Better Homes and Gardens
Encyclopedia
- For the American magazine of the same name, see Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)Better Homes and Gardens is the fourth best selling magazine in the United States. The editor in Chief is Gayle Butler. Better Homes and Gardens focuses on interests regarding homes, cooking, gardening, crafts, healthy living, decorating, and entertaining. The magazine is published 12 times per...
- For the American television series which uses some elements of the same format, see Better (TV series)Better (TV series)Better is a syndicated lifestyle television show. It airs weekdays on 80 stations across the United States. The program is produced and distributed by Meredith Corporation which was first founded as a publishing company back in 1902. Better gets its name from Meredith's flagship publication, Better...
Better Homes and Gardens is a popular Australian lifestyle television program broadcast on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. The show covers a wide variety of lifestyle related activities including gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, craft
Craft
A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...
, pet care
PETS
PETS may be an acronym for:* Pet Travel Scheme, which allows animals to travel internationally without quarantine* Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act...
and DIY
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
.
Australian actress Noni Hazlehurst hosted the show during its premiere year in 1995 through to 2004. Her husband at the time, John Jarratt
John Jarratt
-Early life:Jarratt was born and grew up in Wongawilli, a small rural town near Wollongong, New South Wales and later in the Snowy Mountains area. Jarratt's father was a coal miner and later concreter, who worked on the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme. Both his parents were of Irish origin....
was also a presenter on the show. Former swimmer-turned-television presenter Johanna Griggs
Johanna Griggs
Johanna Leigh Griggs is a former swimmer and current television presenter from Australia.-Swimming career:Griggs represented Australia at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990—winning a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke event....
replaced Noni as host in 2005. The show also features pet advice from Dr. Harry Cooper, a popular TV vet, after his TV series, Harry's Practice, which also featured Dr. Katrina Warren
Katrina Warren
Dr Katrina Warren is an Australian veterinarian, best known as the host of several popular television programs.- Background Information :...
and Dr. Chris Brown, was axed in 2003.
The theme song for the show until 2005 was a cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Getting Better
Getting Better
"Getting Better" is a song written mainly by Paul McCartney, with lyrical contributions from John Lennon . It was recorded by The Beatles for the 1967 album Sgt...
". This was changed to a new theme in 2006, composed by Jay Stewart.
Hosts
- Noni Hazlehurst (1995–2004)
- John JarrattJohn Jarratt-Early life:Jarratt was born and grew up in Wongawilli, a small rural town near Wollongong, New South Wales and later in the Snowy Mountains area. Jarratt's father was a coal miner and later concreter, who worked on the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme. Both his parents were of Irish origin....
(1995–98) - Graham Ross (2004)
- Johanna GriggsJohanna GriggsJohanna Leigh Griggs is a former swimmer and current television presenter from Australia.-Swimming career:Griggs represented Australia at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990—winning a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke event....
(2005– )
Food
- Belinda Jeffrey (1995–2000)
- Maeve O'Meara (2000–2007)
- Ed HalmagyiEd HalmagyiEd Halmagyi, born Sergio Panda Halmagyi and also known as Fast Ed, is an Australian chef, TV presenter, author, and radio host.He is best known for his cooking segment on Better Homes And Gardens, and writes a monthly column in the magazine of the same name...
(2004– ) - Karen MartiniKaren MartiniKaren Martini is an Australian chef, restaurateur, writer and television presenter. She is currently executive chef of The Melbourne Wine Room in fashionable St Kilda.Martini began cooking at a young age...
(2007– )
Gardening
- Graham Ross (1995– )
- Linda Ross (1995– )
- Jason Hodges (2005– ) (Landscaping)
Architect
- Tony Fragar (1995–1996)
- Grahame BondGrahame Bond (actor)Grahame Bond is an Australian actor, writer, director, musician and composer who began his career in entertainment at University of Sydney in the 1960s as a founding student member of the Sydney University Architecture Revue, which included his university friends Geoffrey Atherden , Peter Weir...
(1998–2002) - Peter Coulqhoun (2003– )
Decorating
- Noni Hazlehurst (1995)
- Fiona Connoly (1995–2004) (Craft)
- Sandy de Beyer (1996)
- Monica TrapagaMonica TrapagaMonica Trapaga is an Australian entertainment presenter, jazz singer and actress, best known for her work on the Australian series Play School. Trapaga appeared on Better Homes and Gardens from 1997-2003 in segments related to decorating. She worked as a presenter on the children's television...
(1997–2003) - Gwen Jones Palmer (2004)
- Lissanne Oliver (2005)
- Tara Dennis (2006– )
DIY
- John JarrattJohn Jarratt-Early life:Jarratt was born and grew up in Wongawilli, a small rural town near Wollongong, New South Wales and later in the Snowy Mountains area. Jarratt's father was a coal miner and later concreter, who worked on the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme. Both his parents were of Irish origin....
(1995–1998) - Scott McGregorScott McGregor (television presenter)Scott McGregor is an Australian actor, television presenter and railway enthusiast.- Early life :Scott McGregor was born in Orange, New South Wales where his parents had a farm and his father managed the The Central Western Daily newspaper...
(1999–2003) - Rob PalmerRob Palmer (presenter)Rob Palmer is an Australian television presenter, best known for presenting the do it yourself segments on several lifestyle programs on the Seven Network.-Career:...
(2004– )
Broadcast
The program originally aired on Tuesdays at 7.30 pm at ran back to back with The Great Outdoors until the travel program was moved to Mondays early in the 2000's. It then aired before Room For Improvement, which was hosted by then-DIYDo it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
presenter Scott McGregor
Scott McGregor (television presenter)
Scott McGregor is an Australian actor, television presenter and railway enthusiast.- Early life :Scott McGregor was born in Orange, New South Wales where his parents had a farm and his father managed the The Central Western Daily newspaper...
. Better Homes was moved to Saturday nights at 7.30 pm in 2004, before being shifted to 6.30pm. Both timeslots were reportedly disastrous for ratings and the show struggled immensely against Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
on other networks. In 2005, it was shifted to 7:30pm on Friday nights, where it has enjoyed ratings success since. It is now the longest-running Australian TV lifestyle program and the highest rating show on Australian TV. It was often among the top 10 rating programs in Australia during the 1990's, sometimes with audiences in excess of two million.
From 2007 until 2011, the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
showed Better Homes and Gardens at 7:30pm, prior to its coverage of Friday Night Football
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
starting at 8:30pm. This was a very successful timeslot for the show, but the scheduling was unpopular amongst football fans on the east coast, because it meant that the football was shown on a one-hour delayed telecast
Broadcast delay
In radio and television, broadcast delay refers to the practice of intentionally delaying broadcast of live material. A short delay is often used to prevent profanity, bloopers, violence, or other undesirable material from making it to air, including more mundane problems such as technical...
(except for matches in Perth, which were live due to the time difference). Sports fans and media continually called for Seven to shift Better Homes and Gardens and show the football live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
, but Seven preferred to leave the show in its top-rating timeslot, moving it only for particularly large matches. Better Homes and Gardens will be forced into a new timeslot from 2012 (at least during the football season), as the new AFL Broadcast Rights deal will force Seven to show the football live on Friday nights.
At the conclusion of the 2011 AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
football season, Better Homes And Gardens was extended permenently (or at least to the start of the 2012 AFL season) to 90 minutes.
During the course of the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
, which is televised live on seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, Better Homes And Gardens is cancelled.
On Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
Better Homes And Gardens is shifted to Saturday night so seven can televise The Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday appeal
Good Friday Appeal
The Good Friday Appeal is a fundraising activity on behalf of the Royal Children's Hospital, in Melbourne, Australia. In 2010, the appeal raised A$14,462,000....
. There is no AFL game on Good Friday with the AFL Friday night game moved to Thursday.
In 2012, Better Homes And Gardens will move to Thursday nights.