Handyman Superstar Challenge
Handyman Superstar Challenge'' (also referred to asSuperstar Handyman Challenge'' from the show's first season logo) is a television game show on HGTV Canada, hosted by Karen Bertelsen.
The show, organized akin to a talent search, with the winner being awarded the opportunity to host a show on HGTV. Candidates could be nominated through HGTV's website. The ten finalists are evaluated by three judges: HGTV casting agent Shasta Lutz as well as the hosts of two HGTV shows, Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes and Jim Caruk from Real Renos.
Currently, two seasons are finished.
Format
At the start of each day, each of the remaining contestants are given a challenge, with the contestant believed to have done the worst according to the three judges being eliminated. This continued until three contestants remain, from which one of the three would be named the Handyman Superstar after a final head-to-head challenge.
Challenges tend to combine a skill aspect and a presentation aspect - some challenges, however, are purely skill-oriented or purely presentation-oriented.
For the first season, each show is 30 minutes in length, with the final show being one hour long. Starting with the second season, (to be consistent with its companion shows) every show is one hour long.
Synopsis
Season 1
The ten finalists, as chosen by the judges, for the first season are the following:
Name |
Hometown |
Finish |
|---|---|---|
Ted Andersen |
Welland, Ontario |
Runner-Up |
Ivan Gojmerac |
Welland, Ontario |
10th |
Glen Horwood |
Courtice, Ontario |
Runner-Up |
Randy Jones |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
7th |
William Lush |
Upper Guilles, Newfoundland and Labrador |
4th |
Jordan MacNab |
Coquitlam, British Columbia |
Winner |
Ian MacRae |
Burlington, Ontario |
5th |
Ilka Riemann |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
9th |
Paul Stary |
Niagara Falls, Ontario |
7th |
Richard Zwic |
Toronto, Ontario |
6th |
Episode |
Title |
Challenge |
Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
The "Pitch |
Each contestant must pitch an idea for an HGTV show to the judges, with the contestant having the worst pitch eliminated. |
Ivan |
2 |
Stick Around |
Each contestant has two hours to build and two minutes to present a piece of furniture or a decorative item fashioned from hockey sticks, with the contestant giving the worst combined effort being eliminated. |
Ilka |
3 |
Finishing School |
The eight remaining contestants are split into four teams of two, with each team having to finish a mock room in three hours. Aspects tested include tilework, drywalling, floorboard Laying, and wainscotting. The worst team is eliminated. |
Paul and Randy |
4 |
Meet the Client |
Each contestant must give an estimate of the costs of a homeowner's basement renovation. The contestant giving the worst estimate, according to the homeowner, is eliminated. |
Richard |
5 |
Know it or Blow It |
Each contestant must complete three challenges with twenty minutes for each challenge: shingling a doghouse, hanging a door, and installing a toilet. Each contestant is also subject to a 20-question quiz by the judges on their contractor skills. The contestant with the worst overall performance is eliminated. |
Ian |
6 |
Show Time |
Each of the four remaining contestants, after being given acting lessons and a makeover, are to deliver a script, which are then evaluated by an HGTV focus group. The contestant with the worst performance according to both the group and the judges are eliminated. |
William |
7 |
All Hands on Deck |
The three remaining contestants are given eight hours to build a deck. Each contestant is given ample materials and tools, as well as a budget for obtaining additional materials, as well as a team of carpenters, led by a "celebrity carpenter" (either Neil Davies from Real Renos, Shawn Morren from Holmes on Homes, or Jay Purvis from Kitchen Equipped). The contestant with the best deck is named the Handyman Superstar |
Glen and Ted |
In addition to hosting their own show, it is revealed in the final episode that the winner (Jordan) would also be making a guest appearance on an episode of Holmes on Homes.
Season 2
Although the format remains the same for Season 2, various minor changes have been made to match the format of the fourth season of Designer Superstar Challenge, including having the challenges take place on consecutive days, requiring the contestants to live together in a luxury loft, and the initial "three rooms" challenge. The second season also further separated the skill-based "Handyman" challenges (which themselves de-emphasized the need for skills more suited for professional contractors, such as home renovation estimates) and the presentation-based "Superstar" challenges. The look-and-feel is also altered to match the fourth season of Designer, which is also consistent with the third season of Chef and the first season of Hair.
The ten finalists for the second season are as follows:
Name |
Hometown |
Finish |
|---|---|---|
Brian Bailey |
Caledon, Ontario |
7th |
Christina Hillborne |
Golden, British Columbia |
2nd |
Kevin Howe |
Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia |
Winner |
Brian "Lex" Leuthel |
Aurora, Ontario |
6th |
Richard McLellan |
Delta, British Columbia |
9th |
David O'Rourke |
St. Catharines, Ontario |
2nd |
Christian Pack |
Hamilton, Ontario |
4th |
Mahendra Henri Persaud |
New Westminster, British Columbia |
10th |
Anastasia Vaskova |
Burlington, Ontario |
7th |
Tony Vieira |
Richmond Hill, Ontario |
5th |
Episode |
Title |
Description |
Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Three Rooms |
The contestants must face three different challenges, one from each judge. In Shasta's challenge, the contestants must deliver a pitch for a TV show and describe a randomly chosen tool. In Mike's challenge, the contestants are asked to answer seven questions on handyman skills, and also to identify seven problems with a deck (built specifically for this challenge). In Jim's challenge, the contestants must cut a square and a circle from a piece of plywood so that it fits over a square and circle template. The one with the worst overall performance is eliminated. |
Henri |
2 |
Re-Claim to Fame |
In the "Handyman" portion, the contestants have three hours to take wood from discarded furniture and create something new. In the "Superstar" portion, the contestants must conduct a 3-minute interview with Steve Kelley and Jim Kelley from Junk Brothers in a television segment titled Reclaim to Fame. The contestant with the worst overall performance is eliminated. |
Richard |
3 |
Sink or Swim |
The contestants have two hours to build a floating dock out of wood, beach balls, pool noodles, barrels, and milk jugs, with a partner. The two contestants with the worst effort (not necessarily on the same team) are eliminated. |
Anastasia and Brian |
4 |
Know it or Blow it |
In the "Handyman" portion, the remaining contestants must complete three challenges with thirty minutes per challenge: tiling, plumbing, and repairing a screen door. The "Superstar" portion has the contestants preparing and delivering a one-minute Streeter-style rant on a topic of their choosing. The contestant with the worst overall performance is eliminated. |
Lex |
5 |
Doors, Walls, and Windows |
In the "Handyman" portion, the contestants have three hours to frame a wall, including installing a door, a window, drywall, trim, and plaster. In the "Superstar" portion, the contestants must host a segment where they answer "viewer mail". The contestant with the worst installation and the worst presentation is eliminated. |
Tony |
6 |
Good on Paper |
In the "Handyman" portion, the contestants have three hours to purchase lumber and build a piece of furniture given only a diagram (which May Be slightly inaccurate or missing in details). In the "Superstar" portion, the contestants must make a seven-minute presentation on seven different kinds of wood. The worst contestant in both portions is eliminated. In addition, the three remaining contestants are informed of their final challenge. |
Christian |
7 |
It's an Elevating Finish |
In the final challenge, the remaining contestants team up with three contractors to build an outdoor living space. At the end, one is named the Handyman Superstar. |
David and Christina |