I just read on the TiVo forum that Steve Thomas is being replaced by Kevin O'Connor, the participant of an ask TOH segment.
While I was no fan of Steve Thomas in the beginning I grew to like him. Steve was also a much more accomplished person than Bob Villa who was removed from TOH after doing commercials for Sears.

Stories here:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/html/news/newhost.html
and here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/89516p-81462c.html

That's terrible! I like Steve a lot, and didn't really need to grow accustomed to him. I liked him from the Concord Barn project onward. Where I found Bob to be pushy and a know-it-all, I liked Steve's ability to look like he was clarifying his own understanding whenever he talked to one of the supporting team members.

Anyway, I don't like that one bit. Guess I'll just have to go back and watch the Classics again.

Steve was only ever the sidekick for Norm, who is the real star of the show.

I haven't watched that for a long time - it's quite a good veg-out programme where it's fun to pick out exactly where it would go wrong it I did it

Like when they cut a piece of wood, slot it into position and only need to lightly tap it home with a mallet. If that was me it would either have a 1/4" gap or need a sledge hammer to "ease" it into place.

Gareth

I always thought Steve was a real namby-pamby, although he provided many (unintentional) laughs. I just saw this new guy yesterday doing the little host segment bits on a TOH Classics and I was like ``Who the hell is this guy?'' Now I know.

Oh, and Norm is no longer the star of the show. It's all about Tommy and Rich now. If we could only figure out some way to get rid of Roger. There was a reason that I always turned the TV off when Victory Garden used to come on after TOH.

Roger isn't too bad. He isn't featured very much on TOH, from what I've seen. Mostly ATOH.

The thing I didn't like about Bob is that he made sure that he was the "big man on site." He was the guy that explained everything, he was the guy that "did all the work," and he was always pretty full of himself.

Steve came across as a little dumb, and it was pretty funny how he never did any work, but I'd bet that Bob didn't actually do much work himself.

I agree, though. it's all about Tommy and Rich. They're just great. But Norm is still in there too.

Anyway, I'm still trying to get them to answer a question on ATOH about my parents' kitchen floor

always thought Steve was a real namby-pamby

Steve is an incredible sailor, and before this old house he wrote a book called The Last Navigator. Its his story of living on an island in micronesia and learning to navigate on the open ocean without chart, compass, sextant, etc. Pretty cool.
He then crossed the pacific sans nav aids in a boat with no engine.
Having blue-water sailed the pacific myself. This is no small feat.
Although I know what you mean. On the show he "acts" a little too dumb sometimes. But I still thought he was a good host. Way better than Bob V.

Steve is an incredible sailor

Always a prime criterion when choosing a home-improvement show host.

Steve is an incredible sailor
Always a prime criterion when choosing a home-improvement show host.

I thought that too (when he was introduced by Norm on the first episode of the barn product, he kept talking about his sailing background).

But hey, I suppose it's as good a background as vice president of a banking division

Well sailors do need to know a lot of carpentry/mechanical stuff. And need to be fairly mechanically minded. So its not that far off. I'd say he's a more qualified host than a Vice president in the Sports Finance Group at Fleet Bank.
How does lending money to sports teams qualify you for anything?
Jeez, I hope he never loaned any money to the Red Sox... Thats a losing bet.


edited by fusto

But hey, I suppose it's as good a background as vice president of a banking division

Dammit, too slow...

I didn't mean to be defending the new guy.

Yeah, I know. I was just talkin'.