Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker - General Discussion

[TVbitch]

Mel Giedroyc hosts as talented, good-with-wood craftspeople compete to be crowned Britain's best woodworker.

Edited September 26, 2022 by TVbitch

[TVbitch]

Loved the winning table. Some interesting contestants, and I'm looking forward to the season. Mel makes a great host and the judges seem to be on point. 

The guy who made the low table was lucky he had immunity. How on earth would that be functional? Glasses set on that table would be toppling into those recesses in no time!

[Aulty]

My father is a professional furniture maker and has his own business so this a bit more relateable to me than the jewellery show. As impressive as the big structures are, sometimes (I watched the first season too) I wonder if it would be more appropriate to see them do something like apprentice pieces, which are smaller or miniature versions of furniture with a focus on proper joins or other techniques. Or some upcycling like they do on Money for Nothing. I think that would be a realistic for a DIY wood worker to do.

I don't know how I feel about giving them immunity in the short challenge. Last season too there were a couple of people sent home because others with a worse built had immunity.

Tom Dyckhoff, for those who remember this show, was the presenter on the OG Great Interior Design Challenge with Daniel Hopwood and Sophie Robinson (I miss that show)

They get to work with some nice woods on that show

Edited September 27, 2022 by Aulty

[TVbitch]

Aha! That's where I remember Tom from! I loved the original Great Interior Design Challenge. I was so mad when they replaced Sophie with the curly haired gal. 

Maybe they should just win extra time or a dedicated assistant in the skills challenge. 

[TVbitch]

Wow, seems like everyone on this show has sex on the brain! 😳

Drat. Looks like COVID strikes this show, too. I can't remember who Callum was. Does anyone remember which table he made? 

[EtheltoTillie]

Is this available in the US?

[TVbitch]

I sent you a PM, @EtheltoTillie.

I think the only toys that really impressed me were the mini wood shop and the ferris wheel. Those were so well done. The scooter looked really cool, but you have to be able to turn! Oh, and the sea horse was cute. 

[Aulty]

15 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

I sent you a PM, @EtheltoTillie.

I think the only toys that really impressed me were the mini wood shop and the ferris wheel. Those were so well done. The scooter looked really cool, but you have to be able to turn! Oh, and the sea horse was cute. 

Agree! Also, is it just me who didn't understand the point of that time machine? After a couple of days that is just a wooden box with some dials on top.

Both, the potion cabinet and ice cream cart, as a concept, seemed more like sturdy things for a kindergarden or day care centre (I say that as someone who had a wooden play kitchen). The Ferris wheel is more decorative storage than toy, a cute thing for soft toys instead of prams or miniature chairs.

[TVbitch]

Wow, the two guys are the ones to beat. Both of their daybeds were gorgeous. Um, none of those etchings of Mel deserved immunity! 😬

[Aulty]

This is going to sound really mean, but ... if Ashley was the first reserve, then the pickings for contestants for this show must be really slim. She had one decent week - the daybed week - but besides that and for someone who trained in wood working, she is lucky to still be in this competition. The skills might be there, but on creativity the others are way ahead of her, even the ever over-complicating Tanya.
She was so so lucky she won that annoying immunity challenge.

Jacob, Lauren and Russel sure look like the front runners at the moment.

I am not mad keen on this huge sculpture challenge and wouldn't be mad if the scaled that down to a more manageable size where they don't have to spend the bulk of the time removing a solid cube metre of wood first.

[TVbitch]

Yeah, this was a bad week. The challenge was not right for the time constraint, and it was not fun watching them chip away at wood for 20 minutes. I have to think this is coming down to either Jacob or Russel winning. 

I don't mind the skills challenge, but if you are giving away immunity, it should be something that is relevant to them as woodworkers, not using some ancient piece of equipment or having to etch a picture of Mel, which means it will basically go to whomever gets lucky that week. 

By the @Aulty, I made a forum for Big Blow Out.

[Aulty]

Oh Ashley, you lucky ducky.
Russell obviously overthought that whole brief. If you make a chair even 2 people are struggling to lift, it should be back to the drawing board immediately. Its like that lass last year who wanted to make a bed entirely out of railway sleepers. Mad, that.
But, like with many other similar shows *cough*ProjectRunway*cough* its the conundrum whether its design or execution that should count more. That rocking chair was one of those things that surely looked nice on a 3D CAD drawing but just doesn't work IRL.

Well deserved double Whammy for Lauren. I think she and Jacob really stand out on design and skills.

[TVbitch]

I am totally aghast that freaking Ashley is going to be in the semi-finals! On no planet does she deserve to be there. And I am so annoyed at Russell for totally blowing this challenge. He could have made something ANYTHING remotely functional and they probably would have put him through over Ashley. ARGH!!!! 

The circular chair was awesome. Lauren is coming on strong at the post, but I still hope Jacob pulls it out! 

[Aulty]

It surely was very close between Chloe and Ashley. I've had quite a rant Ashley but tbh I also can't recall any of Chloe's pieces. She seems to always have very ambitious, sinuous ideas that she then needs to compromise on. I preferred Ashley's desk this week.
But I still it doesn't really matter whether Ashley or Chloe are in the final, because for my money the win will be between Lauren and Jacob. And even Jacob will have to come up with a really neat design to be in with a chance.

[TVbitch]

I am rooting for Jacob. But if Lauren takes it, she will be a worthy winner. To be totally honest, I sort of forgot Chloe existed! 

[Aulty]

Well done, Lauren.
Shame they all struggled a bit with the final task.
I didn't catch that Chloe wasn't was woodworker but an art student before, but that explains a lot. She just doesn't have the skills (yet) to create her ambitious designs in the allowed time frame.

The contestants had good chemistry this season. Especially Russell. In some of the mini challenges they looked like a bunch of overexcited school children.

[TVbitch]

I was rooting for Jacob to do something great, but in the end, Lauren won it fair and square. I was a bit disappointed with all the bars, to be honest. I was trying to think what might be a more exciting finale project for next season. The show definitely dipped once Russell left. He was very charming and playful. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by TVbitch

[RealityCheck]

The new season of HANDMADE: Britain's Best Woodworker is anticipated to premiere October 2023 on Channel 4 UK.

Quote

The eight-part series was filmed in rural Wales earlier this year and is expected to arrive on Channel 4 in October 2023.

Yah!

[RealityCheck]

The new season of HANDMADE: BRITAIN'S BEST WOODWORKER begins airing on Sunday October 8, 2023 at 8PM on Channel 4 UK.

Quote

The new woodworkers’ first challenge is to saw, turn and joint their way to producing a dining table inspired by a country of their choice.

[TVbitch]

Enjoying the new season, but the woman who teaches woodworking would drive me nuts if she was my instructor! 😁

[TVbitch]

Nooooooo!!! Leo should have outlasted Clare and Jen. It's been my fear someone otherwise undeserving would win immunity and knock out one of my favs. Such a lovely guy. If they outlast Wolfgang and the young guy, I will be equally annoyed! 

[jpgr]

Awwww I like Clare. Leo was nice but I think he was the right choice to go. I tend to like Jen's designs but she is a bit annoying. I agree that Wolfgang and Nathaniel should make it to the end.

[TVbitch]

I can't believe Jen made it to the finale! I think the talent pool was a bit weaker this season. So many rough builds. Wish the one older guy with one arm had made it through, but people who had terrible builds kept winning the quick challenge. One of the gents better win! 

Edited November 28, 2023 by TVbitch

[TVbitch]

Happy with the winner. Jen's was so over-scale, it would only work in the Jolly Green Giants house! I was laughing as the judges stood around it, cuz it made them look like miniature people. 

[RealityCheck]

HANDMADE: Britain's Best Woodworker will not be returning for a third series, with the door open for Channel 4 to return to the show in the future.

Although I enjoyed the show, I wondered what they did with the finished products.  Trees gave their life for the show and many of the creations were unstable or poorly finished.

[MagicEyes]

I'm watching this now. It's free on Tubi! 😊

I'm a few episodes into the third season, and I'm disappointed that Jen hasn't been sent home yet. I really like how Caroline uses natural wood shapes, and I would love to have a house full of her furniture. I also want to see her house, because I'm sure it's amazing! Wolfgang is too good, and I'm not sure anyone else really has a chance with him around.