DIY SOS - if you can't do it yourself ask these guys for help (DIY SOS)

Member Name: jesperado

Product:	DIY SOS
Date:	11/05/09 (182 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, full of tips

Disadvantages: None

WHAT IS IT?

DIY SOS is a home makeover show that focuses on those who really desperately need help after an unsuccessful attempt at some serious DIY. I'm not talking the odd wonky shelf here or there, more like massive holes where walls should be and rooms that look more like a building site than a home. The team have 5 days to turn these houses from disaster zones into beautiful living spaces that fulfil the owner's wildest dreams. There is usually a genuinely good reason why these people ask for help sorting out the mess they have made - often illness or a sudden change in circumstance has left the family with no proper home. DIY SOS has been running for 10 years and is currently on its 18th series! You can catch it on a Thursday on BBC at 8.30pm.

THE TEAM

What sets DIY SOS apart from other home makeover shows is that the team is so funny. They are constantly cracking jokes at one another's expense or engaging in some kind of silliness for the viewers' amusement. Here is a little about some of the main members of the team:

MARK MILLAR
A new addition to the team in this series, Irishman Mark is a carpenter and is responsible for all things weird, wonderful and wooden. He is constantly the butt of jokes about his sometimes indecipherable accent and his prominent nose which Nick Knowles broke once if his website is to be believed!

JULIA KENDELL
Another newcomer, Julia is a designer and comes up with the vision for how the room will eventually look. The guys often mock her artistic leaning by pre-empting her every time she suggests a room should be 'traditional with a modern twist'

JULIAN PERRYMAN
A big lovable teddy bear of a plasterer, West Country boy Julian often shows his feminine side by dancing, singing or even reciting poetry!

BILLY BYRNE
A cheeky chappy from Watford who gets the mickey taken out of him mercilessly by the rest of the gang. Billy is the electrician who you really wouldn't want fixinf your wiring.

NICK KNOWLES
Ah, Nick Knowles. I must confess I have quite a serious crush on this man. Nick presents the show and mucks in with the rest of the team as well as interviewing the home-owners. He has a good sense of humour most of the time but has been known to throw the odd strop in previous series.

The show is packed full of handy hints and tips as well as laughs. I really enjoy this show even though I don't really do DIY. It's lovely to see the look on people's faces when their new room is finally revealed and its good to see people down on their luck finally getting the treat they deserve. This show seems a lot more 'real' than other home makover shows as the outtakes and cockups are left in for the viewers' amusement. The team are really funny and it makes for a very entertaining half an hour's viewing.

Summary: A very entertaining watch