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The Repair Shop Australia

It's a craft comeback on TV in the latest restorations on Foxtel.

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Craft is making a comeback on TV of late…. miniatures on Tiny Oz and artisans on Making It, are joined by local series The Repair Shop Australia.

Based on a UK format and adapted by Warner Bros Australia this series is hosted by builder Dean Ipaviz, who previously featured on ABC’s Escape from the City.

One hour episodes feature 3 stories in which Aussies front up to the resident barn with a cherished item that is desperately in need of some TLC.

Like a Bake-off shed, the barn is beautifully nestled in bushland (presumably somwhere just outside of Sydney) where 6 experts will apply their skills, bringing objects back to life. They are, Leather craftsman Aaron Douglas Wales, Furniture restorer Britta de Laat, Jeweller Erin Keys, Metal worker Majella Beck, Electrician Paul Lowe and Horologist (a clockmaking expert) Andrew Markerink.

Jeweller Erin will help Cathy restore a family heirloom which survived a housefire but needs restoring. The Victorian era necklace belonged to a great-great-grandmother and its damaged centrepiece includes strands of hair from women in the family (eww). For Cathy bringing it back will mean the chance to pass it onto her own grand-daughter.

Horologist Andrew will help restore a family clock for Malcolm who wants to present it to his father, Peter, and remind him of his days in Northern Ireland. It hasn’t chimed for over 5 decades, but can Andrew work his magic?

Finally Electrician Paul is tasked with restoring a miniature train set for 8 year old Rafe and his mother. The set used to belong to Rafe’s grandfather.

Across the hour the experts meticulously apply their skills, explaining their steps as they go. It’s warm and fuzzy and geeky all at the same time, but it would be good if our narrator recapped a bit less. While I could have happily wrapped things up at 30 minutes, for those who love the attention to detail and history, this will hit the right spot.

By the end of the episode when the owners return to see their painstaking work you can bet there will be tears before bedtime, in a good way.

The Repair Shop Australia might not be for everybody, but is authentically reproduced for LifeStyle and its fine suite of local brands.

The Repair Shop Australia screens 8:30pm Tuesdays on LifeStyle.

5 Responses

  1. I’m a fan of the UK program.
    I’m put off the Australian version by the Hosts use of 1950s “strine”.
    I feel like he is trying to channel Chips Rafferty in The Sundowners.

  3. I rather like the UK version, Could be a chance for TEN to pick it up for Free To Air and put it on Peach in place of the never ending repeats of Friends and the other repeats, I suppose we will have endless repeats of Neighbours when it ends, or that will go to Paramount PLus.

    1. the repair shop Uk is outstanding, dedicated people, and very interesting it’s hardly boring, just look at the work these people achieve

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