The New Yankee Workshop is an American half-hour woodworking television series produced by WGBH Boston, which aired on PBS. Created in 1989 by Russell Morash, the program was hosted by Norm Abram, a regular fixture on Morash's television series This Old House.
| The New Yankee Workshop | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Russell Morash |
| Presented by | Norm Abram |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 21 |
| No. of episodes | 284 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | WGBH-TV Morash Associates |
| Original release | |
| Network | PBS |
| Release | January 7, 1989 – October 16, 2009 |
Overview
editThe New Yankee Workshop featured the construction of woodworking projects, including workshop accessories, architectural details and furniture projects ranging from simple pieces to complex, high-quality reproductions of antique classic furniture. In the course of 21 seasons, approximately 235 projects were produced. In addition to furniture and cabinets, the show also focused on outdoor projects such as the building of a gazebo, shed, greenhouse, sailing boat, flag pole, mail box, cupola, and fences. At the start of many episodes, Norm Abram travels to historic landmarks or notable locations that relate to the subject project.
Theme song
editThe New Yankee Workshop theme song is a fast-paced guitar tune with a harmonica sound. It was composed in 1988 by Peter Bell and David Mash of Musictech Productions.
Set design
editThe New Yankee Workshop was produced in a shop located on Norm Abram's property, but viewers were led to believe that the shop was in Russell Morash's backyard. The New Yankee Workshop began taping its first season in 1988, a year before it debuted in 1989. In 1988, "This Old House" celebrated its 10th anniversary, with Bob Vila as the host for his 10th and final season. Bob Vila was the host of This Old House from 1979 to 1989. During his tenure, he hosted 236 half-hour episodes for 10 seasons. The New Yankee Workshop Season 1 was taped in 1988. At that time, the workshop did not have a sliding barn door. Norm Abram built the sliding barn door so that the shop could be opened and closed each day. The sliding workshop barn door remained in place for 21 seasons. The New Yankee Workshop logo is a wooden sign that was carved by our friends in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The sign is a symbol of the show, and a reminder of the show's commitment to woodworking and craftsmanship. The sign shows Norm Abram working on a table saw, and the show's name is spelled out in Copperplate Gothic font, which is the same font we used to announce the show.
The New Yankee Workshop is 936 square feet in size. The famous sliding barn door faces west, and along the west wall is the "back bench" and drill press. Along the south wall of the New Yankee Workshop is a miter bench, a storage unit, and a radial arm saw. There is also a computer, a TV, and a small office area, although they are not seen in the episodes. The New Yankee Workshop is a woodshop located in New Hampshire. The east wall of the shop has a staircase leading to a loft area. The loft area contains storage for jigs, a horizontal edge sander, and a dust collector. The north wall of the shop contains storage for sheet goods, a router table, bar clamps, a wide belt sander, a planer, a jointer, a band saw, and various mobile tools. The center area of the shop is dominated by the table saw and its outfeed tables, along with a large assembly table. The shop also has a separate finishing room in the northeast section of the building.
Cancellation
editOn October 16, 2009, WGBH Boston announced that no further episodes of New Yankee Workshop would be produced.[1] In remarking on the end of the show, Abram stated, "We've had a great run, built challenging projects, met wonderful woodworkers and received loyal support from millions of viewers." Abram later claimed that the entire duration of the show was fully funded through underwriting and could have kept going, but he decided he had accomplished everything he wanted to do and wanted to spend more time with his family.[2]
Until September 5, 2022, episodes of The New Yankee Workshop were available to stream on NewYankee.com and through the This Old House Insider subscription service. Project plan PDFs were also available with the Insider subscription. It was announced that the license agreement between Morash Assoc., Inc. WGBH Educational Foundation, Linnor, Inc. and This Old House Ventures, LLC (parent company Roku, Inc.) had expired and episodes would no longer be available through This Old House.[3]
On January 13, 2023, the New Yankee Workshop YouTube channel posted a video of Russell Morash announcing the availability of episodes on YouTube. After giving a tour of the New Yankee Workshop Morash ended the video by stating, "We are thrilled to know that YouTube is now showing The New Yankee episodes to a whole new generation of people who may have somehow missed out the first time it was around, and now they're available anytime you tune to YouTube and want to watch a feast of woodworking. It's all there and it's all for you to enjoy and I certainly hope you do."[4]
Award nominations
edit- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show, Russell Morash (1997, 1998, 2000)
- Daytime Emmy Award for Single Camera Editing, Gary Stephenson (1999)
Episodes
editOver the course of its 21 seasons, at least 235 projects were built on New Yankee Workshop.
Season 1 (1989)
edit- The closing credits for the first 8 seasons of "The New Yankee Workshop" featured an exterior shot of the workshop with a sign in it. As we see Norm Abram closing the workshop door, he is getting ready to go home and have dinner with his family.
- "The New Yankee Workshop" projects began releasing on home video in 1989. The first toll-free phone number was "1-800-843-0048." Each home video includes a measured drawing with all the dimensions you need to build your project. The price of a home video is $24.95 plus shipping and handling.
- In some early episodes of this season, a dog can be seen running away while Norm is putting his tools away. The dog is visible because the workshop door is already open. When Norm is finished for the day, he puts his tools away, moves the table and corner cupboard out of the way, and closes the workshop door. This is his routine for the rest of the season.
Season 2 (1990)
editSeason 3 (1991)
edit- The New Yankee Workshop projects are still released on home video. At the start of the season, the toll-free number was changed to "1-800-272-0280". The home videos include a measured drawing and a materials list with all of the dimensions you need to build your project.
Season 4 (1992)
edit- "The New Yankee Workshop" continued to release their projects on VHS at the start of the season. However, this time their phone number was changed to "1-800-892-0110".
Season 5 (1993)
editSeason 6 (1994)
edit- This was the last season to use the News Plantin credits font, which had been used since the first season.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Prod. code | Project Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 1 | "Easel" | January 1, 1994 | 601 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/easel/ |
| 67 | 2 | "Doll House" | January 8, 1994 | 602 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/doll-house/ |
| 68 | 3 | "Toy Chest" | January 15, 1994 | 603 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/toy-chest/ |
| 69 | 4 | "Cradle" | January 22, 1994 | 604 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/cradle/ |
| 70 | 5 | "Trundle Bed" | January 29, 1994 | 605 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/trundle-bed/ |
| 71 | 6 | "Marble Roll" | February 5, 1994 | 606 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/marble-roll/ |
| 72 | 7 | "Storage Units: Bureau/Cupboard and Bookcase" | February 12, 1994 | 607 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/storage-units-bureau-cupboard-and-bookcase/ |
| 73 | 8 | "Student's Desk" | February 19, 1994 | 608 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/students-desk/ |
| 74 | 9 | "Rocking Chair" | February 26, 1994 | 609 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/rocking-chair/ |
| 75 | 10 | "Alphabet Wagon" | February 5, 1994 | 610 | No Project Page |
| 76 | 11 | "High Chair" | March 12, 1994 | 611 | No Project Page |
| 77 | 12 | "Playhouse (Part 1)" | March 19, 1994 | 612 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/playhouse/ |
| 78 | 13 | "Playhouse (Part 2)" | March 26, 1994 | 613 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/playhouse/ |
Season 7 (1995)
edit- Beginning with this season, the end credits of "The New Yankee Workshop" are shown in a Copperplate font. This is the same font that is used in the show's logo.
Season 8 (1996)
edit- This season, Norm Abram is being credited as master carpenter in the closing credits. He is a master carpenter, and his work is featured in the show.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | Prod. code | Project Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 1 | "Bedside Cupboard" | January 6, 1996 | 801 | No Project Page |
| 93 | 2 | "Chestnut Coffee Table" | January 13, 1996 | 802 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/chestnut-coffee-table/ |
| 94 | 3 | "Paymaster's Desk" | January 20, 1996 | 803 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/paymasters-desk/ |
| 95 | 4 | "Long Table" | January 27, 1996 | 804 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/long-table/ |
| 96 | 5 | "Double Dresser" | February 3, 1996 | 805 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/double-dresser/ |
| 97 | 6 | "Chestnut Desk" | February 10, 1996 | 806 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/chestnut-desk/ |
| 98 | 7 | "Irish Hutch" | February 17, 1996 | 807 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/irish-hutch/ |
| 99 | 8 | "Wine Storage Unit" | February 24, 1996 | 808 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/wine-storage-unit/ |
| 100 | 9 | "Three Turned Table Lamps" | March 2, 1996 | 809 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/three-turned-table-lamps/ |
| 101 | 10 | "Garden Shed and Recycling Center (Part 1)" | March 9, 1996 | 810 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/garden-shed-and-recycling-center/ |
| 102 | 11 | "Garden Shed and Recycling Center (Part 2)" | March 16, 1996 | 811 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/garden-shed-and-recycling-center/ |
| 103 | 12 | "Nest of Drawers" | March 23, 1996 | 812 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/nest-of-drawers/ |
| 104 | 13 | "Router Table" | March 30, 1996 | 813 | No Project Page |
Season 9 (1997)
edit- The New Yankee Workshop introduced a new closing sequence starting with this season. It begins with an exterior shot of the workshop. Then, Norm Abram opens the workshop door and walks out to get some fresh air. Finally, he walks back into the shop. This closing sequence was also used for reruns of older episodes on HGTV.
Season 10 (1998)
editSeason 10 introduced a new episode numbering system. Previous seasons had been numbered in three digit format using the season number (1-9) as the first digit, and the episode number making up the last two digits. So, for example, the third episode of the 4th season would be episode number 403. Starting with this season, episode numbers consisted of four digits with the first two digits representing the last two digits of the year in which the season first aired and the last two digits representing the episode number within that season. So, the fourth episode of the 10th season, having first aired in 1998, would be episode number 9804.
Season 11 (1999)
editSeason 12 (2000)
editSeason 13 (2001)
editSeason 14 (2002)
editSeason 15 (2003)
editSeason 16 (2004)
editSeason 17 (2005)
editSeason 18 (2006)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Notes | Prod. code | Project Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222 | 1 | "Colonial Style Mantel" | TBA | 0601 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/colonial-style-mantel/ |
| 223 | 2 | "Plantation Shutters" | TBA | 0602 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/plantation-shutters/ |
| 224 | 3 | "Workshop Helpers" | TBA | 0603 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/workshop-helpers/ |
| 225 | 4 | "Poker Table" | TBA | 0604 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/poker-table/ |
| 226 | 5 | "New Yankee Shop Clock" | TBA | 0605 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/new-yankee-shop-clock/ |
| 227 | 6 | "Router 101 (Part 1)" | Continuation of a series of tool-specific episodes that provide instruction and techniques for using a particular shop tool. | 0606 | No Project Page |
| 228 | 7 | "Router 101 (Part 2)" | TBA | 0607 | No Project Page |
| 229 | 8 | "Corner Table" | TBA | 0608 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/corner-table/ |
| 230 | 9 | "Greek Revival Bookcase" | TBA | 0609 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/greek-revival-bookcase/ |
| 231 | 10 | "Storage Shed" | TBA | 0610 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/storage-shed/ |
| 232 | 11 | "Wall Hung Console" | TBA | 0611 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/wall-hung-console/ |
| 233 | 12 | "Corner Chair" | TBA | 0612 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/corner-chair/ |
| 234 | 13 | "Wall Paneling" | TBA | 0613 | https://www.newyankee.com/product/wall-paneling/ |
Season 19 (2007)
editSeason 20 (2008)
editSeason 20 varied slightly in format from previous seasons in that the first nine episodes were devoted to a single, larger project. This project involved a kitchen remodeling and focused on cabinet construction. The kitchen being remodeled belongs to Morash. Season 20 also represented the last season in which original projects were constructed for the show.
Season 21 (2009)
editSeason 21 stood out from other seasons in that it had approximately twice the number of episodes of any previous season. The season also varied from previous seasons in that no new projects were built. Instead each episode rebroadcast a project built in a previous season. All of the rebroadcast episodes were from either the ninth or tenth season. Each "new" episode consisted of the original episode prefaced by a newly recorded introduction by Abram.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Notes | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 261 | 1 | "Planter's Desk" | Original episode #901. | 0901 |
| 262 | 2 | "Turkey Table" | Original episode #902. | 0902 |
| 263 | 3 | "Nantucket Settle" | Original episode #903. | 0903 |
| 264 | 4 | "Tiger Maple Washstand" | Original episode #904. | 0904 |
| 265 | 5 | "Dough Box" | Original episode #905. | 0905 |
| 266 | 6 | "Garden Gate" | Original episode #906. | 0906 |
| 267 | 7 | "Serving Trays" | Original episode #907. | 0907 |
| 268 | 8 | "Carousel Table" | Original episode #908. | 0908 |
| 269 | 9 | "Seven Drawer Chest" | Original episode #909. | 0909 |
| 270 | 10 | "Hat Rack" | Original episode #910. | 0910 |
| 271 | 11 | "Greenhouse (Part 1)" | Original episodes #911/#912. | 0911 |
| 272 | 12 | "Greenhouse (Part 2)" | Original episodes #911/#912. | 0912 |
| 273 | 13 | "Fireplace Mantle" | Original episode #913. | 0913 |
| 274 | 14 | "Irish Table" | Original episode #9801. | 0914 |
| 275 | 15 | "Linen Press" | Original episode #9802. | 0915 |
| 276 | 16 | "Walnut Table" | Original episode #9803. | 0916 |
| 277 | 17 | "Library Ladder" | Original episode #9804. | 0917 |
| 278 | 18 | "Old Pine Bar" | Original episode #9805. | 0918 |
| 279 | 19 | "Morris Chair" | Original episode #9806. | 0919 |
| 280 | 20 | "Cupola" | Original episode #9807. | 0920 |
| 281 | 21 | "Mesquite Bookcase" | Original episode #9808. | 0921 |
| 282 | 22 | "Chop Saw Station" | Original episode #9809. | 0922 |
| 283 | 23 | "Whirligig" | Original episode #9810. | 0923 |
| 284 | 24 | "Chaise Lounge" | Original episode #9811. | 0924 |
| 285 | 25 | "Roll Top Desk (Part 1)" | Original episodes #9812/#9813. | 0925 |
| 286 | 26 | "Roll Top Desk (Part 2)" | Original episodes #9812/#9813. | 0926 |
References
edit- ^ Potter, Tony. "Norm Abram Closes 'Yankee Workshop' - Roger Catlin | TV Eye". Blogs.courant.com. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
- ^ "Festool Connect 2013 - Norm Abram". youtube.com. 2013-03-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
- ^ "Important Update: New Yankee Workshop". This Old House. 1 September 2022. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ "A Message from Russ". YouTube. 13 January 2023.
External links
edit- The New Yankee Workshop Official Web site which includes project information, videos, and measured drawings. Viewers can also upload photographs of their own version of their favorite New Yankee projects under the Community section.
- The New Yankee Workshop Official YouTube channel featuring all of the episodes and recent updates from Russell Morash, show creator, producer, and director.
- The New Yankee Workshop at IMDb
- A Norm Abram Fan Site features documentation of tools used in the series and a comprehensive program guide
- TV.com Information about the show; includes Original Air Date and project dimensions.