BBC "The Repair Shop" - Totally Disgusting

[Sidewinder]

From what i can make out, the purpose of the "repair shop" is not to correctly repair anything or provide expertise to elevate the knowledge of the viewing public. Its task is to "entertain" with stereotypical characters out of central casting. So there will be a dickensian expert with glasses perched on the end of his nose peering at the object, looking like an "expert" preferably with a magnifying glass saying something like "the wadlock on the jiggling connector is maladjusted", and the viewing public eat it up. Then there are the fit handymen, and some family person with a sentimental sob story around whatever the object is that they bring in.

The real experts are at Antiques Roadshow, where hopefully the encounters are spontaneous.

I saw a couple of episodes of "Shipping wars" also following a set script, try get delivery of an item, stop for fish & chips, damage the item being transported, get it repaired so that the owner will (hopefully) not notice, deliver, high fives.

In the USA its Storage wars, cross section of flamboyant characters, incredible "finds"

I expect every collecting community cringes when something in their are of expertise gets the repair shop treatment.

[JerryVan]

Does everything seemingly nice and pleasant today really need to be torn to shreds? Okay, they goofed on phonograph that a bunch of us nerds are up in arms over. Can't we have a nice show, with interesting items and their histories, that doesn't harp on about politics, covid, what the Kardashians did, etc.??? Is it really necessary to turn everything to [crap] these days? Get over it!

Sorry for the rant, just had enough!

[Curt A]

Does everything seemingly nice and pleasant today really need to be torn to shreds? Okay, they goofed on phonograph that a bunch of us nerds are up in arms over. Can't we have a nice show, with interesting items and their histories, that doesn't harp on about politics, covid, what the Kardashians did, etc.??? Is it really necessary to turn everything to [crap] these days? Get over it!

Sorry for the rant, just had enough!

Jerry, we have "The Pickers" ... No restoration, no politics, no covid, no Kardashians, etc. Just pure "reality TV", where two guys discover all kinds of neat, rusty stuff, pass by a lot of other good stuff, while traveling all over the country as the rest of us sit in our houses with nowhere to go...

[epigramophone]

Does everything seemingly nice and pleasant today really need to be torn to shreds? Okay, they goofed on phonograph that a bunch of us nerds are up in arms over. Can't we have a nice show, with interesting items and their histories, that doesn't harp on about politics, covid, what the Kardashians did, etc.??? Is it really necessary to turn everything to [crap] these days? Get over it!

Sorry for the rant, just had enough!

Well said Jerry. It was only after watching the whole of Series 1 that my wife and I applied to have the 300 year old desk restored by The Repair Shop. Apart from the care taken with the items featured, two things in particular impressed us and gained our trust.

Firstly the genuine rapport between the various experts when helping each other out. Two of them are brother and sister, not "stereotypical characters out of central casting" as Sidewinder imagines. Secondly there is never any mention of money. These are treasured family heirlooms, not items to be bought and sold for profit.

Our experience when making the programme was a pleasant and memorable one. We are not natural TV performers, but everyone involved on both sides of the camera could not have been more friendly and patient. Whenever we watch the programme we still feel that we are among friends.

Enough of the meanspirited jibes about just one item which The Repair Shop got wrong. They simply picked the wrong person for the job.

[Ahmed]

This episode first aired over a year ago I think, and it was absolutely cring worthy to watch. Operas are rare enough, especially so in the UK, and to see one butchered in this way is a real shame. To add insult to injury, a warbly cylinder is presented at the end and proclaims "this is how it sounded like" - I think not! It's not one I'll forget any time soon

If I remember correctly, CLPGS did a write up about this in their magazine at the time, and I think they may have even written to the BBC.

In the end, it's all just for show and dramatic effect; the shot at the end with the owner shedding a tear after seeing it is very much all they're after.

I shall not comment on any individual's work, but all I can say is that the results clearly speak for themselves....

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it

[52089]

As far as I'm aware, this episode has not made it to US streaming services yet. However, I did find a YouTube video showing the before and after. All I can say is, what a shame.

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

[epigramophone]

It may or may not be a coincidence, but the self styled "Gramophone Guru" has never reappeared on the programme.

[edisonplayer]

Tim Fabrizio would do a MUCH better job with that Opera than this so called "expert"!Tim wouldn't make the singer sound like one of the Chipmunks!edisonplayer.

[Ben the phono man]

"nice golden color"

[anchorman]

The warbled sound is unforgivable. What galls me even more, however, is watching an “expert” woodworker use a sander made for flat surface on a concave surface. I’m not sure what skills this guy actually has vs. what he hires others to do for him at his workshop. The pictures on his web page certainly look like quality workmanship. The horn doesn’t look terrible, at least not on the tiny screen I’m looking at, but it was much nicer before they stripped the old finish off.

The hand painted speed indication dial is not at all ok, and neither is the bright copper pointer. It looks like mr. Gramophone guru makes ok parts (the pointer is not terribly made) - but I would have had to make that out of brass, and have it plated. Some things are better left as they are, if one doesn’t have the ability to truly put them back right.