The television viewing experience has changed dramatically over the last few years, with a plethora of channels and choice unimaginable a few decades ago.
In spite of all the alternatives available, the niche devoted to DIY is still enormously popular, but why should this be? The interest in do it yourself has grown along with the rise in home ownership and the increase in leisure time spent at home.
It is not just the desire to save money that prompts people to undertake home improvement, but it is also a desire to do something for themselves and take pride in doing it.
This can give those of us with less expertise an inferiority complex, but it doesn't stop us enjoying watching a TV programme about DIY.
For instance hanging a wooden door is on the face of it quite a straightforward operation, which a DIY expert would have no difficulty with.
Measuring carefully, cutting to size if needed, cutting out for the hinges and fitting the door handles, all quite easy for the expert but a nightmare for the inept, yet strangely watching someone do this is more fascinating for the non-dextrous observer than for someone more capable.
People are always fascinated to see someone doing something that is outside their capabilities, whether it is running 100 metres in less than 10 seconds or chiselling out a wooden door to fix the hinges.
Even when experts demonstrate how to do these tasks, things can go wrong and it is strangely amusing (and comforting), to see other people making mistakes! There must be more to these programmes, however, than watching people do things that we can't, and one thing that DIY programmes can give us, whether we are handy or not, is ideas to improve our living space.
We spend a lot of time at home, perhaps more so since the economic downturn and so we want to make it as pleasant as possible.
These programmes can give us ideas about how we can make our home a more pleasant place and equally give us ideas about what not to do.
Anyone who has seen "Changing Rooms" will know of some of the mistakes that can be made in the name of interior design, but what they also demonstrate is that if you try something and it doesn't work, you can always start again with a new idea.
Recently "makeover" programmes have moved more into the reality TV format by helping people in real difficulties perhaps due to family circumstances or previously botched building work.
The use of real people who need help gives us a warm feeling and provides the comfort that maybe our own home is not so bad.
If we do feel energised to try some DIY instead of just thinking about it then there are a variety of hints and tips out there available on many websites.
For instance if you feel like hanging that door yourself there is plenty of advice on door suppliers websites for example, so turn off the TV and give it a go!