The Bottom Line
With his successful show, The New Yankee Workshop, Norm Abram can consider himself responsible for turning on millions of people to woodworking. Having appeared on such notable shows as The Late Show With David Letterman, Abram is nearly a household name. Now in it's 19th season, The New Yankee Workshop can be seen on PBS and HGTV. Check local listings for show times.
Pros
- Norm's experience makes the difficult look easy
- Start-to-finish projects give practical advice
Cons
- Inconsistent PBS scheduling can make episodes difficult to find
Description
- Every project built on the show is available on video and on a detailed, printed set of plans.
- Norm makes sure to show the most difficult woodworking aspects of every project.
- PBS tends to preempt the show for weeks at a time for their pledge drives.
Guide Review - Review of The New Yankee Workshop
It has been said that talented people make things look easy. If that is the case, Abram definitely qualifies as talented. He has a quiet, easy-going personality that makes it appear that everything he does on the show is so easy, anyone can jump right in and do it. While the goal is to help people learn woodworking, the ease at which Abram can turn some common materials into heirloom furniture is definitely deceiving. In all the years I've been watching the show, I can't honestly remember a time when I thought Norm might have made a mistake. Now, while that could be due to good editing, I tend to think nobody is consistently that good.
While Abram's episodes are typically geared toward furniture, he tends to run the gamut of projects over each season, featuring pieces that a beginning woodworker can accomplish in some episodes, while tackling some more challenging projects in others. The wide-ranging choices of subject matter help keep the show fresh.
As mentioned earlier, episodes on PBS are often preempted for pledge drives. While I cannot fault PBS for their efforts at financing their stations, considering the popularity of the New Yankee Workshop, I'd like to see them offer a pledge drive centered around the show.
Episodes are also featured on HGTV, but parts of the show are edited out to accommodate commercials. Each season is available on DVD, which may be a good investment toward your woodworking education.
While Abram's episodes are typically geared toward furniture, he tends to run the gamut of projects over each season, featuring pieces that a beginning woodworker can accomplish in some episodes, while tackling some more challenging projects in others. The wide-ranging choices of subject matter help keep the show fresh.
As mentioned earlier, episodes on PBS are often preempted for pledge drives. While I cannot fault PBS for their efforts at financing their stations, considering the popularity of the New Yankee Workshop, I'd like to see them offer a pledge drive centered around the show.
Episodes are also featured on HGTV, but parts of the show are edited out to accommodate commercials. Each season is available on DVD, which may be a good investment toward your woodworking education.
