David Nebenzahl wrote:

On shows like these, the jobs are made to look so darned easy. All
the materials are waiting for assembly and nothing is spoiled, the
wrong type or missing. The air gun never misfires and the
compressor never needs to be drained (yes, you have to drain
compressors daily because they fill up with water and will rust out
if you don’t do so). That’s another thing I hate: in actuality,
there are many small details that fill a contractor’s day (or your
day when you play contractor) but they’re neatly edited out, just
as they are in a cooking show. Just pop the raw one in the oven and
Voila, the new freshly baked one comes right out of the other oven.

This really misses the point. Shows like TOH aren't meant to provide
all-encompassing A-Z instruction for people who have never held a hammer in
their entire lives, that's probably not possible on TV as there are too many
things people have to experience themselves to really understand. They know
there are some things we'll pick up quickly (that's why they have experts
who coach the homeowners through the basics) while there are more
complicated jobs aimed at those who already know the difference between a
jigsaw and a drill press.

Watching a video isn't a substitute for having the tool in your own hands
and learning how to use it via the time-honored method of making mistakes.
TOH and similar shows provide ideas to people with some experience of using
tools, with tips and guidance to made the job easier, and frankly with
inspiration--"Hey, I think I could do that." Expecting such a show to teach
someone how to tie their shoes and wipe their nose is ridiculous, that isn't
the purpose. Anyone who has done household repairs and upgrades knows it
will take a lot longer and involve a few mistakes as compared to a TV show,
who believes otherwise?

NYW is a whole different animal, it's aimed at people who already have a
garage full of tools and some idea of how to use them--that Norm appears on
both shows is irrelevant. Seriously, who expects things to go together as
easily as Tommy or Norm make it look? What a misplaced complaint, but if
the guy gets paid to write such foolishness I suppose he's laughing all the
way to the bank.