[redpoint5]

Home improvement shows exist to make money through entertainment and other ancillary endeavors that bring in money. I'm sure they are at least occasionally useful too, though I've probably watched 100 such shows for every actual project I've tackled.

I find it most useful to decide what project to tackle, and then google specific advice on how best to accomplish it.

Then there's shows like the Woodwright Shop, which is just fascinating to watch a craftsman work expertly using tools we wouldn't imagine could work as well as they do; in the right hands.