The New Yankee Workshop was a woodworking program produced by WGBH Boston, which aired on PBS. Created in 1989 by Russell Morash, the program was hosted by Norm Abram, a regular fixture on Morash's This Old House . The series aired for 21 seasons before broadcasting its final episode on June 27 , 2009 .
Overview
The New Yankee Workshop featured the construction of woodworking projects, including workshop accessories, architectural details and furniture projects ranging from simple pieces to complex, high-quality reproductions of antique classic furniture. In the course of 21 seasons, approximately 235 projects were produced. In addition to furniture and cabinets, the show also focused on outdoor projects such as the building of a gazeebo, shed, greenhouse, sail boat, flag pole, mail box, cupola, and fences.
Criticism
Some woodworkers criticized Abram and The New Yankee Workshop for the use of power tools, but the reason the show was called the NEW Yankee Workshop was because it focused on introducing the viewer to methods and techniques for using modern equipment to produce furniture that resembled antique furniture. In response, some woodworking power tool aficionados proudly adopted the name " Normites ", and derisively called those who prefer hand tools " Neanderthals " or " galoots ".
Shop
The shop where the show was produced is owned by Morash and is located on his property even though the viewer was given the impression that it was in Abram's back yard. Its location was portrayed as a closely guarded secret, even though astute viewers of the series would have, no doubt, gathered enough clues over the years to discern its whereabouts. The property at one time was also the site of The Victory Garden , another Morash production. Many of the outdoor projects that Norm built over the years are currently in use in Morash's yard.
The shop is 936 square feet in size. The famous sliding barn door faces west. Along the west wall is the "back bench" and drill press. Along the south wall is the miter bench and storage unit, radial arm saw, and (not seen in episodes) a computer, a TV, and a small office area. The east wall of the shop has a staircase leading to a loft area, jig storage, horizontal edge sander, and dust collector. The north wall houses sheet goods, router table, bar clamps, Timesaver wide belt sander, planer, jointer, band saw, and various mobile tools. The center area of the shop consists of the table saw and associated outfeed tables as well as a large assembly table. In the northeast section of the building is a separate finishing room.
The show has received many requests for plans for the shop layout, and those interested in such plans can purchase the Doll House (episode #602) plans. The Doll House is a scale replica of the shop, and its plans can be scaled up to build a full size shop.
Sponsors
As with all shows broadcast on PBS, New Yankee Workshop depended upon corporate sponsors to partially fund production. Over the years, major sponsors of the show included: Porter-Cable power tools, Vermont American saw blades and drill bits, Delta Machinery, Columbia Flooring, and the Thompson-Minwax Company.
Cancellation
On October 16 , 2009, WGBH Boston announced that no further episodes of New Yankee Workshop would be produced. In remarking on the end of the show, Abram stated, "We've had a great run, built challenging projects, met wonderful woodworkers and received loyal support from millions of viewers." The show is likely to continue in reruns.
Episodes
Over the course of its 21 seasons, at least 235 projects were built on New Yankee Workshop .
Season 1 (1989)
Season 2 (1990)
Season 3 (1991)
Season 4 (1992)
Season 5 (1993)
Season 6 (1994)
Season 7 (1995)
Season 8 (1996)
Season 9 (1997)
Season 10 (1998)
Season 10 introduced a new episode numbering system. Previous seasons had been numbered in three digit format using the season number (1-9) as the first digit, and the episode number making up the last two digits. So, for example, the third episode of the 4th season would be episide number 403. Starting with this season, episodes numbers consisted of four digts with the first two digits representing the last two digits of the year in which the season first aired and the last two digits representing the episode number within that season. So, the fourth episode of the 10th season, having first aired in 1998, would be episode number 9804.
Season 11 (1999)
Season 12 (2000)
Season 13 (2001)
Episode numbers starting in season 13 through the end of the series are very similar to episode numbers that occured in the season 12 years prior. The only difference being that the later seasons have a leading zero. For example, the first episode of the first season was episode number 101, while the first episode of the 13th season was episode number 0101.
Season 14 (2002)
Season 15 (2003)
Season 16 (2004)
Season 17 (2005)
Season 18 (2006)
Season 19 (2007)
Season 20 (2008)
Season 20 varied slightly in format from previous seasons in that the first nine episodes were devoted to a single, larger project. This project invloved a kitchen remodeling and focused on cabinet construction. The kitchen being remodeled belongs to Morash. Season 20 also represented the last season in which original projects were constructed for the show.
Season 21 (2009)
Season 21 stood out from other seasons in that it had approximately twice the number of episodes of any previous season. The season also varied from previous seasons in that no new projects were built. Instead each episode rebroadcast a project built in a previous season. All of the rebroadcast episodes were from either the ninth or tenth season. Each "new" episode consisted of the original episode prefaced by a newly recorded introduction by Abram.
References
- ^ http://www.newyankee.com/about.php
- ^ http://www.newyankee.com/tour.php
- ^ http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2009/10/norm-abram-closes-yankee-works.html
External links
- The New Yankee Workshop Official Web site which includes a shop tour, a program guide and other features including a Webcam
- The New Yankee Workshop at the Internet Movie Database
- A Norm Abram Fan Site features documentation of tools used in the series and a comprehensive program guide
- Another TNYW fan site featuring an archive of the shop webcam images and biographies.
- The TVIV page on the series — Information about the show;
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