House Doctor
| House Doctor | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality Television |
| Directed by | Richard Farmbrough |
| Presented by |
William Van-Hague (series 1) Tris Payne (series 2) Alistair Appleton (series 3 - 7) |
| Starring | Ann Maurice |
| Composer(s) | David Lowe |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Peter Fincham |
| Producer(s) | Basi Akpabio |
| Editor(s) |
Daisy Goodwin Tracey Jury Paddy Lynas |
| Running time |
30 minutes (including adverts) |
| Production company(s) | Talkback Productions |
| Distributor | Fremantle Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 5 |
| Picture format |
4:3 (1998 - 2000) 16:9 (2001 - 2003) |
| Original release | 24 August 1998 – 6 November 2003 |
House Doctor is a television programme, originally broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK. Each week, the House Doctor - Californian real-estate stylist, Ann Maurice - helps UK home-owners sell their houses with her industry know-how and style tips. The popularity of the show has lent the word "house doctoring" to the British English lexicon, which is similar to the American term home staging. This program is now shown in many countries around the globe, which is broadening the use and familiarity of this term.
Format
Developed by Talkback Productions, the 30-minute show opens with a presenter (a male to off-set Maurice), who shows to the present owners a video recording of the reactions of a number of prospective purchasers viewing the house, and their (negative) feedback. Maurice then enters the house during the video, and chats with the owners about the feedback and the major areas they can improve for a budget of around 1% of sales price. Maurice then instructs the presenter, the owners, and some hired-in local tradesman, on the work, which is seen in some detail, with an explanation as to why this is being done and how to make best costs. The show then ends with Maurice touring the revamped house, and new feedback from the original viewers. The owners then give feedback on the experience, and a voiceover at the end confirms the current sales status.
History
The show was broadcast on 24 August 1998 on Channel 5, and has run for seven seasons. The presenter for series one was William Van-Hague.
The presenter for series two was Tris Payne, but he left the show to move to BBC One to present the daily morning show Real Rooms. He was replaced by Alistair Appleton for series four through seven. Maurice then became the presenter and House Doctor, and the show was extended to 60 minutes to include gardens.
There have also been a series of spin-off shows and specials, including "House Doctor - Top 10!" things that you need to fix to sell your house, "House Doctor - A-Z of Design", "House Doctor: Inside and Out", "House Doctor, Designs for Living", "Interior Rivalry" and a documentary entitled, "House Doctor: We Love You!".
Overseas editions
"House Doctor" is now broadcast in a number of countries via the BBC Worldwide network and its partners, including USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, and Poland.
End of the Show?
Maurice has admitted that, after seven series, the format has probably come to an end of its natural life. Maurice's latest programme, Ann Maurice: Interior Rivalry, has been aired on Channel 5 from 31 August 2006 to 3 May 2007, and was made by Silver River Productions. The programme was based on her Home Staging course, and the prize is a chance to start their own business in Home Staging.