Channel 5 - DIY Dummies (2014)

Al Murray celebrates Britain’s biggest DIY disasters in a four-part entertainment series that names and shames the perpetrators of some of the most heinous crimes the do-it-yourself world has ever seen. Each instalment features a themed collection of DIY debacles from wallpapering to roofing, telling terrible stories from British homes. The tales feature some tremendously good sports and their misguided masterpieces, as well as their long-suffering partners! The coveted Glass Hammer award awaits each DIY dummy we meet.

Part 1:
Meet Graham from Southport, who has been fixing up his bathroom for over five years. Sadly, it still does not even have a bath, to the chagrin of his long-suffering wife Sandra. Amber from Watford has trouble with furniture. She loves flat-packs but cannot assemble them properly, as is evident in her disastrous attempt to build a chest of drawers. Also featured is Nick, a DIY maverick from Swindon. He built his own loft ladder, which unfortunately collapsed on to his head. Mario from Leeds wanted to impress his wife Gail with a gleaming new stainless steel kitchen, but instead simply covered his old cupboards in aluminium sheets. Now all his work is coming apart. Nigel is a DIY hero from Burton-on-Trent who survived a dramatic near-death experience with a nail gun. He somehow managed to shoot himself in the heart and survived. Finally, Lee from Hertfordshire has been putting off papering his front room, fearing the harsh judgment of his partner Michelle. When he finally has a go, it is easy to understand why.

Part 2:
Meet Panny Panesar from Leeds, who has been hammering away at his kitchen for years, yet it looks like a bike shed. Nothing's fitted in properly and his extractor fan only works if the wind’s blowing! Chris Keenan lives near Southampton. For reasons known only to himself, his claim to fame is a talent for re-purposing possessions that work perfectly well into other things that don’t. Meanwhile, Mickey Francis is a DIY tornado. Never happier than when he is in repair mode, he has been battling away in the eye of a particularly wet storm: a perpetually leaking bathroom.. Jasmine Davidson is a busy single mum and part-time model. She may have perfectly manicured nails, but that hasn’t stopped her trying to lay her own flooring. It’s now in complete shambles, as her mother is only too keen to point out. Finally, Phil Arnold proved he is one of the nation’s most fearless DIYers by taking on the removal of a wasp nest in his shed. To the amusement of his wife, he did this, marched into battle armed with an electric fly swatter.

Part 3:
Al Murray introduces more champion botchers in this entertaining series which pays tribute to some of the dodgiest DIY disasters ever perpetrated in British homes. This week’s champion klutzes manage to mess up a wide range of everyday challenges from fitting doors and laying floors to mending fences and building garden walls. Cases this week include Steve from Spalding who lives in a house beset by problems. After an earthquake, the house suffered from several huge cracks, which caused a flood. Overwhelmed by the task, Steve has barely fixed anything. Seven years after the disaster, the bedroom doors still do not even have handles! In Watford, Nitin’s garden fence is falling down. Even though he shamelessly admits that his DIY skills are virtually non-existent, he still has a go at fixing the offending wood work. Sadly, even with the help of his partner Anjali, the repaired fence remains as rickety as ever.

Part 4:
Chris Lou from Warrington was midway into his extension project when he sprung a massive leak. To make matters even worse, the only way into the extension was through a tiny hole because the room lacked a door. Dawn Skeates is a Basildon resident with an aversion to electric drills. Whenever she needs to attach two objects, she uses glue, as a result of which things tend to come unstuck. Meanwhile, Ruairidh MacNeill from Argyll is lucky to be alive. While preparing to fix up his kitchen, he accidentally chopped his hand almost clean off and had to be flown by helicopter to hospital. His wife has since hidden the hazardous piece of equipment responsible for the accident to stop him doing any more damage to himself.