DIY Network and This Old House Ventures are developing This New House, a home-improvement series planned for the third quarter of 2010, featuring Kevin O'Connor from This Old House on PBS and DIY's Amy Matthews.
Produced by Bruce Irving, former executive producer of nationally distributed This Old House, the 13-episode program will explore new approaches, developing technologies and materials in residential construction and how they are affecting homeowners' renovation choices and shaping the future of the $272-billion home improvement and homebuilding industries.
Scripps Networks-owned DIY will promote the primetime series (now in production) via on-air and off-channel marketing, and online promotion on its Web site DIYNetwork.com. This Old House Ventures will promote it in This Old House episodes, on ThisOldHouse.com and in the This Old House magazine and e-newsletter.
Matthews (pictured r.) hosts series including Sweat Equity and Blog Cabin on DIYand is a licensed contractor.
This is a second spinoff of This Old House, which started on PBS in 1979 (hosted then by Bob Vila) and is the highest-rated home-improvement series in TV history. In 2002 it spawned a second show, Ask This Old House.
DIY general manager Kathleen Finch said in a release: "We are thrilled to be partnering with This Old House on what is sure to be the definitive destination for news and information about the newest and most talked-about products in the world of home improvement and building. As leaders in the do-it-yourself category, it is our job to raise our own bar by developing the kind of destination programming our viewers have come to expect. We are proud to be able to bridge the gap between old and new by joining forces with one of America's most trusted and recognized television brands."
