I am not a woodworker. That said, I find The New Yankee Workshop to be fascinating, and I can't quite figure out why. Maybe it's the fact that host Norm Abram has more power tools than God, or that his workshop is bigger than my entire apartment. Maybe it's all the homemade jigs. It might be the frequent use of terms like "dadoes" and "biscuit joiner."
Produced by PBS station WGBH Boston (which also produces almost every other nationally-run PBS show, including This Old House, Nova, and Antiques Roadshow), The New Yankee Workshop is to woodworking and furniture making what This Old House is to massive home renovation. Norm, showing his master carpenter chops, makes even the most difficult project look approachable (I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing). When the show first started, Norm stuck to mostly Shaker-inspired pieces, but he has branched out in more recent seasons; projects from the 2002 season included a steamer trunk, a Chippendale-inspired four-drawer chest, and a shaving stand. Each episode of The New Yankee Workshop shows Norm in his workshop (which is indeed a whopping 936 square feet) as he goes through a project step-by-step. If you see Norm build something that you like, you can order a video of the episode, which comes with an incredibly detailed project plan, measured drawings, and a list telling you exactly what lumber, tools, and other materials you'll need - not bad for $25.
For further information: http://www.newyankee.com