretty sketchy planking Norm was on. I got a rule, never just one plank. Two is the bare minimum. Because if one breaks you need options.
I know right?
Yea that looks a little scary. Our company was at a mill shutdown a couple weeks ago and a scaffolder died when he fell 3 stories off the unfinished scaffolding. No job is worth dying over.
@@1pcfred the planks were bending pretty good,
@@misterz2719 it looked to me like he had a plank nailed to a 2x4 or something. There was something sketchy going on there. But it must have worked for him. Can't argue with success.
I used to watch this show as a kid, and have ever since. I learned so much from all these guys, and not just about constuction. Could never thank them enough.
1979: We'll cut and patch the brackets and save money on the project.
2020: We'll have Kevin take us on a tour of how a modest old house became a prohibitively expensive and gaudy McMansion.
This was back when these shows were informative and educational and not just another ad for how to spend more money and chase more shiney
Or take you to a factory where they custom make 53 of these things with a special resin compound that requires CAD engineering and costs about $300 a piece.
Bob Vila was the perfect host. The whole notion of a show based on renovations was exciting and fresh and Bob kept it at the level that the average home owner could identify with. The rest of the tradesmen were perfectly in tune to the goal of the show and over the years weve come to think of them as our special Saturday morning family members. Norm and Tommy, Richard, and the rest of the gang are heros of mine for all the things they showed me while i was renovating my home.
Jim, great to hear some accolades for Bob as he usually gets a bum rap from most folks! He forged the way for all of the HI shows that came after TOH. Great confident demeanor and radio voice that resonated! And totally agree with the rest of the original cast of those hardworking guys - Steve, Tommy, Richard, and Roger as the salt of the earth!
@@stevejensen3471 ... agree here too, as the host, bob was the face of the show, he kept it going from minute to minute, location to location, to keep the viewer locked on, because the show is only half an hour & on a network that is non-commercial. ive been watching toh since the `80s. i dont understand why people knock him for doing a job he was paid to do. that is on the producers & directors, otherwise they would have booted bob in the first season. when i think of this old house, i always think 1st of bob due to 1st impression. then maybe kevin as 2nd & steve as 3rd.
@@robwebnoid5763 Rodga that Rob! Something I read about Bob that was even more astounding was that he accepted hosting TOH in the beginning - for only $200/episode. They raised it to a still paltry $800/episode years later but Bob stayed with it over 10 years because he thought it good advertising for his existing award-winning home renovation company. All the more paradoxical when Roku aquired the now valuable TOH franchise for 98M back a few years ago. TOH and Bob parted ways when TOH's main underwriter Home Depot pressured TOH to give Bob an ultimatum as he was representing HD's then competitor Rickel Home Centers on the side to make extra money. No matter as Bob's net worth these days is ~ 70M and recently sold his Palm Beach home for 53M. By contrast, ole Norm made a career out of PBS as the heart and soul of both TOH and his NYW over a span of 43 years for a total net worth of 2.5M, or 47K/year. To me, he's actually the real HI hero and is why he's known a national treasure.
Loved watching Norm on the Yankee Workshop. He was and is my Hero when it comes to Carpentry ..... Bob talked a good game....
I don’t know if anyone doesn’t like Norm. I could meet any celebrity in Hollywood and not be as star struck as if I meet Norm.
Isn't that the truth... Same goes for Tom.
So true. He is the salt of the earth, and so humble with his demonstrations. I watched a lot of his TV shows.
...AND YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT THERE ARE A HECK OF A LOT MORE CRAFTSMEN JUST LIKE HIM-!!
even Bobcat Goldthwait?
@@bmanwpg Don't forget the incomparable Steve Thomas!
When I think childhood television shows with the old man on weekends this was always a favorite
I LOVE these early episodes !!
That theme song always brings me back to when I was a kid and my dad would watch this old house.
He sure has come so far over the years. What a treat to watch and learn from one of the great ones! Long live Norm!
Bob’s got some Jamiroquai vibes going on with that hat.
Amazing. I am sorry i didn't watch the show back then. When this aired in 1979 I was in High School. Wow the original host Bob Villa & Norm Abram. Great show then & of course later. What memories of these clips.I have learned so much watching both but mostly Norm Abram. He's inspired me so many years as a woodworker & many projects I have built. I truly appreciate watching Norm's work on" This Old House" & especially "The New Yankee Workshop". Excellent job.on both shows. 👍
Bob look like Al Pacino in the movie Serpico from the 70s with that goofy ass hat on.
It was the 70s. You had to be there.
Gnome....
@@joelkton1 lol
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?!!
@@MrAlittle5150 WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT THE WAY HE'S DRESSED?!
...AND I'M USING CAPITAL LETTERS FOR THE HELL OF IT-!!!
Im literally making the same repairs in 2022. Great to see one of my carpentry heroes do the same!
In 1979 I had just became a journeymen carpenter. We all stopped to watch this old house on public television. Saturday I believe. Was great then as it is now. Now retired construction superintendent. My years flew by I loved my work so much many great memories of a lot good men over the years. Thanks
Wow. He was repairing roofs before I was even born. Big fan of his work and mastery, have learnt a lot from watching him on different outlets, New Yankee Workshop probably my favorite.
love that hat, Bob Villa:)) You guys have inspired me for years
Gotta love Norm. I watched him on the New Yankee Workshop for many years. Much respect for his work.
wow i cant believe i have been watching this old house for 41 years
Norm was my mentor , i have over 150 New Yankee workshop show recorded , i had the chance to met him in Toronto , he still appear on TOH ,
That scoffolding😬😬😬😬
I half-expected Norm to fall into the dumpster..."Home Improvement" style.....
911 wasn't in service until 1985.
Vila would be like...”guess I’ll go back inside now where it’s warm....”
Bob and Norm!!! Will never be two like them ever again!! Thanks for the memories!
THE NEW THIS OLD HOUSE SHOWS ARE KINDA SO SO THE NEW HOST KEVIN IS A DOUCE
WHAT IS IT IS KINDA LAME TOO
Ah, those we're the good ol days. Worked a few years for the now long gone Woodworkers Warehouse. Met Norm once at a meet and greet we did at the Middleton store. The man is a legend!
"Hi Bowab." Love it.
Two studs! Good content.
Loved watching Norm when I was younger. I still do actually.
Longest running home improvement program that i can ever remember.
Watched all of The New Yankee Workshop videos, Norm is the best teacher, I have made many of his projects.
My favorite, loved his New Yankee Workshop!
my goodness i never knew this old house was so old 1979 11 years before i was born great show
I always liked Bob, he was the host, stop beating him up for not being a professional tradesman or what ever else you want to hate on him about. He was great and I hated it when he left. He paved the way for many who came after him.
In the 80s Bob came to our local Sears store for an appearance. A friend and I went to see him. Bob had himself surrounded in bulletproof glass with bodyguards like he was the Pope or something. We could hardly contain our laughter and left without even meeting him.
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the head gear.
This used to be an interesting and useful program. Now that their concentration is on million dollar rehabs and expensive infrastructure subsystems, it is just a curiosity.
I think I remember the time they wanted to make some living space in a barn. They wound up using three pieces of wood from it. The rest of the materials were new. I stopped watching for many years. I still want to see them work on smaller old houses.
I tend to agree. I used to watch the show all the time. We built our timber frame home in the early 1980s. I don't think TOH can build an outhouse for less then $100k. I did use Norm's New Yankee Workshop (too bad that got canceled) ideas to build our greenhouse and I find Ask ToH useful for repair info.
Yeah., I remember they built a $30,000 shower once.
Agree with that
Norm is THE MAN!!! He is the John Wayne of woodworking.
Watched from the beginning. I remember how excited Norm was when he got his ShopSmith - like a woodworker’s Transformer. He worked hard to ultimately be able to build his New Yankee Workshop.
Love Bob's Serpico hat
Love show. Huge fan!
I’m 51 and have 33 years working as a carpenter and it began as young lad watching Norm on PBS channel 12 every Saturday.
My goodness I was just 19 years old back then when this episode aired & now I'm as old as dirt.
Bob , norm and tommy started it all on the home Reno scene 🤠👍
Norm is why I got hooked on this show! He knew what he was talking about and the new yankee workshop was great also!!
Always enjoyed Norm on New Yankee Workshop, sad it’s still not going, but I’m sure he would be remaking some of the original builds by now. Norm inspired my carpentry and I am sure a lot of people now have a biscuit joiner like me. Brilliant educational series Norm, I still have your framed picture posted in my workshop, to remember how it all started. Thanks 👍
I have the book they published about this project house. It's not only a fantastic reference but the pictures of the design choices and what the workers were wearing are fascinating
Miss the old theme song.
2 men that've inspired me over the years to do carpentry and struggle to stay in the trades. We have many houses in Cleveland that need repairs exactly like this but more often than not these pieces are removed and never put back. Its a shame how nice these homes can look when they're restored properly. They're more like works of art rather than a home. Bob Villa, Norm Abraham and Tom Silva were amazing through the late 80s and 90s. I'd watch every Saturday if they were all still together.
People are going in pretty hard on Bob Vila. Say what you want but he had a made for TV personality that drew viewers in. He was able to articulate to the viewer what the contractors could not.
Plaid pattern jacket coat with a tuque!! No wonder Canadians love this guy and the show. Never missed a show with Bob and Norm.
Loved fiirst watching this series when i finally got Diamond cable tv back in the day, uk shows had people putting mdf shelves up and this show was replacing walls, so much more interesting for the diy enthusiasts like myself
Saw this show just this morning on Magnolia Network.
Whoa! That is some old-time scaffolding that Norm is standing on.
I love the scaffolding he is standing on😂
Norm is incredible. And I need Bob's hat. :)
The good "ole days. Nice to see these gents in the early days.
And they were actually renovating to "old house" standards, instead of upgrading everything to bigger, McMansion standards.
I watched it all the time until the 1987 Weatherbee Farm. That is when it went from a cool show with tons of DIY tips to excess where the homeowners didn’t help. I still remember the end of renovation when the home owners did not even make an appearance. Things must have went south. When I do occasionally watch an episode or so Norm is always cool, helpful with tons of class
You can tell Norm was a bit nervous being on TV. His delivery got much better over time.
The number one home improvement TV show this old House
Amazing Norm love New Yankee Workshop. That scafolding though...
Norm Abrams is the Chuck Norris of wood working
I watched this, when it first aired. I was baptized in the church next to this house...and I mentioned this to Bob, when I met him, decades later in (of all places) the Toronto suburbs.
There are MANY DIY'rs on the web. But there is NONE that can rise to what Norm Abram did so effortlessly. He never over talked the video; he never waited until the end of the video to show you what the item was; he never wasted words or time, etc, etc and ETC!
Mr Morash (Norm's producer and director) was Norm's mentor; and he often complimented Mr Morash. The pair were far above ANY other DIY video's. There will probably never be another team like Norm and Mr Morash.
Yes Morash taught others who were ALL good in other videos like "This Old House", etc;; some among the greatest. But not one could carry Norm's case. For he was THE greatest.
Not to mention that he was one of THE nicest and personable any one would want. And one of the greatest things he did; was to build a complex item in less than 25 minutes in a single video. Compare that to MOST other DIY'rs; that will take an hour talk nothing but gibberish; before ever showing us what it was. Sad indeed.
But NOT Norm. From the moment his videos started; it was interesting and it stayed that way until the end of the video. I have every one and cherish what he did. Some I have watched several times and they NEVER bore me.
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting him thrice. And he was JUST the same as in his videos. I thank Jesus for giving us the "Norm Abram's" in this world. For "THEY" are what makes this world a better place.
Dude, Norm is responsible for DIYers. I would love to see a spread sheet of how much money that man is responsible for in the entire DIY industry.
I have never seen Norm without a beard until now lol
Next to the Yankee Wood Shop Norm was the guy that could get it done spectacularly and had that demeanor that invited you in to learn.
Wow! A young Norm. Haven't seen this video in years. I collected several VHS tapes of this old house. Still have them somewhere around here. Usually VHS doesn't stand the test of time well and they're probably garbage by now.
they really need to bring this theme song back to the show
....and 41 years later..... he's still going strong! HUGS to Norm and all the crew!