Production underway on The Repair Shop

Filming started in Sydney this week on The Repair Shop for Foxtel’s LifeStyle channel,  produced by Warner Bros International Television Productions.

Based on a UK format, the series sees a team rescue of treasured possessions which are broken or damaged, restored to their former glory.

Dean Ipaviz (Escape From The City, Best Houses Australia, Dream Home Ideas) is host. He is a qualified builder, project manager and carpenter, who runs his own business, Verdecon, the first B-corp certified and Carbon Neutral residential builder in Australia.

“I’m unbelievably excited to be involved in a show that I’ve followed (and loved) for a few years now. We’re taking a peek back into Australia’s history on some pieces and getting a bird’s eye view into how things used to be done, before mass production and the “throw away culture” that we live in today,” he said.

“I can’t wait to work with a group of artisans that live and breathe restoration and repair. For me there is something really unique about taking old items that are really precious to us as people and restoring them to their former glory. It ties into my beliefs around a circular economy and I hope it will be the impetus for others to look into the restoration of their own heirlooms.”

Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s Executive Director of Television, said: “Foxtel is delighted to have scored the exclusive format rights to The Repair Shop, the most successful new franchise to come out of the U.K. in recent years. It is the right show for the right time, uplifting, inspirational, entertaining, and heart-warming. Feel good television at its best!

“Along with this exciting new format we also welcome a fresh cast of passionate artisans and repair enthusiasts who we know will click with audiences of the LifeStyle channel. As with all our Lifestyle shows, our talent are the real deal, authentic, entertaining and experts in their field. Like our established hits, Gogglebox, Selling Houses Australia, Grand Designs Australia, Love It Or List It Australia and The Great Australian Bake Off, we know that Australian viewers will fall in love with The Repair Shop.”

It will screen in 2022.

Everybody has something that means too much to them to be thrown away, and the Repair Shop team not only restores these treasured items, but also the precious memories they hold. From family heirlooms to loved ones’ treasured possessions, they’re painstakingly restored so they can be passed down to future generations.

The Repair Shop team features the ultimate dream team of craftspeople – Majella the metal worker, Aaron the leather craftsmen, Lydia the jeweller, Jen the upholster, Andrew the horologist, Britta the furniture restorer, Paul the electrical all-rounder, and Kay the stuffed toys expert.