Better Homes and Gardens (TV series)

:"For the magazine of the same name, but of American distribution, see Better Homes and Gardens (magazine)"infobox television
show_name = Better Homes and Gardens
format = Lifestyle
air time = 7:30pm Friday
runtime = 60 minutes (include commercials)
creator =
executive producer = Craig Walsh
supervising producer = Lesley Moy
host = Noni Hazlehurst (1995-2005) Johanna Griggs (2006-)
country = Aus
network = Seven Network
picture_format = 576i (SDTV)
first_aired = 1995
last_aired =
num_episodes =
website = http://yahoo7.com.au/bhg
tv_com_id = 32967

"Better Homes and Gardens" is a popular Australian lifestyle television program broadcast on the Seven Network. The show covers a wide variety of lifestyle related activities including; Gardening, Cooking, Craft, Pet Care and DIY.

Acclaimed Australian actress Noni Hazlehurst hosted the show during its premiere year in 1995 through to 2004. Her husband at the time, John Jarratt was also a presenter on the show. Former swimmer-turned-television presenter Johanna Griggs 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 and Dr. Chris Brown, was axed in 2003.

The theme song for the show until 2005 was a cover of The Beatles' "Getting Better". This was changed to a new theme in 2006, composed by Jay Stewart.

The program originally aired on Tuesdays at 7.30pm at ran back to back with The Great Outdoors until the travel program was moved to Mondays early in the 2000s. It then aired before Room For Improvement, which was hosted by then-DIY presenter Scott McGregor.

Better Homes was moved to Saturday nights at 7.30pm in 2004, before being shifted to 6.30pm. Both timeslots were reportedly disastrous for ratings, and the show struggled immensely against the football on other networks.

In 2005, it was shifted to Friday nights, where it has enjoyed ratings success since. It is now the longest-running Australian TV lifestyle program.

The show was often among the top 10 rating programs in Australia during the 1990s, sometimes with audiences in excess of two million.

Segment presenters:

Hosts:
* Noni Hazlehurst (1995-2004)
* John Jarratt (1995-1998)
* Graham Ross (late 2004)
* Johanna Griggs (2005- )Food:
* Belinda Jeffrey (1995-2000)
* Maeve O'Meara (2000-2007)
* Ed Halmagyi (2004- )
* Karen Martini (2007- )Craft:
* Fiona Connolly (1995-2003)
* Gwen Jones Palmer (2004-2006)
* Lissanne Oliver (2006)
* Tara Dennis (2007- )Gardening:
* Graham Ross (1995- )
* Linda Ross (various)
* Jason Hodges (2005- )Renovations:
* Tony Fragar (1995-1996)
* Graeme Bond (1998-2002)
* Peter Coulqhoun (2003-)Decorating:
* Noni Hazlehurst (1995)
* Sandy de Beyer (1996)
* Monica Trapaga (1997-2003)
* "From 2004, craft and decorating segments were combined"DIY:
* John Jarratt (1995-1998)
* Scott McGregor (1999-2003)
* Rob Palmer (2004- )Pets
* Noni Hazlehurst (various)
* Dr Harry Cooper (2004- )Better Living (Consumer advice)
* Noni Hazlehurst (1995-1997)

See also

* List of Seven Network programs
* List of Australian television series

External links

* [http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/ Better Homes and Gardens (Australian)]
* [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A371569%20|%20Number%3A504715%20|%20Number%3A504716%20|%20Number%3A504717%20|%20Number%3A504718%20|%20Number%3A504719%20|%20Number%3A733257%20|%20Number%3A733309%20|%20Number%3A733310;querytype=;resCount=10 Better Homes and Gardens at the National Film and Sound Archive]