From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert J. "Bob" Vila (b. June 20, 1946) is an
American
home
improvement television show host known for This Old House (1979–1989), Bob
Vila's Home Again (1990–2005), and Bob Vila
(2005–2007).
Biography
Early
life
Vila, a Cuban
American native of Miami, Florida, received a Bachelor of
Science (BSc) degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 1969. After graduating, he served as
a volunteer in the Peace
Corps, working in Panama
from 1971 to 1973.
Career
Vila was hired as the host of This Old House in 1979 after
receiving the "Heritage House of 1978" award by Better Homes and
Gardens, for his restoration of a Victorian Italianate house in Newton, Massachusetts.[1] On
This Old House, Vila appeared with master carpenter Norm Abram as they, and others, renovated
houses. In 1989 he left the show,
apparently due to a series of conflicts with This Old
House executive producer Russell Morash arising from his
involvement with outside commercial endorsements.[2] He was
replaced by Steve Thomas.
After leaving This Old House, Vila became a commercial
spokesman for Sears,
and hosted the television program Bob Vila's Home Again
which was renamed Bob Vila in 2005. The series was canceled by CBS' King World unit on May 2007
citing poor ratings.[3] Vila
has also appeared on various episodes of Tool Time, the
fictional handyman cable TV show within the situation
comedy, Home Improvement (1991-99).
Tool Time's host Tim
Taylor (played by Tim
Allen) sees him as a rival, and periodically tries to best him
in various activities, never succeeding in doing so. Vila also made
a cameo in the 1993 comedy spoof Hot
Shots! Part Deux.
Vila has written ten books, including a five-book series titled
Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America. As of 2006,
he still appears regularly on television. He can also be seen on
the Home Shopping Network, selling a
range of tools under his own brand.
Other
productions
Bob Vila's less widely known productions include Guide to
Historic Homes of America (1996), In Search of
Palladio, (1996) for A&E, and Restore America
for HGTV.
Historic Homes of
America
Guide to Historic Homes of America (1996)[4]
included two-hour segments on each of four major regions of the United States: the
Northeast, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic States,[5]
the South, the Midwest and the West.
- The Northeast
- The Mid-Atlantic States
- The South
-
-
- The Midwest and West
-
In Search
of Palladio
In Search of Palladio (1996) is a three-part, six-hour
study of the work and lasting influence of the sixteenth-century
architect Andrea
Palladio. Palladio designed various types of buildings, but the
series concentrates on his domestic architecture. (See also: Palladian Villas of the
Veneto).
- I. Villas of the Veneto
- II. The Palladians in England and Ireland
- III. The Palladian Legacy in America
Restore
America
Restore America[17]
consists of fifty one-hour segments which explore historic preservation and building
restoration in each of the fifty U.S. states. Anticipating the turn of the 3rd millennium,
it was first broadcast on HGTV between July 4, 1999 and July 4, 2000.
Bibliography
Bob Vila has written two dozen or more books, which include:
-
- Historic Homes of New England. ISBN
0-68812-493-3.
- Historic Homes of the South. ISBN 0-68812-492-5.
- Historic Homes of the Midwest and Great Plains. ISBN
0-68812-495-X.
- Historic Homes of the West. ISBN 0-68812-496-8.
- Historic Homes of the Mid-Atlantic. ISBN
0-68812-494-1.
See also
References
- ^
http://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/bob-vila-cbs-cancels-home-improvement-series/
- ^
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20117314,00.html
- ^
"A Very Special Goodbye: TV
Exits," Washington Post, April 25, 2007
- ^ a
b
c
d
Bob Vila (1996). ""Bob Vila's Guide to Historic
Homes of America."" (html). A&E Network. http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/AE/America.html.
- ^ Bob Vila. ""Bob Vila's Guide to Historic
Homes of the Mid-Atlantic."" (html). A&E Network. http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/AE/Atlantic.html.
"…some of the most magnificent architectural treasures in the
original colonies of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington
D.C."
- ^ Tylers' Travels (photograph). "Rosalie, Natchez,
Mississippi" (html). http://www.tylersterritory.com/travel/namerica/mississippi/antebellum/rosalie-01.html.
"The white picket fence is of unusual construction, in that no
nails exist in its entire structure. Rosalie is now the State
Shrine of the Mississippi Daughters of the
American Revolution."
- ^ Old And Sold Antiques Auction and Marketplace.
""John Henry Belter and His
Rosewood Furniture."" (html). http://www.oldandsold.com/articles/article348.shtml.
- ^ Natchez City Cemetery. ""Builders of antebellum
mansions."" (html). http://www.natchezcitycemetery.com/custom/webpage.cfm?content=content&id=77.
"From England came Captain Thomas Rose who gained Natchez
experience to design and build Stanton Hall in 1857."
- ^ StantonHall.com. "Stanton Hall & Longwood" (html).
http://www.stantonhall.com/. "Built for
Frederick Stanton, wealthy cotton commission broker, Stanton Hall
was completed in 1857 to the designs of Natchez architect Thomas
Rose. Longwood, the largest octagonal house remaining in America,
is a superb example of the mid-nineteenth century “villa in the
oriental style.”"
- ^ Texarkana Museums. "Ace of Clubs House." (html). http://www.texarkanamuseums.org/aceofclubshouse.htm.
"According to local legend, money to build the Ace of Clubs House
came from the winnings of a poker game won with the draw of the ace
of clubs."
- ^ Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation. ""Tor House: The Story Behind Granite Walls.""
(html). http://www.torhouse.org/history.htm.
- ^ Centro Internazionale di Studi di
Architettura Andrea Palladio. "Villa Pisani -
Montagnana" (html). http://www.cisapalladio.org/veneto/scheda.php?sezione=4&architettura=2&lingua=e.
"Francesco
Pisani, powerful and influential Venetian patrician, was the
patron and friend of artists
and letterati,
from Paolo
Veronese to Giambattista Maganza, from Alessandro
Vittoria to Palladio himself … a villa on two
floors: the upper floor for the seigniorial apartments; the lower for everyday
life, where business is conducted [with] the tenant farmers
(both city palace and country
villa)"
- ^ "Queen Square." (html). The
Bath Net. http://www.thebath.net/old/environment/queensquare/index.html.
"Queen Square was the first of John Wood's urban set-pieces, laid
out following his return to his native city in 1727 and the first
significant expansion beyond the medieval walls. Pevsner
declared the north terrace to be one of the finest Palladian
compositions in England before 1730."
- ^ Charles T. Lyle. ""A Brief History of Boscobel: A House Museum of the
Federal Period."" (html). boscobel.org. http://www.boscobel.org/history.html.
- ^ Thomas Gordon Smith. "Vitruvian House.". http://www.thomasgordonsmitharchitects.com/Residence/Vitruvian_House/Vitruv_MFrame.html.
- ^ Duncan G. Stroik. "Villa Indiana.". http://stroik.com/portfolio/villaindiana.php.
"In his innovative designs Palladio created a new type by combining
the summer house or castello with vernacular farm buildings
and by wedding them architecturally to the agricultural
landscape."
- ^ Bob Vila (July 4, 1999 through July 4, 2000). ""Restore America With Bob
Vila."" (html). HGTV (includes detailed descriptions of
one-hour segments for each of the fifty U.S. states).
http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/HGTV/RestoreAmerica.html.
"In celebration of the 3rd millennium, Bob Vila led viewers on
an enlightening, year long, 50-state tour of hundreds of historic homes,
public buildings, gardens and neighborhoods across America. Vila
explored the nation's flourishing restoration boom, celebrating the
people working to preserve the best of this
country's rich culture, heritage and history as host of HGTV's "Restore America."
HGTV periodically rebroadcasts this programming."
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