The Salvager
The Salvager is a British reality television show produced by Attaboy Productions and aired on Discovery Real Time. The show ran for two series featuring Rico Daniels a passionate recycler and salvager scouring scrap yards, council tips and charity shops finding scrap metal and wood and transforming them into useful and unusual items. The second series re-titled Le Salvager relies on the same premise but sees Daniels relocate to the Vosges of eastern France.[1] The show is often repeated on Quest and Discovery Shed in the United Kingdom.
| The Salvager | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Directed by | Warren Green |
| Presented by | Rico Daniels |
| Opening theme | The Salvager Theme |
| Ending theme | The Salvager Theme |
| Country of origin | England |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Daneil Allum & Michael Wood |
| Production location | Essex & Vosges |
| Editor | James Cooper |
| Running time | 22 Minutes [Without Commercials] |
| Production company | Attaboy Productions |
| Distributor | Attaboy Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | Discovery Real Time |
| Picture format | 16:10 |
| Original release | 2004 – 2005 |
| External links | |
| The Salvager Website | |
| Production website | |
The Host
Daniels was born in Basildon, Essex in 1952. He left school at the age of 15 to become a civil servant but quickly realised it wasn't for him and became an art student. This also displeased Daniels and he eventually became a market trader.[2]
Screen Test
In 2002 Daniels was invited for a screen test about men and their sheds. Although he was not quite right for the show, the producer liked his unique style and commissioned a series showing his talent for transforming trash into treasures.[2]
Possible Third Series
In November 2012 Daniels announced on Twitter that he had sent two pitches for a third series of the salvager to Attaboy Productions the production company that made the first two.[3]
Series 1 - The Salvager
| Episode | Title | Description | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Collectors Table | Rico Daniels explains how to create a coffee table from the remnants of old tea caddies as well as other salvaged materials.[4] | 2004 |
| 2 | Dining Room Table | Salvage expert Rico Daniels tests his skills to the limit when he uses some railway sleepers and an axle from an old Jaguar to create a dining room table of the highest quality.[4] | 2004 |
| 3 | Country Kitchen Part 1 | Presenter Rico Daniels tries to fit a Shaker-style country kitchen using old doors to create a new cabinet, and finishes the design off with a reclaimed Belfast sink.[4] | 2004 |
| 4 | Country Kitchen Part 2 | Presenter Rico Daniels continues with his Shaker-style kitchen project, fashioning a butcher's block from scrap wood, and a unique wine-rack from 20 old bean tins.[4] | 2004 |
| 5 | Wardrobe | Expert craftsman Rico Daniels demonstrates how four old doors can be transformed into a wardrobe, finished with a coating of rustic paint.[4] | 2004 |
| 6 | Ottoman and Wall Mirror | Rico Daniels dismantles an old storage chest and produces a wall mirror complete with iron fixings.[4] | 2004 |
| 7 | Storage Unit | Rico Daniels creates a storage unit using just three old doors and four fruit crates.[4] | 2004 |
| 8 | Four-Poster Bed Part 1 | Rico Daniels turns a pile of old fence posts and floorboards into a stylish four-poster bed.[4] | 2004 |
| 9 | Four-Poster Bed Part 2 | Rico Daniels skins the leather off old bags, coats and shoes as he sets about designing his own unique headboard.[4] | 2004 |
| 10 | Bookcase | Rico Daniels uses stained glass and dark wood to construct an elegant bookcase.[4] | 2004 |
| 11 | TV Cabinet | Salvage expert Rico Daniels uses an old galvanised water tank and two 1950s fire extinguishers to create a home entertainment unit.[4] | 2004 |
| 12 | Coffee Table and Lamp | Rico Daniels uses an iron street grid, fence posts, a wooden tripod and a Victorian trolley to create a low coffee table and the base of a lamp.[4] | 2004 |
| 13 | Conservatory Chair | Craftsman Rico Daniels strips back a broken sofa and rebuilds it into a conservatory chair.[4] | 2004 |
| 14 | Computer Cabinet | Salvage expert Rico Daniels guts an old harmonium to create a computer cabinet, before cutting down an old church pew to form a matching chair.[4] | 2004 |
| 15 | Corner Unit | Rico Daniels makes a corner unit out of used floorboards, with an old saw blade as a decorative motif.[4] | 2004 |
Series 2 - Le Salvager
| Episode | Title | Description | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dining Table | Rico Daniels creates a bespoke refectory table out of two tree trunks, using roots and old floorboards for the top.[4] | 2005 |
| 2 | Boat and Trailer - Part 1 | Rico Daniels converts a transit van into a boat by cutting off the top, fitting out the interior and adding layers of glass fibre.[4] | 2005 |
| 3 | Boat and Trailer - Part 2 | Using an old van axle, a steel channel and a sprinkler pipe, Rico Daniels builds a trailer for his newly completed boat.[4] | 2005 |
| 4 | Boiler Cover | Rico Daniels uses wood and metal to make a decorative boiler cover.[4] | 2005 |
| 5 | Kitchen Part 1 | Rico Daniels creates an unusual fitted kitchen, using a huge French army copper pot as the sink and various flea market finds as the fixtures and fittings.[4] | 2005 |
| 6 | Kitchen Part 2 | Rico Daniels adds the finishing touches to the fitted kitchen, including a splashback made from Roman roof tiles[4] | 2005 |
| 7 | Chaise Longue | Rico Daniels uses rivets and welding to convert a Renault 4 into a metal chaise longue, incorporating the car's headlights.[4] | 2005 |
| 8 | Greenhouse Part 1 | Rico Daniels tries to build a greenhouse from reclaimed timber and doors.[4] | 2005 |
| 9 | Greenhouse Part 2 | Rico Daniels adds the finishing touches to his greenhouse project by creating a garden path made of roof tiles.[4] | 2005 |
| 10 | Rustic Bookcase | Using a large pine tree from his local forest, Rico Daniels creates a rustic bookcase which he models almost completely with just one tool.[4] | 2005 |