Inspired an Entire Nation to have the Confidence to Do It Themselves

June 22, 2024 8:13 AM

Russell Morash, a founding father of DIY television, has passed. If you enjoyed The French Chef, The Victory Garden, This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, or any of his other work, don your safety glasses and fix something in his honor.
posted by Scienxe (28 comments total)

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posted by HearHere at 8:16 AM on June 22 [3 favorites]

Wow, that is a huge fraction of the US cultural stream for one person to have managed.
posted by clew at 8:33 AM on June 22 [9 favorites]

At least when they started, those series very much told Americans that "you can do this, too." So welcoming and egalitarian, even if they ended up with vast arrays of special tools and professional guests.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:56 AM on June 22 [5 favorites]

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posted by neuracnu at 9:22 AM on June 22 [5 favorites]

The New Yankee Workshop folks have been posting the older episodes (going back to the first season) in full to their YouTube channel - occasionally they'd do an update on the pieces that they'd made all those years ago, and Russell Morash would give a brief spiel on them, which was nice. (Sometimes Norm was there too.) I think as a kid we got plans for a couple of the things that they featured, and while they definitely were more on the side of "you can do this too!* *with a fully stocked wood shop" the plans were set up so more average folks could do it too if you had access to, say, a Sears, and it was nice to see all these pieces and history and all that.
posted by mrg at 9:42 AM on June 22 [2 favorites]

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posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:43 AM on June 22

Well before Youtube, "This Old House" was appointment viewing when we were renovating our old and decrepit little house. The show gave us general knowledge, and inspiration, and an intro to some of the newer products and techniques.

So, thanks Russell!

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posted by Artful Codger at 9:47 AM on June 22 [5 favorites]

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posted by interogative mood at 9:51 AM on June 22

🔨🥽.

All these shows influenced me greatly from the dirt, to the walls to the kitchen!
posted by Agent_X_ at 10:01 AM on June 22 [1 favorite]

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posted by briank at 10:03 AM on June 22

If it wasn't for This Old House, I wouldn't be binging on YouTube woodworking shows! Thank you!

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posted by JustSayNoDawg at 10:17 AM on June 22

I watch TOH as a kid, and quickly internalized the notion that "If this guy Bob Vila can do it, and my parents can do it, then someday I can."

My parents built a couple of cabins, and kept up our houses over the years -- but seeing a regular guy do the work on PBS made me think that when I grew up, I could do it, too.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:22 AM on June 22 [5 favorites]

I knew that This Old House and New Yankee Workshop were related, but I had no idea about the connection to The Victory Garden through Morash. Thank you for this post! Watching This Old House and New Yankee Workshop with my father as a kid definitely influenced who I turned out to be, though these days I'm more likely to watch Blondihacks or This Old Tony.

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posted by Alterscape at 11:53 AM on June 22 [2 favorites]

I love watching This Old House, and while I think it's succumbed somewhat to the HGTV tropes around excessiveness, there's still a lot of information to be had, and its sister show Ask This Old House is excellent, lots of approachable DIY there.
posted by Aleyn at 12:23 PM on June 22 [2 favorites]

Growing up my dad and I had a weekly appointment to watch New Yankee Workshop and while my personal journey with woodworking has led me down a more hand-tool focused path I have to give credit to the show for fostering an early interest in furniture design and craft.
posted by St. Oops at 12:53 PM on June 22 [3 favorites]

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posted by May Kasahara at 12:59 PM on June 22

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posted by clavdivs at 1:12 PM on June 22

New Yankee Workshop wasn't filmed on a soundstage, but in Morash's workshop at his house, and the Victory Garden started in the WGBH parking lot, but eventually was filmed in Morash's backyard.

I drive past his house on a regular basis and always try and peek.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:23 PM on June 22 [2 favorites]

I had no idea who Russell was until I watched the Julia series recently. And I had even less of a clue that he was also involved in This Old House and Yankee Workshop.

I spent hours as a child watching the latter two programs with my dad, where he would provide color commentary on what Norm was doing and express continual dismay at the cleanliness and order in the NYW. I don't think we watched a single episode without my father, a fellow woodworker, commenting, "How the hell does that fella stay so clean. And the damn workshop? He's gotta have a herd of elves."

Thanks Russ.
posted by teleri025 at 1:39 PM on June 22 [2 favorites]

This Old House took some sensible steps back from extreme opulence several years ago. I know they featured rebuilding of some homes that had been destroyed by natural disasters, floods, etc. More modest, everyday kinds of construction. It did turn into money-porn for a good long time.

I grew up watching all these shows. I was such a nerdy kid that I loved Crockett's Victory Garden (later Victory garden) and all the PBS cooking shows from the early '80s. I specifically remember watching he first season of The Old House with my dad and mom.

Amazing he was producing and directing as long ago as 1958! RIP. All those shows along with Julia Child spawned a thousand (often terrible) knockoffs.
posted by SoberHighland at 2:14 PM on June 22 [3 favorites]

New Yankee Workshop was an odd one. It was fascinating (mesmerizing) to watch, but Norm had some $10,000+ tool for every specific, intricate purpose. It was crazy seeing his setup. These shows had an enormous impact on my life. I'm still an avid gardener (with a very modest sized garden, and I gave up growing edible plants long ago) and Julia Child and her staggering legacy got me into cooking, which is still one of the only crafts that I love, practice and get compliments on.
posted by SoberHighland at 2:27 PM on June 22 [3 favorites]

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posted by mersen at 2:52 PM on June 22

I do not don safety glasses to work in my victory garden or make shired eggs from my frugal gourmet cookbook.
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:07 PM on June 22

Alabama Public Television used to show all of these programs in a row on Saturdays, and I have spent many, many weekends watching all of them since the seventies. It's quite a legacy.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 4:39 PM on June 22

many times when I think of Julia Child I think of Dan aykroyd and his sketch on Saturday night live. I remember watching that,first time I peeked through my hands.

save the liver!

apparently Julia Child funny extremely funny also.
posted by clavdivs at 5:30 PM on June 22 [2 favorites]

my personal journey with woodworking has led me down a more hand-tool focused path

St. Oops, I hope your local PBS station also gave you the gift of Roy Underhill's The Woodwright's Shop. All human-powered hand tools, wielded by an expert.
posted by Scienxe at 5:59 PM on June 22 [2 favorites]

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posted by UhOhChongo! at 4:13 PM on June 23

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posted by eckeric at 12:19 PM on June 27