Australian architect Peter Maddison will host Grand Designs Australia for the LifeStyle Channel.
The Aussie version of the UK series is being produced by FremantleMedia with ten episodes set for 2010.
Maddison is an award-winning architect and director of Maddison Architects Pty Limited, a practice he started in 1988. He has thirty years experience in residential and commercial work.
“I am really looking forward to hosting Grand Designs Australia for The LifeStyle Channel,” he said.
“After a lifetime as a practising architect I am fascinated by what we are going to witness as we travel around Australia filming a rich and diverse range of Australian homeowners. Some will be building their dream-home, some will be living a nightmare. But every one of them will have a unique story and drama.”
The UK original of Grand Designs hosted by Kevin McCloud looks at new homes from blueprints to construction and more importantly the people who are building them. The property genre is a popular one amongst subscription viewers, with Selling Homes Australia winning the ASTRA Award for Favourite Show voted by viewers this year.
LifeStyle’s Nicole Sheffield said, “This series is our biggest production commitment to-date and the host is incredibly important to the shows success. We did an extensive search to find the person who could best articulate the grandeur of Grand Designs and also the Australianness we are looking for. Someone who understands Australian architecture and our climate, culture and history.
“We’re thrilled to have secured Peter Maddison.”
The homes set to appear have all been selected and the series is currently in production.
Hi Peter, Can’t wait to see the Aussie version of Grand Designs. I’m a huge fan of the British show and cannot wait to see the episode at Trinity Beach Cairns. The shows give me loads of ideas for when i get around to building my home. Looking forward to the shows.
Cheers..
Peter Maddison was great, at least he did not gush all over every one like the other Peter…….Peter Colquhoun he makes me cringe.
The show was informative and an inspiration to all of us who want to build a sustainable dwelling and live a responsible lifestyle.
We don’t need Kevin McLeod, be supportive of the very talented and capable presenter fronting Grand Designs.. Australia.
I am not his mother either.
Pete Maddison is my neighbour!
Looking forward to this show!
Aussie Grand designs – good. Bring K Cloud down under for a series – Gold!
Ask FremantleMedia if they announce S2.
Do you need any more houses to film for another series perhaps? We will be building soon and it is our own design and we will be doing some of the work ourselves ( cost saving), Its not brick, has hydronic heating as well as an attractive design also looking at total self reliant power, solar and wind. We are in the country, Bathurst, NSW, on 21 acres . Not a run of the mill hose but also not pie in the sky and unobtainable. Hope to finnish by July or August. Hope to start Feb but probably March.
Just incase you are intersted.
Deborah and Bill
When does this new show go to air? I’m so excited
Does anyone know if it is going to be on free-view? I don’t have pay tv and don’t plan on getting it just for one show. I can’t afford it either. I really hope it is going to be on free-view.
Please ABC buy the free-to-air rights.
I hope it goes well I hate those shows where you know the auduience vote people off and hopefully he will show the world ho good our arcitects are!
McCloud was very good but in time this fellow will do well too I am sure
Paul B
I can’t wait for an Aussie version. I’d watch Grand Designs Papua New Guinea if it was on. No denying that Kevin McCloud is brilliant but it’s all about the projects. I’m excited about what architectural dreams Aussies are building.
A Kevin McCloud that surf’s ! What more could you want from an Aussie host ?
Passion & knowlegde for architecture, charm and carrisma and compassion for the crazy dreamers who hold the grandest of designs.
Bringing our favorite show to our own backyards (and our climatic, regulatory challenges) creates a whole new level of interest through relevance – Who cares about keeping everything warm ? – I want to know how to keep a 15 meter domestic curtain wall cool !
Good luck Peter !
P.S. I’m not his mum.
*commissioning.
Pardon the spelling mistake.
Why is everyone so cynical? There is so rarely a positive comment about Australian production, yet that’s what contributors to TV Tonight are constantly crying out for. Lifestyle should be congratulated for commisioning a local version of this outstanding programme – without it, and other local productions, the viewing landscape will continue to be dominated by US sitcoms and English dramas. I hope it works, because without this kind of investment in new(ish) things by Foxtel and the FTA networks, Aussie TV remain anything but.
I hope he can say construction the way kevin does… Con Struction
Another failed “Ausification” – sometimes it is a complete package that makes it what it is. Top Gear for example – change the hosts and their interaction and it would fail. Cant see this doing that well (no disrespect to the Aussie host, but he is no Kevie McCloud
)
Big shoes to fill. Then again, he’s won a lot of awards for pub interior designs so he can’t be all that bad ….
Just Bought season 1 and 4 of the UK series.
Awesome show, I look forward to ignoring the Australian version altogether.
I am really looking forward to this local production but Kevin McCloud’s enthusiasm is what makes this show worth watching. I just hope Peter can make it work. I was so pleased the Lifestyle channel finally moved Bargain Hunt from the 9.30pm slot – I thought at last we’d have something new and different to watch – but to replace it with endless repeats of Grand Designs is just as bad.
But Kevin McCleod has such a nice accent that I couldn’t bear to watch a local rip off…