WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.520 OK, so let's unpack this. We are about to look 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:07.620 at a television show today that. Well, on paper, 00:00:07.700 --> 00:00:09.980 it sounds like the most polite, standard piece 00:00:09.980 --> 00:00:12.460 of broadcasting history imaginable. Oh, absolutely. 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:15.279 It sounds incredibly dry at first glance. Right. 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:18.339 It's an early 1980s Canadian home improvement 00:00:18.339 --> 00:00:22.239 series. But once you actually dig into the production 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:25.100 notes, the broadcast history and just the sheer 00:00:25.100 --> 00:00:27.640 volume of work involved here. That's where it 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:29.780 gets wild. It really gets interesting. We aren't 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:31.760 just talking about a TV show. We are talking 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:34.579 about a content factory that was operating at 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:37.549 a speed that would honestly. break most YouTubers 00:00:37.549 --> 00:00:40.869 today. It is a fascinating case study. It's industrial 00:00:40.869 --> 00:00:43.689 efficiency disguised as a cozy daytime hobby 00:00:43.689 --> 00:00:45.450 show. Yeah. We are looking at a series called 00:00:45.450 --> 00:00:47.549 Do It For Yourself. And while the title sounds 00:00:47.549 --> 00:00:51.049 totally generic to modern ears, the story behind 00:00:51.049 --> 00:00:53.570 it is an absolute anomaly. Totally. Because we 00:00:53.570 --> 00:00:55.030 have the production notes, we have broadcast 00:00:55.030 --> 00:00:57.590 dates, and the publication records for this deep 00:00:57.590 --> 00:01:00.469 dive. And they paint a picture of a small production 00:01:00.469 --> 00:01:03.090 in Britannia, Ontario that managed to flood the 00:01:03.090 --> 00:01:04.909 market with content. And cross international 00:01:04.909 --> 00:01:08.030 borders. Exactly. In a way that just didn't happen 00:01:08.030 --> 00:01:11.090 for Canadian daytime TV in 1982. No, it did not. 00:01:11.709 --> 00:01:14.650 And look, we have to talk about the cast list 00:01:14.650 --> 00:01:16.170 right up front. I knew you were going to bring 00:01:16.170 --> 00:01:17.969 this up. I mean, I have to. We are going to get 00:01:17.969 --> 00:01:20.090 to the serious industry analysis, I promise you. 00:01:20.549 --> 00:01:23.549 But when I opened the source material for this 00:01:23.549 --> 00:01:26.920 deep dive and saw the credits. I literally had 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:29.400 to double check my glasses. It is a unique cast 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:31.200 list. You have the host, you have the experts, 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.540 and then you have specific build credits for 00:01:33.540 --> 00:01:35.640 puppy number one and puppy number two. It's a 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:39.000 detail that definitely catches the eye. But before 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:42.209 we get to the puppies, Zeke and Hoover. We need 00:01:42.209 --> 00:01:44.230 to set the stage for you. Fair enough. Because 00:01:44.230 --> 00:01:46.750 to understand why a show with build puppies actually 00:01:46.750 --> 00:01:49.409 matters, you have to understand the media landscape 00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:52.250 it was born into. Right. So the mission for this 00:01:52.250 --> 00:01:54.450 deep dive is to figure out how this show, Do 00:01:54.450 --> 00:01:57.209 It For Yourself, went from a plumbing disaster 00:01:57.209 --> 00:02:02.689 to producing a staggering 278 episodes in barely 00:02:02.689 --> 00:02:05.099 over a year. And then ended up airing across 00:02:05.099 --> 00:02:07.540 the United States on networks that usually have 00:02:07.540 --> 00:02:09.400 nothing to do with each other. It's basically 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:11.479 a look at the gold rush era of instructional 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:15.020 television. It really is. This is the exact moment 00:02:15.020 --> 00:02:17.659 when producers realized that television could 00:02:17.659 --> 00:02:19.879 be more than just entertainment. It could be 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.639 a utility. So let's just jump in. The show is 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:25.259 Do It For Yourself. It premieres on the CBC, 00:02:25.460 --> 00:02:27.759 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, on September 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:32.360 13, 1982. A very specific era. Yeah. And the 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:34.400 face of the operation was a woman named Mary 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:36.460 Bellows. Now, usually when we look at these old 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:39.620 shows, the host is some polished broadcaster 00:02:39.620 --> 00:02:42.860 or retired contractor. What's Mary's deal? Well, 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:45.300 Mary Bellows is the anchor, but she represents 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:48.599 something very specific for that time. In 1982, 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:51.960 the barrier to entry for home improvement was 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:54.319 incredibly high. Oh, completely. If you had a 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:56.520 leaky faucet or wanted to build a planter box, 00:02:56.840 --> 00:02:59.340 you were at the mercy of information scarcity. 00:02:59.960 --> 00:03:01.819 You couldn't just pull up a tutorial on your 00:03:01.819 --> 00:03:03.800 phone in the hardware store aisle. Right. You 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:06.000 couldn't just Google it. Exactly. You had to 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:08.240 buy a book, which might be too technical, or 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:09.979 you had to know a guy. You were basically computing 00:03:09.979 --> 00:03:12.300 with your own ignorance. If you didn't know the 00:03:12.300 --> 00:03:14.620 exact term for a specific washer, you were just 00:03:14.620 --> 00:03:18.219 stuck. Precisely. And Mary Bellows stepped into 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:21.319 that gap as a proxy for the audience. And the 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:25.080 origin story of the show is critical here. There's 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.159 a reference in the source material from 1985 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:33.219 that headlines, See, I love that headline. But 00:03:33.219 --> 00:03:35.219 I have to ask, is that just good marketing? You 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:37.659 know, like, oh, I had a leak, so I got a TV show. 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.219 Or is there something more to it? I think there 00:03:40.219 --> 00:03:41.960 is more to it. Because plenty of people have 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.080 leaky pipes, and they don't usually get a 278 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.639 -episode contract out of it. That's the key distinction. 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:51.020 The disaster was the catalyst. It wasn't just 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:54.020 the pitch. The production notes imply that this 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:57.300 disaster revealed a massive market gap. Okay. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:59.879 Mary likely realized that if she is an intelligent, 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.400 capable person was completely baffled by a simple 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.419 plumbing issue, then half the country probably 00:04:04.419 --> 00:04:06.960 was, too. Right. The disaster validated the need 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:10.060 for a curriculum. Yes. It wasn't about high end 00:04:10.060 --> 00:04:12.680 architecture or aspirational dream homes. It 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:14.800 was about the sheer panic of water on the floor. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:17.459 Which really grounds the show in reality. It's 00:04:17.459 --> 00:04:20.360 crisis management for the suburbs. But Mary wasn't 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:22.819 doing this alone. She had a support team that 00:04:22.819 --> 00:04:26.459 I find, frankly, fascinating. The experts. You 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:28.560 can't have a host just guessing how to wire a 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:31.660 lamp. No, you definitely need authority. So looking 00:04:31.660 --> 00:04:34.160 at the cast list, we have Mary Bellows. Then 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:36.600 we have the plant experts. We have John Reeves 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:39.220 and Ken Reeves. Both credited as plant experts. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.220 Right. It's a very interesting dynamic. The source 00:04:42.220 --> 00:04:44.720 material doesn't explicitly state their relationship. 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:47.680 No, it doesn't. Are they brothers, father and 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:50.500 son? Or is Reeves just the most common name in 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:53.259 Britannia, Ontario? Well, the records are silent 00:04:53.259 --> 00:04:56.819 on the genealogy, but... Given the location Britannia 00:04:56.819 --> 00:04:59.480 is a close -knit community, it is highly probable 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:01.500 they were related. That makes sense. But consider 00:05:01.500 --> 00:05:03.819 the branding effect of that ambiguity. It feels 00:05:03.819 --> 00:05:06.480 like a family business. It's not some corporate 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.019 plant specialist entity. It's the Reeves boys. 00:05:09.379 --> 00:05:12.079 Exactly. It implies a multi -generational transfer 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.660 of knowledge, which is exactly what the audience 00:05:14.660 --> 00:05:17.240 was lacking in 1982. It builds trust right away. 00:05:17.379 --> 00:05:20.000 If the Reeves family says this fern needs shade, 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.209 you just believe them. Correct. Trust is the 00:05:23.209 --> 00:05:26.449 absolute currency of instructional TV. If the 00:05:26.449 --> 00:05:29.889 advice fails, the viewer tunes out forever. But 00:05:29.889 --> 00:05:31.769 you also need to keep them watching through the 00:05:31.769 --> 00:05:34.810 dry parts. Which brings us back to my favorite 00:05:34.810 --> 00:05:38.029 cast members. The puppies? Yes. Zeke Puppy No. 00:05:38.110 --> 00:05:40.889 1 and Hoover Puppy No. 2. Now why do you think 00:05:40.889 --> 00:05:43.730 a show about drywall and gardening needs two 00:05:43.730 --> 00:05:46.379 credited dogs? Well, initially I just thought 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:48.879 it was cute, but looking at the production volume, 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.519 is it a pacing trick? It's a brilliant piece 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.980 of production utility. Think about the subject 00:05:53.980 --> 00:05:55.959 matter. Watching someone sand a cabinet for 10 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:58.779 minutes is clinically boring. It's terrible television. 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:01.899 It is, but you can't skip the sanding or the 00:06:01.899 --> 00:06:04.139 viewer won't learn the process. So how do you 00:06:04.139 --> 00:06:06.540 reset the viewer's attention span without cutting 00:06:06.540 --> 00:06:08.379 away to a commercial every two minutes? You cut 00:06:08.379 --> 00:06:11.399 to the dog. Exactly. You cut to Hoover chewing 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:14.259 on a stick or Zeke sleeping in a pile of sawdust. 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:16.579 It's a palate cleanser for the brain. That is 00:06:16.579 --> 00:06:19.120 so smart. It softens the technical delivery. 00:06:19.259 --> 00:06:21.500 It turns a lecture into a hangout. It's like 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:25.019 the 1980s version of those oddly satisfying videos 00:06:25.019 --> 00:06:27.220 on social media. It just keeps you looking at 00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:30.620 the screen. Plus, the name Hoover is just a great 00:06:30.620 --> 00:06:33.779 name for a dog on a cleaning or DIY show. It 00:06:33.779 --> 00:06:36.680 creates a universe. This isn't a sterile studio. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.199 It's Mary's world. The dogs also serve as a marker 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:43.209 of time. Oh, how so? If you are watching a show 00:06:43.209 --> 00:06:45.709 daily, watching a puppy grow up Zeke, getting 00:06:45.709 --> 00:06:48.649 bigger Hoover learning tricks, it creates a parasocial 00:06:48.649 --> 00:06:50.769 bond with the audience. You aren't just tuning 00:06:50.769 --> 00:06:52.730 in to fix a shelf. You're tuning in to see how 00:06:52.730 --> 00:06:55.430 big the dog got. OK, so we have this cozy atmosphere. 00:06:55.829 --> 00:06:58.189 We have Mary the Reeves clan and the puppies. 00:06:58.329 --> 00:07:00.490 It sounds so relaxing. But then we look at the 00:07:00.490 --> 00:07:02.250 numbers. The numbers are staggering. And this 00:07:02.250 --> 00:07:04.910 is where this deep dive gets really intense because 00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:07.569 the math on this production schedule is terrifying. 00:07:07.889 --> 00:07:09.649 This is the statistic that stops you in your 00:07:09.649 --> 00:07:12.439 tracks. sheer volume of it. The show produced 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:16.560 278 episodes in a very specific window. Right. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:20.079 The premiere is September 13, 1982. The primary 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.259 run ends December 4, 1983. So let's crunch the 00:07:23.259 --> 00:07:25.800 math on that. That is roughly a 15 -month window. 00:07:26.189 --> 00:07:28.810 If you exclude weekends and standard holidays, 00:07:29.029 --> 00:07:32.370 you're looking at roughly 320 potential working 00:07:32.370 --> 00:07:35.350 days. And they made 278 episodes. That is almost 00:07:35.350 --> 00:07:38.370 a one -to -one ratio. It's relentless. And remember, 00:07:38.490 --> 00:07:41.009 you don't film one episode a day and go home. 00:07:41.810 --> 00:07:44.050 Television production requires setup lighting 00:07:44.050 --> 00:07:46.649 rehearsals. Right. To hit that number, they weren't 00:07:46.649 --> 00:07:49.149 filming one a day. They were likely block shooting 00:07:49.149 --> 00:07:51.889 filming three, maybe four episodes in a single 00:07:51.889 --> 00:07:54.500 day. Several days a week. And these are 30 -minute 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:56.600 episodes, too. Imagine the logistical nightmare 00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:59.519 of that. You are in Britannia, Ontario. This 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:02.060 isn't a massive Hollywood lot. You need materials 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:04.699 for three different DIY projects every morning. 00:08:04.819 --> 00:08:07.120 And continuity. Yes, you need Mary to have three 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.339 different wardrobe changes so it looks like different 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:12.490 days. And consider the margin for error. If a 00:08:12.490 --> 00:08:14.949 pipe bursts during a demo in the morning session 00:08:14.949 --> 00:08:16.949 or if the paint doesn't dry fast enough for the 00:08:16.949 --> 00:08:19.269 after reveal, you are totally behind schedule. 00:08:19.490 --> 00:08:21.750 There is no fix it in post when you are running 00:08:21.750 --> 00:08:24.610 a volume factory like this. None. It requires 00:08:24.610 --> 00:08:27.490 military grade organization from the producer 00:08:27.490 --> 00:08:30.430 J. Derek Smith and the director H .W. Pasilla. 00:08:30.829 --> 00:08:33.690 And let's not forget the music by Cam Shearer. 00:08:33.929 --> 00:08:37.889 Imagine having to score 278 episodes of a daytime 00:08:37.889 --> 00:08:40.570 DIY show. You're definitely reusing some tracks. 00:08:40.649 --> 00:08:43.809 Oh, absolutely. But it also puts a huge burden 00:08:43.809 --> 00:08:46.470 on the talent. Mary Bellows isn't an actress 00:08:46.470 --> 00:08:48.409 reading a teleprompter about the news. She's 00:08:48.409 --> 00:08:51.669 doing actual physical labor. Yes. She's sawing 00:08:51.669 --> 00:08:54.370 hammering potting plants, doing that for 10 hours 00:08:54.370 --> 00:08:57.190 a day on camera while maintaining a cheery TV 00:08:57.190 --> 00:09:00.659 host persona. That is exhausting. to think about 00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:03.100 it creates a specific type of energy on screen 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:06.200 though it's live to tape you can't do 20 takes 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:09.580 if Mary stumbles over a word or if the sauce 00:09:09.580 --> 00:09:11.980 sticks a little bit they probably just kept it 00:09:11.980 --> 00:09:14.659 in they had to and oddly enough that likely helped 00:09:14.659 --> 00:09:16.779 the show because it makes her look human exactly 00:09:16.779 --> 00:09:20.379 because DIY is messy if the host is too perfect 00:09:20.379 --> 00:09:22.980 it feels fake if Mary struggles with a jar of 00:09:22.980 --> 00:09:24.919 nails because she's on her fourth hour of filming 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.580 the audience relates to that struggle. It reinforces 00:09:28.580 --> 00:09:30.899 the do it yourself ethos. It's not about perfection. 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:32.919 It's about getting it done. That's a great way 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:35.519 to put it. The fatigue actually adds authenticity. 00:09:35.940 --> 00:09:38.419 But they didn't just air these in Canada and 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:40.919 call it a day. No, they did not. This library 00:09:40.919 --> 00:09:44.220 of 278 episodes became a massive asset. This 00:09:44.220 --> 00:09:45.940 is where the business model completely shifts. 00:09:46.220 --> 00:09:49.320 You don't make 278 episodes just for a single 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:52.360 run on CBC. You build a library so you can sell 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:56.250 it. And sell it they did. Yes. The release window 00:09:56.250 --> 00:10:00.710 extended all the way to November 1st, 1985. Because 00:10:00.710 --> 00:10:03.549 the show crosses the border. In 1985, the series 00:10:03.549 --> 00:10:05.750 was sold to a broadcast group for the United 00:10:05.750 --> 00:10:08.110 States. And the list of networks that picked 00:10:08.110 --> 00:10:11.230 it up is just bizarre. It is a fascinating mix. 00:10:11.350 --> 00:10:14.529 The sources list the USA Network Lifetime and 00:10:14.529 --> 00:10:16.929 PBS. Okay, let's break that down because PBS 00:10:16.929 --> 00:10:19.210 and Lifetime are on opposite ends of the television 00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:21.350 spectrum. This is the most baffling and impressive 00:10:21.350 --> 00:10:24.080 part of the data to me. You have PBS, the public 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:26.580 broadcasting service, non -commercial educational 00:10:26.580 --> 00:10:29.500 highbrow funded by viewers and grants. Their 00:10:29.500 --> 00:10:31.700 mandate is strictly public service. Right. Then 00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:33.799 you have Lifetime and USA Network commercial 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:36.659 cable juggernauts designed to sell advertising 00:10:36.659 --> 00:10:39.519 to very specific demographics. Usually a show 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:41.200 is one or the other. You're either Sesame Street 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:43.679 or you're a soap opera. You aren't both. Exactly. 00:10:44.019 --> 00:10:46.779 For a Canadian daytime show to fit the mandate 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:50.480 of both suggests it occupied a really rare middle 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:53.250 ground. It had to be educational enough to pass 00:10:53.250 --> 00:10:56.269 PBS's rigorous standards for instructional content. 00:10:56.509 --> 00:10:58.629 But it also had to be entertaining and light 00:10:58.629 --> 00:11:02.370 enough to hold an audience on Lifetime between 00:11:02.370 --> 00:11:04.909 movies. It suggests the show was the ultimate 00:11:04.909 --> 00:11:07.809 utility player. If you're a program director 00:11:07.809 --> 00:11:11.389 at Lifetime in 1985 and you have a slot to fill 00:11:11.389 --> 00:11:13.669 at 11 in the morning Monday through Friday buying 00:11:13.669 --> 00:11:17.950 them, do it for yourself. is a dream move. It's 00:11:17.950 --> 00:11:20.730 a turnkey solution. You buy one license and you 00:11:20.730 --> 00:11:22.789 have a year's worth of daily content ready to 00:11:22.789 --> 00:11:24.629 go. You don't have to wait for production. The 00:11:24.629 --> 00:11:26.950 factory approach paid off. It did because it 00:11:26.950 --> 00:11:29.789 created a bulk asset that networks crave. It's 00:11:29.789 --> 00:11:31.610 the same reason networks buy syndication rights 00:11:31.610 --> 00:11:34.470 to sitcoms today, reliability. So Mary Bellows 00:11:34.470 --> 00:11:36.230 is teaching Americans how to fix their sinks 00:11:36.230 --> 00:11:38.669 two years after she actually stopped filming. 00:11:38.929 --> 00:11:41.070 The show had a massive second life. But she didn't 00:11:41.070 --> 00:11:43.169 just stay on the screen. The sources show she 00:11:43.169 --> 00:11:45.710 eventually went to print. The book tie -in. Yeah. 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:49.620 In 1987, which is quite a while after the camera 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:52.659 stopped rolling, she publishes a paperback. The 00:11:52.659 --> 00:11:56.539 title is DIY, or Do It For Yourself. Publisher 00:11:56.539 --> 00:11:59.860 is Methuen. A well -known publisher. But here's 00:11:59.860 --> 00:12:03.259 the thing that gets me. The book is 64 pages 00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:05.639 long. It's essentially a pamphlet. Right. You 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:09.340 have 278 episodes. You have roughly 140 hours 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:12.159 of footage. You could fill a set of encyclopedias 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.750 with that much content. Why release a 64 -page 00:12:15.750 --> 00:12:17.610 booklet? It feels like a missed opportunity. 00:12:17.990 --> 00:12:19.509 I actually disagree with that. I think it's a 00:12:19.509 --> 00:12:22.110 very specific strategy for the pre -internet 00:12:22.110 --> 00:12:24.549 era. Think about where this book would be sold. 00:12:24.710 --> 00:12:26.809 Okay. It's likely at the checkout counter of 00:12:26.809 --> 00:12:29.389 a hardware store or on a rack at a supermarket. 00:12:29.730 --> 00:12:31.870 It's an impulse buy. So it's not a reference 00:12:31.870 --> 00:12:33.769 manual. It's a greatest hits album. Exactly. 00:12:33.970 --> 00:12:36.590 Also, translating visual movement into text is 00:12:36.590 --> 00:12:39.250 incredibly inefficient. Trying to describe how 00:12:39.250 --> 00:12:42.049 to sweat a copper pipe in text requires paragraphs 00:12:42.049 --> 00:12:44.090 of writing and multiple diagrams. So that makes 00:12:44.090 --> 00:12:46.289 sense. On video, it takes 30 seconds to show. 00:12:46.549 --> 00:12:49.350 So the book likely distilled the handy tips and 00:12:49.350 --> 00:12:51.269 tricks, the shortcuts, rather than the heavy 00:12:51.269 --> 00:12:54.110 construction projects. It's also a physical souvenir. 00:12:54.409 --> 00:12:56.750 In 1987, you couldn't record the show easily 00:12:56.750 --> 00:12:59.450 unless you had a VCR and remembered to actually 00:12:59.450 --> 00:13:02.070 set the timer. The book gave you something to 00:13:02.070 --> 00:13:04.340 own. The fact that it was published in 1987, 00:13:04.659 --> 00:13:07.379 five years after the premiere, proves the brand 00:13:07.379 --> 00:13:11.159 had serious legs. The name Mary Bellows still 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:14.240 carried enough weight to shift units years after 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:16.139 the production company had packed up the set 00:13:16.139 --> 00:13:19.419 in Britannia. So what does this all mean when 00:13:19.419 --> 00:13:21.399 we look at the big picture? We have this burst 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:24.620 of intense activity in the early 80s. A team 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:27.460 in Ontario works themselves to the bone for 15 00:13:27.460 --> 00:13:30.580 months, churning out content with puppies and 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:32.980 plant experts. And then it spreads across North 00:13:32.980 --> 00:13:35.259 America, essentially running on autopilot. Right. 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:38.240 If we step back, Do It For Yourself is really 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.059 a prototype for the modern content economy, but 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:43.700 with one major difference. Which is? It was structured. 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.399 Today, if you want to learn DIY, you go online. 00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:48.899 You watch a 30 second clip here, a 10 minute 00:13:48.899 --> 00:13:50.899 video there. It's totally fragmented. You are 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:52.600 piecing together the knowledge yourself. You 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:54.620 get the hack, but not the foundation. Exactly. 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.360 But Mary Bellows and her team built a curriculum. 00:13:57.740 --> 00:14:01.500 Over 278 episodes, they likely covered the entire 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:03.919 life cycle of home maintenance. It was a linear 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.899 journey. They took the viewer by the hand and 00:14:05.899 --> 00:14:08.259 said, we're going to learn this together day 00:14:08.259 --> 00:14:10.879 by day. It makes you wonder about the content 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.159 factories of today. We have millions of creators, 00:14:13.340 --> 00:14:17.059 but do we have anyone? building something that 00:14:17.059 --> 00:14:19.860 comprehensive. That is the real question. We 00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:22.320 have infinite content, but do we have infinite 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:25.059 structure? Are we getting better at fixing our 00:14:25.059 --> 00:14:27.840 homes or are we just watching 278 different people 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.220 fix the exact same leaky faucet in 15 second 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:32.899 bursts? That is a brilliant point to end on. 00:14:33.059 --> 00:14:35.460 Mary Bellows didn't just make content. She made 00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:37.779 a library. And I think that's why we're still 00:14:37.779 --> 00:14:40.139 looking at her production notes over 40 years 00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:42.399 later. She respected the viewer's need for a 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:44.860 complete education, not just a quick dopamine 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.200 hit. And she did it with puppies. That's a very 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:49.639 hard combination to beat. It really is. From 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:52.559 Britannia, Ontario to the USA Network, from Zeke 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:55.419 the puppy to the 64 -page book. That was our 00:14:55.419 --> 00:14:57.820 deep dive into Do It For Yourself. A fantastic 00:14:57.820 --> 00:15:00.450 look at a television pioneer. Thanks for joining 00:15:00.450 --> 00:15:02.809 us for this deep dive. Leave you with that thought 00:15:02.809 --> 00:15:05.529 on the disposable nature of daily media versus 00:15:05.529 --> 00:15:08.250 building a lasting library. See you next time.