Grand Designs

Isn't Channel 4 +1 brilliant? I was spoilt for choice this evening by New Apprentice, and one of my stalwart favourites, Grand Designs. But, thanks to the beauty of hour later scheduling I could watch both. (More on Lord Sugar's new gang to come later).

Now, I could watch Grand Designs over and over again, and I do regularly on More4, but it's always great when a new series comes along. What's nice though, is that each new series is familiar and comfortable; as Kevin might say, the old and the new sit well next to one another.

The format of the show has barely changed, if at all, since it first aired in 1999, which is testament to how good it actually is. Whereas some programmes feel the need to shake up the format to keep the viewer interested (imagine two Grand Designers going head to head to complete on time, and put as much value onto their house. No thanks.), Grand Designs has stuck to the format which works.

But why hasn't this format become stale yet, after all, it's just people building houses. Well, it's because while each episode follows a similar format, a completely different story is told each week; no two projects are exactly alike. They might seem similar, but will be approached in completely different ways, keeping it fresh and watchable.

Similarly the mix of designs from week to week means that it doesn't get stale within the series. From an uber modern eco house one week, to a barn conversion steeped in history the next, each episode offers something different from the last, and the viewer learns something different from each project, whether it be a new building technique or how to read a dilapidated building to figure out its original use.

And I believe the the fantastic Mr McLoud is part of what keeps it interesting. His charm, wit and cynicism always provide entertainment, and his poetic summation at the end of each episode often leaves you feeling quite warm inside.

Grand Designs isn't about rich people building their dream houses (in fact, often the most modest of projects make for the most interesting episodes), it's about the story they have to tell whilst doing so. The viewer goes through the peaks and troughs they do and we are invited to be part of their lives as they live the project. And lets face it, it's always interesting to have a nosey at what they come up with!

On a final note, with regards to story telling, the episode from this series entitled "Woodbridge: The Modest Home" was truly moving. Grand Designs should be highly commended for the way they paid tribute to Nat, who passed away before this project could get underway. Not only did his widow Lucie help bring his design to life and leave a lasting legacy to her husband, the show has helped immortalise him and his dream of creating the perfect family home.

The word "journey" is thrown around a lot these days by those on reality tv series, but shows like the X Factor could learn a lot about emotional story telling from this particular episode.

Click to find out more about this episode, and how you can donate money to charity.

Grand Designs airs every Wednesday at 9.00PM on Channel 4