Bob Vila Climbs Back Up Television’s Ladder

NEW YORK —  Bob Vila got kicked out of the “House” and decided to go “Home.”

For 10 years, Vila was host of “This Old House,” the highest-rated show on public television, teaching viewers home renovation and remodeling techniques. Then he was fired for making too many commercials.

This fall, he’ll be back on the job--on commercial TV.

“The new show is aptly named ‘Home Again’ because, in many ways, it puts me back on TV where I started 10, 11 years ago,” Vila said from BVTV, his production company in Massachusetts. “I’m doing construction and remodeling stories that are relevant to the remodeling homeowner and home builder.”

That wasn’t the case on the Emmy Award-winning “This Old House,” which spared no expense when it undertook costly renovation projects, he said.

With 15 million viewers, “This Old House” made Vila a celebrity among do-it-yourselfers. He cashed in with a string of TV commercials for Time-Life Books and various home improvement products.

That grated on his show’s corporate underwriters and on Boston’s WGBH-TV, which produced the show. The underwriters saw Vila speaking for the competition. WGBH said Vila was hurting public TV’s image.

To put it kindly, he was nailed.

“It was tough for me for three months,” said Vila, who found a new sponsor in Sears, Roebuck and Co.

“Home Again,” syndicated by Group W, will air starting in September in 85% of the country, including on network affiliate stations in 24 of the top 25 television markets.

“As far as public television is concerned, I gave them 10 great years of my life,” Vila said. “I feel like I’ve done my duty for public TV.”