(Thursday, October 2nd, 2008) Well, it’s time for a new season of Factory Floor With Marshall Brain, another in the endless stream of shows explaining how things (and often the same things) are made.  We get a new episode of Wrecked as well.

All times are central.

• Rock Solid: Soapstone Kitchen Makeover (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Cement, Caskets, Soft Drinks, Glider Rockers (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Kitchen Knives, Mannequins, Socks, Hypodermic Needles (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Ask This Old House (DIY, 7:00 p.m.)
• Overhaulin’: The Short Yellow Bus (TLC, 7:00 p.m.)
• Factory Floor With Marshall Brain: Tennis Ball, Pencil, Hot Dog, Fireworks (National Geographic, 7:00 p.m.) NEW
• Classic Tractors (RFD-TV, 7:30 p.m.)
• American Chopper: Dryvit Bike (TLC, 8:00 p.m.)
• Factory Floor With Marshall Brain: Plywood, Money, Cheese, Tasers (National Geographic, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Cool Tools: Hardware Show 2008 (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Street Customs: Asanti Mercedes (TLC, 9:00 p.m.)
• Wrecked: Pain in the Glass (Speed, 9:00 p.m.) NEW
• Wrecked: Keep on Trucking (Speed, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Sulkies, Bagpipes, Yule Logs, Fishing Lures (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Goalie Pads, Lapel Pins, Cardboard Boxes, Crystal Wine Glasses (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Wednesday, October 1st, 2008) A new Deconstruction shows us all about metalworking, but it’s an otherwise uninteresting night.

All times are central.

• Rock Solid: Mason 911: Stone Step Repair (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Sulkies, Bagpipes, Yule Logs, Fishing Lures (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Goalie Pads, Lapel Pins, Cardboard Boxes, Crystal Wine Glasses (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Ask This Old House (DIY, 7:00 p.m.)
• Deconstruction: Metal Working (DIY, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Wrecked: Bill Goes Stir Crazy (Speed, 9:00 p.m.)
• Tank Overhaul (Military, 9:00 p.m.)
• Celebrity Rides: Dillon and the Rebel (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• Wrecked: Off-Roading in Chicago (Speed, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Golf Balls, Furniture Handles, Parking Meters, Room Dividers (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Suits of Armor, Street Light Poles, Bent Hardwood, Membrane Switches (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Tuesday, September 30th, 2008)  It’s total deconstructionality TV tonight with Science’s new show Deconstructed followed later by a rerun of Deconstruction on DIY.  Looks like another interesting show about stuff taken apart, or made — hey, that would be a good idea for a show.

All times are central.

• Machinery of the Past (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Travertine Patio (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Golf Balls, Furniture Handles, Parking Meters, Room Dividers (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Suits of Armor, Street Light Poles, Bent Hardwood, Membrane Switches (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Ask This Old House (DIY, 7:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Snake Wrangler (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Solid Tires, Cheesecake, Canoe Paddles, Globes (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Boomerangs, Barbecues, Pinball Machines, Strobe Lights (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Mud Mineral Excavator (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• Deconstructed: Episode 1, Catalytic converter, toilet, bathroom scale, barbecue (Science, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Rock Solid: Outdoor Bar and Grill (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Deconstructed: Episode 2, Toaster, lawn mower, transformer, speaker (Science, 9:00 p.m.) NEW
• Dirty Jobs: Leather Tanner (Discovery, 9:00 p.m.)
• Deconstruction: Pressure Treated Wood (DIY, 10:00 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Monday, September 29th, 2008) It’s back to reruns, for a lackluster start to the week.

All times are central.

• Trains & Locomotives (RFD-TV, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Stone Columns (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Ambulances, Dining Room Tables, Diatonic Accordions, Acrylic Awards (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Alkaline Batteries, Wheelchairs, Flutes, Cowboy Boots (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Ask This Old House (DIY, 7:00 p.m.)
• Top Gear: Episode 1 (BBC America, 7:00 p.m.)
• Top Gear: Episode 11 (BBC America, 8:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Recycling, plasma TV, fireworks, railroad tracks, ink (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: salt mines, ships, watches, wind farms (Science, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Robotic Arms, Tattoos, Sanitary Napkins, Concrete Pipes (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Hockey Gloves, Snack Cakes, Remolded Tires, Wastewater Treatment (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Sunday, September 28th, 2008)  We’ve got a smorgasbord of shows tonight, with Sandhogs (possibly?) and new episodes of World’s Toughest Fixes and Weapon Masters providing some entertainment.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: Transformers (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Celebrity Rides: Dillon and the Rebel (DIY, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: robotic arms, concrete pipes, tattoos, and sanitary napkins (Science, 6:00 p.m.)
• Ultimate Factories: Corvette (National Geographic, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: CO2 Cartridges, Pretzels, Scissor Lifts, Skating Rinks (Science, 6:30 p.m.)
• Weapon Masters: Chariot Bow (Military, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• World’s Toughest Fixes: Nuclear Turbine (National Geographic, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Cool Tools: Lost and Found (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Under Construction: You Can Count on Palanca (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Sandhogs (History, 9:00 p.m.)
• World’s Toughest Fixes: Boeing 767 (National Geographic, 9:00 p.m.) NEW

Enjoy.

(Saturday, September 27th, 2008) There’s absolutely nothing you haven’t seen before, which is pretty sad.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: Top to Bottom (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: Wall-Mounted Tool Chest (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Contemporary Bent-Laminate Lamp (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Woodworking Fixes Tour (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: A Very Special Brownstone Dollhouse (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Plastic Bottles and Jars, Mail, Eggs, Handcrafted Wooden Pens (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Pre-inked Stamps, Cranberries, Cotton Yarn, Road Signs (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Friday, September 26th, 2008) Hacking History premieres tonight with a look at the history of electricity — should be an enjoyable romp with high voltages.  Also, a new How It’s Made looks at javelins and cuckoo clocks.

All times are central.

• Ask This Old House (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Outdoor Bar and Grill (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Robotic Arms, Tattoos, Sanitary Napkins, Concrete Pipes (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Hockey Gloves, Snack Cakes, Remolded Tires, Wastewater Treatment (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Hacking History (History, 7:00 p.m.) NEW
• Dragons Den (BBC America, 7:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Pirates 2! (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Mirrors, 2D car designs (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Large Ships, Waste Management (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: A Very Special Brownstone Dollhouse (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Javelins, cuckoo clocks, hearts of palm, windshield wipers (Science, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Wood Works: Wine Caddy (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Pistons, Paint Rollers, Parachutes, Chimneys (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Workshop Tour (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Remix: Airplanes (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: The Gardner’s Dry Sink (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Remix: Football (Science, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Paving Asphalt, Marshmallow Cookies, Loudspeakers, Electronic Door Locks (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Wood-Burning Stoves, Orthoses, Ballet Slippers, Buses (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Thursday, September 25th, 2008) It’s another boring night, but City of Steel is worth watching if you missed it the first 1,000 times it aired.

All times are central.

• Ask This Old House (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Interior Brick Wall (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Paving Asphalt, Marshmallow Cookies, Loudspeakers, Electronic Door Locks (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Wood-Burning Stoves, Orthoses, Ballet Slippers, Buses (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Overhaulin’: Family Truckster (TLC, 7:00 p.m.)
• City of Steel: Carrier (Military, 7:00 p.m.)
• Classic Tractors (RFD-TV, 7:30 p.m.)
• Modern Marvels: Iron (History, 8:00 p.m.)
• American Chopper: NY Giants Bike (TLC, 8:00 p.m.)
• Dragons Den (BBC America, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Deconstruction: Windows (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Street Customs: Shaquillac (TLC, 9:00 p.m.)
• Cool Tools: Innovators (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

It could be that after the second season of Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men, I’m a bit burned on the whole tough-guy-drama type of show.  However, I don’t think that’s the case.  I still await the next season of Ax Men with enthusiasm, and for some reason I like Ice Road.  But Sandhogs just isn’t cutting it for me, no pun intended.

Perhaps it’s that I have no desire whatsoever to be underground. These guys are closed in and surrounded by rock, choking levels of dust and debris, not to mention other tough, smelly dudes just as cranky as they themselves are.  There’s no upside here.  I have respect for the guys — all of them are 1,000 times tougher than I am — but little interest in the show.

What do you think?  Have I finally met my personal sissy-boy level and copped out, or is this one just not as good as some of the others?  Let us know in comments.

Sandhogs [History]

(Wednesday, September 24th, 2008) A new Under Construction is about all we get tonight.

All times are central.

• Ask This Old House (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Masonry Camp (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Automatic Transmissions, Silver Miniatures, Hot Air Balloon Baskets, Darts (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Ice Cream Cones, Tent Trailers, Shoe Polish, and Pliers (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Water Stun Gun (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Deconstruction: Granite (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• MythBusters: Killer Cable Snaps (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• Deconstruction: Home Building (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Under Construction: You Can Count on Palanca (DIY, 9:00 p.m.) NEW
• How It’s Made: Bacon, Snowblowers, Luxury Cars (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Steel Shipping Drums, Police Whistles, Miniature Train Cars, and Glass Blocks (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

The Journal of Light Construction’s website features a great slideshow on what happens when a determined homeowner wants to expand their place and can’t go up or out.  In this case they went down –- 11 feet and 300 cubic yards of dirt worth of down, to be more exact.

Though this wouldn’t work for everyone, the large-scale subterranean home project did turn out pretty well, from what can see of the pictures.  The new floor space must have added about thirty percent more square footage to their home, but they’re betting that the bracing will support the house above — not a maneuver we’d recommend for the faint of heart.

Adding Under [JLC Online]

(Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008)  It’s another lackluster Tuesday with nothing new to watch.

All times are central.

• Ask This Old House (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Canal Brick Courtyard (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Bacon, Snowblowers, Luxury Cars (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Steel Shipping Drums, Police Whistles, Miniature Train Cars, and Glass Blocks (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Billboard Installer (Discovery, 7:00 p.m.)
• Dirty Jobs: Cave Biologist (Discovery, 8:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Interior Brick Wall (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Sandhogs (History, 9:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Scalpels, Oil Paints, British Police Helmets, Ice Axes (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Pocket Knives, Soapstone Products, Electric Pole Transformers, Traditional Snowshoes (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Monday, September 22nd, 2008) A new Top Gear ends the season with musical car engines and Harry Potter.

All times are central.

• Ask This Old House (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Interlocking Stone Wall and Steps (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Scalpels, Oil Paints, British Police Helmets, Ice Axes (Discovery, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Pocket Knives, Soapstone Products, Electric Pole Transformers, Traditional Snowshoes (Discovery, 6:30 p.m.)
• Top Gear: Episode 11 (BBC America, 7:00 p.m.) NEW
• Top Gear: Episode 10 (BBC America, 8:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Aluminum Foil, GPS Guides (Science, 8:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Mirrors, 2D car designs (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• Sandhogs (History, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Umbrellas, Outboard Motors, Silver Cutlery, Tape Measures (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Bronze Bells, Wooden Airplane Propellers, Charcoal Briquettes, and Gas Log Fireplaces (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

(Sunday, September 21st, 2008) A new Sandhogs stokes your subterranean enthusiasm.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: Demolition (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Cool Tools: The Builders Show (DIY, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Binoculars, sparklers, rubber boots, circular-saw blades (Science, 6:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Anatomical models, jukeboxes, tortilla chips, spark plugs (Science, 6:30 p.m.)
• Ice Road Truckers: Off the Ice (History, 7:00 p.m.)
• Cool Tools: In the Garage (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Under Construction: The Mystery of Phantom Leak (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Sandhogs (History, 9:00 p.m.) NEW

Enjoy.

(Saturday, September 20th, 2008) It’s a profoundly sparse night of TV.

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: Power Play (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: French Side Table (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Spice Rack with Decorative Inlay (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Contemporary Writing Desk (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: The Wine Rack (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Yacht Wheels, Braided Rugs, Automobile Thermostats, Chisels (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Lacrosse Sticks, Frozen Fish Products, Flashlights, Paintbrushes (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.

It’s good to be Norm.  Sometimes it seems like those New Englanders have all the fun, and I can’t say I blame ‘em — if I had a chance to go to the Brimfield Antique Show in Massachusetts and paw all over an eighty-year-old Rosewood level, I’d do it, too.

(more…)

(Friday, September 19th, 2008) A new How It’s Made provides the highpoint of our Friday.  Do they use robotic arms to make robotic arms?

All times are central.

• Cool Tools: In the Garage (DIY, 5:00 p.m.)
• Rock Solid: Outdoor Labyrinth (DIY, 5:30 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Mega Cargo Ships, Peterbilt Vehicles (Science, 7:00 p.m.)
• How Do They Do It?: Mega Freeways, Minting Coins (Science, 7:30 p.m.)
• Hammered With John & Jimmy DiResta: The Wine Rack (DIY, 8:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: robotic arms, concrete pipes, tattoos, and sanitary napkins (Science, 8:00 p.m.) NEW
• Wood Works: European Dish-Rack (DIY, 8:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Horseshoes, Dishwashers, Graphite Fly Rods, Frozen Pizzas (Science, 8:30 p.m.)
• Wood Works: Game Board (DIY, 9:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Remix: Hockey (Science, 9:00 p.m.)
• New Yankee Workshop: The Mission Style Desk (DIY, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Remix: Outdoors (Science, 9:30 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Bumpers, Lighting Gels and Camera Filters, Steam-powered Models, Candy Canes (Discovery, 10:00 p.m.)
• How It’s Made: Dress Forms, Boat Propellers, Duvets, Faucets (Discovery, 10:30 p.m.)
• Forge and Anvil: Shopping Western Boots, Apparel, Saddle and Tack (RFD-TV, 10:30 p.m.)

Enjoy.