Changing Rooms

Changing Rooms is a do-it-yourself home improvement show broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC between 1996 and 2004.[1]

For other uses, see Changing room (disambiguation).

Changing Rooms
Developed byPeter Bazalgette
Ann Booth-Clibborn
Nick Vaughan-Barratt
Presented byCarol Smillie (1996–2003)
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (2003–04; 2021–)
Davina McCall (2021–)
StarringLinda Barker
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
Laura McCree
Anna Ryder Richardson
"Handy" Andy Kane
Graham Wynne
Liz Wagstaff
Gordon Whistance
Oliver Heath
Michael Jewitt
Rowena Johnson
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series17
No. of episodes165 (inc. specials)
Production
Running time30 minutes (original)
60 minutes (revival)
Production companyEndemol Shine UK
Release
Original networkBBC Two (1996–97)
BBC One (1998–2004)
Channel 4 (2021)
Picture format4:3, 16:9
Original release4 September 1996 (1996-09-04) –
22 November 2004 (2004-11-22)
Chronology
Related showsDIY SOS
60 Minute Makeover

The show was one of a number of home improvement and lifestyle shows popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The show was later franchised, generally under the same name, for the local TV markets in the United States, New Zealand and Australia.

Format

The premise of the show was for couples to swap houses with friends or neighbours with each pair decorating one room in each other's homes. This leads up to a finale with both couples seeing their rooms, and meeting up again – almost invariably on still friendly terms. With the show including some top designers, their ideas could be a little over the top, which led to a few tears and tantrums.

History

The show began on BBC Two, at 9pm on 4 September 1996, before transferring to BBC One for the start of the third series in 1998. The final edition was broadcast on 22 November 2004 after a successful 8 year, 17 series run. The cancellation was announced on 27 August 2004.

Changing Rooms was originally hosted by Carol Smillie, and assisting with the remodelling was a Cockney carpenter, "Handy" Andy Kane. The former designer on the show, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, took over presenting the show from Smillie in 2003 for series 14 and 15. "Handy" Andy went on to host his own DIY shows.

In November 2004, a special episode was taped in Boscastle, Cornwall, for Christmas broadcast. Designers Anna Ryder Richardson, Graham Wynne and Gordon Whistance took on the task of restoring the decor of homes and businesses damaged in the floods of August that year. The episode was broadcast on 28 December 2004.

In October 2020, Channel 4 announced that it would be reviving the show, with Llewelyn-Bowen returning as presenter alongside Davina McCall.[2]

Designers

The designers on the original version during its run included:

Disasters

In one episode in series 8, a Linda Barker room was being built in Wandsworth to accommodate a large collection of teapots. Overnight, the shelves collapsed, demolishing the valuable collection.[3]

The show gained popularity through the sometimes unusual designs of Llewelyn-Bowen and the reactions of some participants who disliked their newly designed rooms. Famously, one room of Llewelyn-Bowen's was decorated entirely in animal prints on the advice of the neighbours. The visibly upset homeowners described it as resembling "a tart's boudoir" and pointed out that the neighbours, also friends, had known of their dislike of animal prints but had suggested them to Llewelyn-Bowen as a joke.

In another famous episode, Anna Ryder Richardson designed a room for a couple where she placed framed erotic French undergarments around the room. On entering the room, the woman screamed aloud and shouted, "Why would I want this shit in my room?! I've got children!" and burst into tears. Richardson apparently blushed brightly.

In another episode, after a room had been designed, it had to be redesigned because the owner of the room missed her old fireplace.

International versions

The show has been franchised and variations of it appear in several other countries, sometimes with a different name – such as Trading Spaces in United States. The original Changing Rooms is also broadcast overseas, for example, on BBC America and featured in various US shows, the Sex and the City episode "Lights, Camera, Relationship" being one example.

A New Zealand edition of the show was produced for several years, also called Changing Rooms. It was identically formatted to the British series, with host Kerry Smith, "Handy" Andy Dye, and regular designers including Donald Grant Sunderland, Neil McLachlan and Sally Ridge. A handful of international shows were produced, each featuring one couple in New Zealand and one in the United Kingdom.

Australia's Nine Network also produced a local version of Changing Rooms from 1998 to 2005, hosted by Suzie Wilks who was assisted by Peter Everett, James Lindsay, Catherine Morton and Tim Janenko-Panaeff. The show is being revived by Network Ten in 2019.

Transmission guide

Original series
SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
1
4 September 1996
9 October 1996
6
2
28 July 1997
22 September 1997
8
3
10 March 1998
14 April 1998
6
4
16 July 1998
16 September 1998
10
5
6 January 1999
3 March 1999
8
6
6 September 1999
20 December 1999
10
7
5 May 2000
9 June 2000
6
8
4 September 2000
13 November 2000
9
9
27 November 2000
3 May 2001
11
10
11 September 2001
22 October 2001
7
11
25 February 2002
10 August 2002
13
12
26 August 2002
7 November 2002
8
13
3 April 2003
14 July 2003
12
14
15 September 2003
15 December 2003
13
15
5 January 2004
23 February 2004
7
16
19 April 2004
14 June 2004
8
17
9 August 2004
22 November 2004
12

Specials
Entitle Air Date
Series 1 Highlights 30 December 1996
Changing Rooms Stripped Bare 5 December 1998
Christmas Special: Arran 25 December 1998
Redecorated 2 April 1999
The World of Changing Rooms 30 August 1999
A Morning with Changing Rooms 13 December 1999
Tenerife 27 December 1999
When Changing Rooms Met Ground Force 13 February 2000
When Changing Rooms Met The Navy 2 September 2000
When Changing Rooms Met Ground Force 2 24 October 2000
Boscastle Christmas Special 28 December 2004

See also

References
  1. Samadder, Rhik (24 November 2014). "What happened to all the Changing Rooms stars?". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  2. West, Amy (9 October 2020). "Big Brother's Davina McCall joins reboot of Changing Rooms". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opb8iaslEjE
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