r/TheBlock • u/Affectionate-Rub1853 • 1d ago
The Block is basically MAFS with waterproofing
Remember when the drama on The Block was a contestant discovering their floor wasn’t level at 11pm?
Now we’ve got contestants living together to manufacture fights, AI-generated fever dreams every five minutes, influencer casting, $3m houses nobody normal can afford and 45 minutes of drama for 90 seconds of actual renovating.
I don’t want the show cancelled. I want the old Block back.
Give five normal couples $500k shitboxes, a realistic budget and judges who care whether something is actually built properly.
That would be infinitely more entertaining than another argument in a sponsored E&S kitchen.
I fear the Hampton East drama season drew in a lot of attention and now the producers are aiming for that.
Btw if someone wants to write “you’re watching trash TV what do you expect” or “turn off your TV” save your breath…this is a subreddit about the Block you’re welcome not to comment or be here.
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u/LeastBlackberry1 1d ago
I don't feel like there has been a lot of contestant drama. Wyatt and Jolene have been in their feelings, but they haven't done much about it except whine. It has mostly been drama about budgets, bad trades, and unfinished rooms.
I do miss the days when they renovated horrible shit boxes, though. They were much more fun than the current builds. And I definitely do not love the AI anything at all.
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u/Affectionate-Rub1853 1d ago
You’re right…not heaps of drama…but I feel like the producers are pushing it in that direction and the contestants just haven’t bitten yet.
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u/limark "Award-winning" 1d ago
Unfortunately, MAFS dominating the ratings means that Nine wants to try to mimic the formula wherever they can. If Deadliest Catch was their biggest show we’d be seeing them build houseboats in the Bass Strait.
I don’t want the show cancelled. I want the old Block back.
The only way I ever see this happening is if they do a spin-off series that focuses on renovating suburban houses, because there's just no financial or viewership incentive to move away from these million dollar homes.
The sponsors would be less annoying if they had different things to offer, as it is we see the same old shit appearing year after year.
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u/Doc-cubus118 1d ago
They should make affordable homes for the first home buyers. Help fix the housing crises, rather than make inflation worse with the $3m homes.
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u/limark "Award-winning" 1d ago
It gets said a lot on here, but changing it so contestants have two small apartments or houses per team would be the best result. Keeps the challenge, has a bit more of a safety net on auction day and like you said it doesn’t spit in the face of the housing crisis.
Could theoretically earn the same amount of money as a regular season, too.
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u/throwaway_7m 1d ago
Even if they did a spin off where the teams were refurbishing affordable housing. You can still make a home look beautiful without spending $20k on a lounge room
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u/Affectionate_Sun_733 1d ago
Let’s be fair the crazy chick (tayla?) who spent $500 on towels could have got similar from kmart/target/bedbath&beyond (from nz so guessing) for under $100. Just because you have money doesnt mean you need to spend it all. I would NEVER spend $500 on two towels and a hand towel.
Same with the girls and the plaster, have they painted anything? That costs them paint, no labour. Having all these expensive finishes should have to be approved.
Then you have wyatt and courtney ditching the block to go to the gym and she flew back to her kids for a day. They should be so exhausted by the end of the day they are too tired to do anything else. Oh and shes a qualified tradie, why isn’t she the one running things. Is big boy too concerned about ruining his image by having to shop and style?
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u/throwaway_7m 1d ago
The AI is so cringe (and I'm not even a Gen Z). The season that would give them the biggest ratings would be buying a block of low income housing and making them beautiful while still affordable for the average Joe. Surely with all of their sponsorships they could do a charity season and sell the houses under our at average market value. I'd watch the hell out of that.
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u/Fun-Plantain6117 1d ago
Back to basics. A show where you learn about renovating, tips.and tricks, especially of older tired dwellings and explore a wide range of decorating options, including second hand pieces etc. Modern, scandi, retro the lot.
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u/couldbethemove12 1d ago
Agreed! I’d love to see them run back the older series type show would be great
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u/tucklyjones7 1d ago
Yep would love a back to basics season. Buy a block of regular family homes in bad shape. Get 5 teams, give them 3 houses each. Demand they each must be different designs and layouts. Give each house a reasonable budget. Remove all the ai bs. Do not have judges give them a brief, let creative people create. Give them a week 0, to plan, and design what they want to do, so that the engineers on the show can help them create their vision. Do not give unfair winning weeks where week 1 or 2 have here is 250k extra of stuff and then week 3 is heres 10k, each win should hold the same value. Remove all the limitations of hours etc, make rules, if broken have punishments.
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u/Uncannny-Preserves 1d ago
I feel like the driving problem is the judges. They exist in a luxury strata. It puts a stress there and a problem that doesn’t exist for 99% of home buyers.
Personally, I still enjoy watching. I do like new builds. And, I can understand from a safety POV for production (and 9 & 6), it’s much easier to start with new. No lead. No asbestos etc. I own a 125 year old house. What I wouldn’t give for square and plumb and not sucking lead dust every time I crack open a wall or window. So, watching people problem solve that reality; that is pretty good drama right there imho.
I think a lot of your criticisms are valid. I think the cost factor and the price point striving is not a good goal for The Block. I think there needs to be an affordability intervention.
The AI is like the crazy pattern tile in the bathroom. Poor choice.
But, I am still watching, enjoying and learning.
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u/Doc-cubus118 1d ago
I only watch the reveals. And yes bring the old block back when they actually showed how to build and renovate stuff. I did like the gay/lesbian couples. The rest were meh.
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u/Oddly_Curious99 23h ago
I remember one contestant was using lvl for the framing instead of standard 90x45 pine. Back when they had to order and build.
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u/KennKennyKenKen 21h ago
I like drama but I like good drama.
Either commit to full drama or don't do it at all
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u/kingdazy 1d ago
I'd love this. I'd start watching daily again. but then I think about The Oslo, Glasshouse, Gatwick...
I didn't mind the "luxury"and drama so much when the properties were actually interesting, the cast was good, And they weren't constantly being set up for failure with manufactured pressure.