The Repair Shop
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Antique restorations offer history, charm.
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The Repair Shop
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What's the Story?
THE REPAIR SHOP is a British series that features expert restorers bringing cherished antiques back to life. Repair shop manager and furniture restorer Jay Blades heads up a team of repair experts, including carpenter Will Kirk, toy restorers Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell, clock restorer Steven Fletcher, and his sister Suzie, who is a leather worker. Regulars in the shop also include metal worker Dominic Chinea, silversmith Brenton West, ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay, and Lucia Scalisi, a painting conservator. Occasionally joining them are guest restorers who specialize in very specific repairs, and historian Catherine Guilder. From restoring old teddy bears, to repairing broken telephones, clocks, and instruments, together they work hard to repair people's treasured objects, and keep the memories that they represent alive.
Is It Any Good?
This charming and nostalgic series shows how talented restorers go about repairing antique objects so that they look, feel, and sound like they did when they were in working order. Each 30-minute episode reveals small, brief details about how each piece is restored. However, most of the show is committed to highlighting the significance of each piece to its owner. It also puts each object into a larger historical context, and reveals how and why the object was used at the time it was in working order. Overall, The Repair Shop shows how well-worn things can be brought back to life, function, and be enjoyed in contemporary society, instead of ending up on a trash heap.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the antiques showcased in The Repair Shop. What are some of your favorite items? What made them interesting to you?
How can TV restoration shows teach us about history? What about the environment? Are they produced to send these messages, or are they really intended as entertainment by showing people being creative?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 27, 2017
- Cast: Jay Blades , William Kirk , Kirsten Ramsay
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- Character Strengths: Curiosity , Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: March 2, 2022
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