Here we go again: It’s Block O’Clock. Scott Cam is back on Sunday with the new season of The Block, which seems to have some dodgy Wild West theme because that somehow represents Fans V Favourites.
Ronnie and Georgia and Mitch and that other bloke are back. Oh, and some other people are there, too.
The Block usually tramples Survivor in the ratings but I am seeing a groundswell of support for the Cloncurry-filmed season, perhaps in part due to lockdown.
Will you be watching The Block on Nine? It’s a no from me – I might try it if they ever get a new host – but please tell me when it’s the kitchen reveal.
There must be some synchronised swimming on somewhere, surely.
This format is old.
I remember the days when the couples did most of the work themselves and the budget was low but doable. Managing their budget was part of the game.
Now, everything is prefab and off-the-shelf and installed by the sellers. All the renovations look the same: bland and beige. You can’t tell one house from another.
So they have to manufacture drama to make the show “interesting”. Yes, I put quotes there.
And I say all of that before I even mention that I would prefer to never watch Scotty again. He’s officially a shonk.
100% agree. Severely reduces Benchley’s integrity as an architect / designer.
At least one of the houses this year is an authentic mid-century that could have been considered for heritage listing – demolished.
I think that heritage listing is reserved for exceptional examples or rariites in their category. There are millions of mid-century homes all over Australia, so only a small percent would be protected.
IMO, thank goodness for that. Out of all house eras, this is the one I despise. I would rather apricot-decorated 1980s. I suppose that will be the hot style in twenty years or so.
Is that the house that belonged to one of the buyer’s advocate/expert peeps?
Pretty sure it is. The female buyers advocate.
Yes, it belonged to Nicole Jacobs and was featured on Australia’s Best Houses (?). If I recall correctly, its front façade was considered noteworthy.
Excruciating waste for it to be guttered.
If Nicole moves in as your neighbour you would be very wary that in the next few years your street will feature on the Block.
They must be paying her a bucket load of money given that there’s more than a 50% chance that it’s value, and I’m assuming the houses around it, is going to sharply decrease.
Maz does a great job of recapping this show here. Tough gig. Thanks.
What’ll it be ? Wait for a Pfizer jab or wait for this season of The Block to finish?
Oh crap! We didn’t realise the new season of the Block has started. Will endeavour to catch up over the weekend.
Pfizer? Pray tell what is the elusive vaccine of which you speak…Buckley’s chance of getting that in regional NSW.
Not planning to watch. I have only watched a selection in the past several years. I did watch last year because of the individual houses, and generally enjoyed it without real engagement. Yet, if I see another velux skylight used instead of real windows, I think I will go mad.
I would like to watch Ronnie and (sort-of) Georgia again, as I think they got the villain edit in their series but I thought they were just focused. But the other returnees turn me off, and with so much else to watch, it’s a no.
I heard this could be replaced by a new dating show called Infected At First Sight.
Barely into Night 2 and I really don’t know how much more I can watch, I think I’ll be recording and ffwding the reveal nights from here. I’m behind on survivor and Bachie because of olympics so that’s where you will find me.
I’ve given up on Bachie. It’s Survivor and streaming for me
This is probably the most boring season of The Block. I try to watch but most of the episodes consist of interviews with the contestants instead of renovation. The contestants, for the most part, don’t do much of anything except paint, shop or complain about one another. I am now generally just watching the result episode but I fast forward to the judging. Sad, sad, bad, bad season. Time for new hosts, new judges, better contestants and fewer interviews or maybe it’s just time for the program to be canceled.
I am gobsmacked at the choices of contestants.
Without focusing on them in particular but more as an example, the gay couple were boring, and hopeless renovators, in their first season. In what world did the producers think anything was going to be different in their second outing.
I tuned in for 19 seconds to hear the usual whinge about how they were being bullied because the judges didn’t like one of the room reveals. Spare me. I wonder how this couple manages to survive in the real world?
And just to let you know how bad it is, I saw Scotty’s face on some ad for vaccinations, and faster than immediately, changed the channel.
The Block brand is beyond diminished. Some one needs to tell 9 that it is broken beyond repair. I have zero sympathies to give.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/the-block-2021-episode-9-recap-atrocious-the-bathroom-that-stunned-the-judges/?rsf=syn:news:nca:aa:article
How, in a world that’s normal, do bathrooms cost this much money. I could take their budget, redo my whole house and take an overseas holiday staying in a 3 star hotel.
And just bringing up one of my pet peeves, showers that don’t have walls so the water goes everywhere. Obviously designed and built by people whose mothers spent a lifetime cleaning up after them.
It’s petty criticism for ratings. The whole damn show is cheese.
I watched a little bit of The Block this afternoon. Sucked in by the promos. 🤦♀️
I have mixed views.
I consider it highly, highly improbable (but not impossible) that the producers did not know about the cheating scandal.
It’s funny how a guy who has been caught cheating goes from zero to hundred on the loud and indignation scale. Seriously. Did he really think that that was his best defence?
And if I were the producers, I would go immediately into damage control rather than trying to spin this as a way to get viewers back. Perhaps even consider a cover up or containment.
This brings in to question every season of The Block. Every judging decision ever made. Every cent of money paid out to a “winner”.
Because these decisions are made early (buying property), it is entirely possible that there might be one more season but I think this has got to be the death of the franchise.
And it can’t be too soon for me. The ads for this show take up space that I would rather see given to Kleenex tissues.
Yes agree Bobbi there is a whiff of a manufactured scandal by the producers. With a job site that leaks information like a sieve, it doesn’t make sense that the producers didn’t know about the schedule leak. Ronnie and Georgia knew about it 3 weeks ago and only mentioned it after they lost the main bedroom week.
And after a whole episode we find out that the purple haired contestant was the source of the schedule photo all along – but her framing her story as “her truth” is nauseating. It’s either the truth or it isn’t – if you have to Oprahfy it by claiming it as your truth then you’re lying. I don’t care what you believe, tell me what happened.
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/scott-cam-scrambling-to-save-this-series-of-the-block/news-story/574f8805309eac159ca9aff60895a7d1
So Scotty is out on the radio trying to drum up business.
Apparently, he is trying to save “his show”.
I’ll just leave that one hanging there. Anything that I say here would be just too much.
But my favourite line comes from Tanya who claims that the production schedule was placed in an “easily accessible spot” and “It felt almost like it could have been a set up”.
I have two competing thoughts here: so I can take that BMW that’s parked just across the road from me? And I have this bridge for sale if they are interested. Bargain price.
Tanya does not come off well at all. Adults take personal accountability for their mistakes. they don’t lie about it under the guise of “my truth”. Her husband isn’t coming off that great either.
The twins have too much agro- all they needed to do is hear out everyone and acknowledge the cheating. They approached it defensively and Tanya has approached it by deflecting. She’s oblivious and smiling about it doesn’t make her come off as friendly – maybe she needs to lay off the purple hair dye a bit.
I did not understand Mark and Mitch argument about the impact to the producers – that’s not their place.
This body corporate meeting tonight is pitiful viewing.
If one could just reach through the screen and bitch slap the loathsome Mitch.
Yer show’s knackered , $cotty.
But those victimised C.H.E.A.T.E.R.S. deserve everything they get. Including Tanya.
The twins are pathetic, especially the one parroting ‘passive aggressive’ who is appatently training in mental health, has no idea what passive aggressive is. Those training him, then he’ll be ‘helping’ those with mental health concerns, looooordy!!!
And his brother, an ‘adult’ storming out cos he can’t handle the crap. Because they cheated. ‘Scotty’ has lost control. A tiny bit of karma for the huge taxpayer funded gravy train he’s on.
If ever there was proof that this was a producer manufactured DraHma, tonight’s episode was it.
The Cheaters lost 2 points … on one room.
That’s it.
Nothing more.
Ffs.
Again, how to treat the viewing audience with contempt. Fftt.
The only highlight was Shelley getting stuck into Tanya and Vito (mainly Vito). She was having none of it. Good on her.
She must have stayed home the day that plan was put on the white board.
This show is on a ventilator. Tools down for good , soon.
The Block continues to try to milk the cheating scandal with more oBvioUsLY manufactured drama. Like all producer interventions, it falls flat.
The most annoying thing about it all is the lack of shame.
The twins continue to shout louder and louder in defence. Someone should tell them that there is no defence. Just apologies profusely and “sincerely” and move on otherwise their reputations are never going to recover from this. Can you imagine trying to set yourself up in business (substitute Instagram influencer) after this and demand that people trust you? In their field of dreams/
I can’t watch this show for more than seconds at a time but I am gathering my rage for that final episode when the twins – or those other horrible people that I couldn’t even be bothered remembering their names – make the most amount of money.
Nothing happened on The Block tonight. The producers must be so disappointed.
They tried to pretend that there was tension by focusing on tiles cracking.
Bwahaha. Didn’t work.
I’ve cut my own tiles. Here’s news. Sometimes that happens. 🤷 You know, life.
So let’s build cubby houses because that is sooooo interesting. Desperation move.
If the contestants don’t start screaming hysterically at each other soon, the producers will be out if a job and this is not going to look good on their CVs.
If I understand Scotty, Vito and cheating person whose name I can’t remember spent $2,200 on door jams.
Apparently, they could have got these for free from the shows sponsors, and secondly …. $2,200 ??? On door jams ???
They are now $10,000 over budget.
Again, remember the days of the contestants renovating on the smell of an oily rag? And remember when the budget was a major factor in the show? And a source of drama?
Yeah.
I suppose the contestants have all figured out that you come on the show, point the tradesman at a room, speak to the camera occasionally and then, due to a rising and overinflated market, hold both their hands out for that huge cheque that results from the final sale.
And that, folks, is why this show is over.
Those pouting, sooking, cheating, spoilt twins. Like a first day kindy kid who’s an only child, hasn’t been socialised and knows no consequences. But quadruple, cos there’s two of them validating each other’s vileness, at 28 years old!!
At the end of the news, I wasn’t quick enough to change the channel and heard about a minute of the start of this show.
Someone called someone else a pig; someone else said something was a load of crap; someone was loudly told to get out…it was like watching a primary school slanging match. Is it supposed to be adults who participate in this show?
Last night was bathroom reveal. Reveals used to be best episodes.
As an overall comment, I mostly couldn’t tell one bathroom from another. Very little of interest. Very little that’s different. All bland. The judges scratched around for small defects. When a highlight of one bathroom was the towel, you really know there’s a problem.
Comments from judges were predictable and repetitive. I wonder if Darren gets paid a bonus every time he says, “Wow”.
Just one highlight (or should that be lowlight). The twins bathroom – which btw cost $42,000 😯 – had an outside bathtub. I’ll just let everyone ponder that for a moment. I mean the outside tub bit, not the obscene amount of money bit.
Who, in the right mind, thinks that it is an attractive feature to sit in a bathtub outside. Never, in the history of ever, would I find it relaxing to bath naked outside. In my backyard. With neighbours “right there”. In the weather.
Clearly, the twins must have had some doubt that it would fly in the real world because they installed an overhead strip heater. 🤣🤣🤣
But I’m guessing that there’s always some idiot with money.
I kept thinking ‘you’re building a pool!’ Including hot spa is the way to go in Vic. An outdoor shower is essential for pool. Love an outdoor shower, way cheaper than their outdoor bath.
Judges didn’t mention their temporary fix for breaching step height building code but standard shower screens in a 4 day work week is a problem.
Oh my…have not any of these ‘fans’ watched the Block! They are a most unpalatable combination of dumb and nasty.
Only third episode in Wk 2.
We have just finished watching Week 2. If the ‘fans’ were the calibre of applicant for this season no wonder the producers needed to bring back RG and MM.
Stupid, uneducated bogans is the only manner in which to describe the ‘fans’.
We are not the biggest fans of MM but the manner in which one of the twins (we can’t care to distinguish between them) stood over Mitch in the Beacon carpark was shocking. All because Mitch happened to select the towels the twin wanted. Three letters flicked through my mind watching that scene…A.V.O…
Venetian Plaster…Mate….nothing original…been done before….
You know the NSW education system is failing when the moron does not know the difference between quiche and kitsch. Embarrassing.
Absolutely loathe Vito and the one with purple hair. Have you not watched an episode of the Block before???? We have zero sympathy if you do not have a rough idea of the layout of your bathroom before going on the Block and not know that public holidays are not bludge days.
Switched over to the Block to hear that one couple have imported their marble kitchen tops from New York, and switched right out again.
Don’t need to watch anymore.
W**kers.
Looks like Mitch and Mark used the same Neff ovens I have. They are great though. 😀
Looks like the cheating scandal is reheated and served to viewers again tonight.
Times must be tough on Struggle Street ,$cotty. Put yer tool down, mate.
I’ve kind of gathered that the ongoing drahma is the reason that no-one was sent home in the first instance.
There would have been nothing to watch otherwise.
The rooms themselves are seriously uninteresting.
These people are going to be rewarded for the overheated property market rather than any work they’ve done.