r/BritishTV • u/Kagedeah British • 1d ago
News BBC axes DIY SOS after 27 years
https://web.archive.org/web/20261016221010/https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/40714138/fury-bbc-axes-diy-sos-nick-knowles/276
u/Dragoonian64 1d ago
One step closer to getting Robot Wars back on the television!
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u/hime-633 1d ago
All this chat about license fee changes . Get this epic shit back on and I swear there will be less resistance.
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u/Disgruntled__Goat 1d ago
On my smart TV there’s a bunch of random channels, one of which shows nothing but Robot Wars 24/7
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u/hime-633 1d ago
Please tell me because my children will go WILD for this
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u/Disgruntled__Goat 1d ago
It’s a Samsung, something like U8000 model. It comes with “Samsung TV” which is a bunch of what they call “FAST channels”, just always-on internet channels.
There are a whole bunch for different TV shows like Storage Wars, Pointless, The Chase, Robot Wars, etc.
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u/MyBritishAccount 20h ago
Their Mythbusters channel has been my go to recently. Brilliant show. Channel 4350 I think.
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u/Impossible_Form_3256 1d ago
Pretty sure on Pluto TV there's a robot wars channel
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u/mrwedders 1d ago
I used a Samsung TV in a hotel recently and the built in streaming stuff was literally just rebranded Pluto TV - one of the channels was offline and it displayed a Pluto TV error message 😂
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u/Pengetalia 20h ago
Samsung TV plus is amazing! And they add new channels on regularly which is always a nice surprise
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u/Krispykreemi 1d ago
With integrated AI. Why you sleeping on this BBC
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u/Lord-Liberty 1d ago
Surely Nic Knowles is tired of it now
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u/ccc2801 1d ago
I’m sure as hell tired of him lol
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u/MindlessOwl 1d ago
Glad i’m not the only one.
And he’s like that one constantly ill family member. One minute he’ll break a shoulder, won’t hear from him and then he’s back on TV and he’ll break his nose.
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u/Lord-Liberty 1d ago
I get MrBeast vibes from him. All a bit fake.
If you think about it, DIY SOS is basically terrestrial TV MrBeast videos (especially the ones he did before all the gameshows)
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u/Funny-Astronomer29 23h ago
A friend of mine served him in a retail environment one day. Apparently he is not very pleasant to say the least.
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u/Captaincadet 13h ago
I’ve met him and know people who has the “joy” of working with him
Not pleasant is a pleasant way to say it
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u/MineMelodic5454 21h ago
Have you heard his album? I strongly recommend his cover of Make You Feel My Love…
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u/Srilaxed 18h ago
Literally 3 days ago I saw him near Leicester square and he looked really tired. I was thinking of saying hello but looking at the other comments, I'm glad I didn't.
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u/Character_Ad5286 20h ago edited 20h ago
Replaces it with "Celebrity DIY SOS" where by Nick Knowles and his gang of merry tradies go an renovate the dilapidated homes of disgraced and subsequently skint ex BBC presenters. Episode 1: Schofields Orangery.
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u/Funk5oulBrother 20h ago
Episode 2: Wallace’s mid-terrace
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u/Character_Ad5286 17h ago
Episode 3: Scott Mills: Rotten foundations and a roof lift on his 50's semi.
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u/Ancient-Cow-1038 21h ago
I can’t be the only one who reacted “Christ, they still make DIY SOS?!”
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u/Midnightraven3 19h ago
Which means you havent seen the latest series that's on just now. Its kinda weird.
Nick turns up, family explain their difficulties, then every week he sucks in breath like a mechanic who has just looked over your car and goes "It's a massive job, not sure if we can help, i'll see what the team thinks" then he comes back to them and says "its colossal, [names a specific job] has never been done before but we will try"
AS IF there was any doubt and he was going to say "Nah, sorry, its not happening, pack up team we're off"
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u/Often_Tilly 17h ago
Remember when they'd do one or two rooms? And there was the splinter team who'd just go and zhuzh up a bathroom in a day?
The problem is that they have to be bigger and bigger, with more and more drama. Then they did some specials where they'd do a massive project, but this became the new normal.
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u/Midnightraven3 17h ago
Yes! This weeks one they "had" to take the roof off and replace it, all in one day so they could extend up the way as well as out the way
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u/bacon_cake 8h ago
Christ, tempted to stick my hand in a blender or something and save on the cost of our loft conversion
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u/CityEvening 18h ago
It’s a shame, but it must be such an expensive programme. I know the tradespeople work for free, but the materials, hotels…
Much cheaper to just have Stacey Solomon tidy up houses.
It’s sad for what it did and the state of what it means.
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u/AllTheThingsSheSays 15h ago
Materials are often provided for free as well, iirc.
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u/Captaincadet 13h ago
Less so these days. They use to but recent restrictions on builders advertising has reduced how much people are willing to do
Then on top new building regulations require significantly more auditing and engineering required has made it more expensive
Further the projects are bigger which costs more and they’re been a few jobs that required remuneration work done and it’s gone from being a cheap budget show to being comparable to an episode of something like not going out
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u/Sad_Instruction1392 16h ago
Day 43 of our extensive celebrity traitors roundtable celebrity analysis discussion continues…
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u/AllTheThingsSheSays 19h ago
Not permanently - sounds like they're taking 2027 off, doing a series where they revisit past builds. Presumably it might be back in 2028.
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u/SchmingusBingus 1d ago
Whilst I expect this is a permanent scrapping, other outlets are reporting it as a one year "pause", with a spin-off revisiting past projects taking its slot instead.
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u/TomatoLess229 17h ago
Please tell me this is a joke. A great show with construction and charity, its shows the best in people in the country and is mainly volunteers, what are they thinking.
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u/Flat_Professional_55 17h ago
There’s a channel on YouTube called Flawless Cleaning which basically does the same thing.
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u/Livinum81 16h ago
I've been following the Rick story every week for a while now. Seems to have concluded last week.
Tremendously satisfying videos.
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u/Jumpy_Explanation222 13h ago
Nah, it’s the usual exaggerated bollocks for the lunatic paper.
DIY SOS to be 'rested' next year to save money, BBC says
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u/HomeworkInevitable99 1d ago
Sun headline:
"Fury as BBC AXES DIY SOS to save cash after 27 years of helping the needy".
The show has helped hundreds of families including building a £1million children’s cancer unit in 12 days
The has been anti BBC for decades.
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u/Rj-24 19h ago
Knowles was on the “The good, the bad and the rugby” podcast a couple of weeks ago and said despite the success of the show, the beeb only ever renewed one season at a time, after the current series had aired. He also said they mothballed the first series for 6 months as the Beeb thought it was shit.
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u/Pastabakeforlife 1d ago
It is time it's been one hell of a run for Nick and the crew enjoy retirement
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u/nathan123uk 1d ago
But The Apprentice is on again next year? I'm not sure exactly where the cost is with DIY SOS; sure they pay the presenters and film crew but a lot of the trades time and materials are donated.
With the ever increasing tv licence fee and fewer channels/radio stations to broadcast they should be doing quite well. Maybe stop paying radio presenters up to half a million a year instead?
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u/marcbeightsix 1d ago
They need to find 500 million of savings due to less people paying the tv licence. That involves a 10% cut in their workforce and means programmes have to be cut. They could cut all of the on air presenters and they would be nowhere near that 500 million.
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u/CFDyce 1d ago
The problem is if they don't pay them wages like this, ITV/C4/Sky/Global/Bauer will and they will all just jump ship
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u/Enyapxam 7h ago
Honestly is that a bad thing? Any penny you pay Jeremy Vine is too much tbh and there will always be someone wanting to come up behind them.
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u/Independent-Ad-3385 1d ago
Yeah it was filmed in my area last year and their producers were all over local Facebook pages begging for tradies to work for free.
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u/pajamakitten 2h ago
The Apprentice is definitely doing better than DIY SOS is though. DIY SOS costs a lot for a show that gets very little in the way of viewers.
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u/Goldman46477879 1d ago
Having to put the family up in a hotel for a few weeks possibly similar for camera crews and hosts
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u/Lord-Liberty 1d ago
With the ever increasing tv licence fee and fewer channels/radio stations to broadcast they should be doing quite well.
By all accounts they are, especially with the international IP licencing deals.
The charter is up for renewal very soon, though, and I imagine they want to appeal to the government to give them as much funding as possible.
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u/marcbeightsix 1d ago
> By all accounts they are
Based on what? Literally by all accounts the BBC is having to make huge cuts before charter renewal https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyv11lryv7ro
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u/behold-my-titties 1d ago
Tbf rn this can't work, everyone is struggling then these geezers come along wanting it for nowt.
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u/AllTheThingsSheSays 15h ago
The people this show helps aren't just struggling, they usually have a lot of problems with the house. It's often families where someone has a wheelchair or other needs, where the house isn't suitable. An episode the other week, the parents were deaf, with 3 kids, and the house had been left as a building site bc the previous builder had run away with their money. The people on this show genuinely need help.
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u/TheSmokedPotatoe 17h ago
Probably not a bad thing. BBC needs a shake up. It’s gotta do a better job of they want to tax people and stay relevant to younger generations.
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u/goldilocks369 9h ago
Interesting, BBC stopped producing DIY SOS in house about two years ago. Another production company took it on as they could do it cheaper, and BBC lost its bid to keep it. Clearly BBC just wanted rid of it in the long run... I wonder what is next to go - Countryfile, Fake or Fortune or Spring Watch?
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u/Cumulus-Crafts 8h ago
Used to have this on almost constantly in the break room when I worked in b&q - my colleagues would point out all the b&q/valspar/good home products being used as they came on screen
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u/IllAcanthopterygii36 6h ago
Hopefully a group of tv execs can get together for free and save this show. DIY SOS SOS
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u/LyingFacts 1d ago edited 1d ago
All feel good type TV in UK is dead.
It’s all just so not my type of TV these days.
One Foot In The Grave type shows replaced with shows like Bake Off watching people bake and eat cakes or I’m A Celeb in which it’s about watching ‘celeb’s’ eat animal anus and penis in a jungle.
Traitors I just don’t get either. Never have. Why would I want to watch people lie and gaslight others in such a weird dark way especially with how our world currently is….. ?
It’s a show that in 2006 would’ve been on BBC Two at 3pm.
Where is the decent people coming together and may not agree with each other but try and do ‘good’…. ? Where is that TV for me with BBC or any ‘channel’ these days?
Thank the heavens there is YouTube & streaming.
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u/GangVocals 1d ago
I'm the same in that a lot of shows on UK TV these days just isn't of interest to me. But to use Bake Off as an example of shows not being feel good anymore is absurd, it's one of the most (arguably the most) wholesome shows on TV.
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u/Suspicious_Union_224 1d ago
I wouldn't classify One Foot In The Grave as "feelgood" exactly. It had suicide, elder abuse and a miscarriage plotline in a Christmas episode, not to mention the ending. Obviously it's very funny but also quite dark in the tradition of Inside No 9 and League of Gentlemen imo.
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u/Eye-on-Springfield 1d ago
I do not understand your take on Bake Off. It's peak feel good TV. I'm over it now as it's been on for so long, but it's literally nice, normal people baking cakes. The epitome of feelgood TV!
I've never watched a full episode of The Traitors, but I can't understand why the audience is in on it. Surely it'd be more entertaining to try to work out who the traitors are? I don't know, maybe I should watch it to find out why I'm wrong
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u/LyingFacts 1d ago
Middle class people baking cakes in a tent is prime time TV….. ?
Goodness me.
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u/pajamakitten 1h ago
Clearly, it is why it gets such good views after all these years. Cooking shows have been prime time for decades. So why would Bake Off be an exception?
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u/Eye-on-Springfield 1d ago
I agree it's not prime time, but that's a different argument. Was OFITG ever prime time?
Baking, sewing, building, whittling is wholesome and feelgood. Celebrities eating kangaroo anus and bathing in maggots is probably the opposite, it's the modern day freakshow. It's more suitable for primetime, but it's tacky and tasteless
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u/sjr0754 1d ago
The Traitors would never have been a BBC Two daytime show, the format isn't suited to that timeframe. But Sort Your Life Out in Seven Days is I think what you're looking for.
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u/amaterasu_ 1d ago
One Foot In The Grave?
Didn’t know that show had actual fans I thought it was schedule padding content. Learn something new everyday j guess.
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u/LyingFacts 1d ago
Lol. Huge hit. Only Fools And Horses etc etc those shows had humour & heart. Neither of which listed above shows have.
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u/Bisjoux 1d ago
Completely agree with you. I’m watching Traitors for the first time and cannot believe they can make a programme that just revolves around people asking others if they are a traitor or a faithful ad nauseum. I don’t watch the other shows either.
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u/LyingFacts 1d ago
Blows my mind how prime time TV is celebs eating anus and penis in a jungle. Sewing. Pottery. Baking cakes in a tent and celeb’s sitting around asking “are you a faithful or traitor”.
Worst ‘prime time TV’ ever in UK imo.
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u/FBM_Warrior 9h ago
Yet they keep all the ridiculous and crap game shows
Funny were forced to pay the damn tv licence, that all goes to the BBC no matter the channels you watch the most or even pay for, we get no say in what the BBC shows
Instead of going to a subscription service they’re now looking to increase the coverage of the tv licence!!
Enough is enough bin the licence go subscription then let us decide what we want to pay for
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u/mr-atomic-bomb 21h ago
How's it got any shows at all boggles the mind it's all shite, who's watching this tripe
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u/Expensive-View-2895 1d ago
Why don’t they just axe all BBC programs
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u/spacetimebear 1d ago
Didn't your data centre get bombed?
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u/Expensive-View-2895 1d ago
I live in Wiltshire just a normal person that doesn’t watch BBC, how hard is that for you to understand.
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u/spacetimebear 1d ago
Wiltshire...jesus Yuri, did you just ask Google "if I weren't a bot a from the UK and was really British, where would I be from?"
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u/Expensive-View-2895 1d ago
123 meter spire!
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