Fix It & Finish It, a new syndicated series debuts on September 8 and features Antonio Sabato Jr. and his crew traveling the country to help families fix and finish their homes. Every weekday, the team will be in a different city finding homes with rooms needing a full makeover. The contractors and designers will take on the challenge and go in and create magic by turning the rooms around in 16 hours or less. “We do it quick, we do it right,” promises Sabato Jr.
I chatted with Antonio (who I had a major crush on when I was a teen and he played sexy Jagger Cates, a bad boy with a heart of gold on General Hospital) while he and his crew were on location in Mississippi. The love for his latest project was evident even across the miles and through the phone. “This show has been such a great journey and a blessing from day one,” he gushed. (and today, Sabato Jr. has even more to smile about; he’s just been named as a Season 19 participant on Dancing With The Stars!)
When he set out to create a TV show, he originally though about focusing on a different passion of his, “I’ve always worked on my own home and different places that I’ve owned. I really enjoyed it. But I’m a mechanic, a motorcycle and car builder,” He reveals. Producer Scott Steinberg told him, “instead of doing a racing show or a car show. Let’s do something else. You’re passionate about designing and rebuilding homes, why not take your expertise on the road so people can see it?” And with over 50 shows later, Sabato is happily road tripping around the U.S. meeting interesting and inspiring people.
Some of the people Sabato Jr. has enjoyed meeting are the local tradespeople, builders and designers that he works with in each city. “The local community is coming together to give back to all of the homeowners and it’s been amazing.” But of course, the highlight of each episode is the people whose lives the show is benefiting. “Every single day is a brand new episode with its own kind of flavor, and a history and a story to go with it. They all have been amazing,” he says. Despite a plethora of moving experiences, a few renovations have stood out.
“I was doing a teenager’s room and this kid was 15 and he’d never had his own bedroom. He had been sleeping on a sofa for many years. This house was almost destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. And we built this teenager a brand new room. It was hip. It was awesome. And to see his reaction when he walked in was quite incredible,” mused Sabato Jr.
“We also met a man who was 83 years-old and whose home had been broken into 15 times. He had to barricade his door. And we came in, and we fixed it, and redid his living room.”
Antonio admits that it’s extremely rewarding to help people, the families whose lives he effects, affect him too. He told me, “we change their lives forever, but at the same time, they change ours too. Because my crew and myself, we’re just so blessed to be here. We never have a bad day. We’re so pleased to do this; there’s nothing better. I’m just so happy to be a part of this.”
To find Fix It & Finish It on your local TV station, click here. To apply to be on the show, click here!
Fix It & Finish It > Syndicated > Daily, starting Sept. 8
Chef Jeff Henderson also has a new syndicated series, Flip My Food that will join Fix It & Finish It to make an exiting programming block! Read more about Chef Jeff’s new show here!
images courtesy of Bellum Entertainment/ photographer Andrew Doyle
We watch your show all the time. How do we get in line??
Both of us just retired and would like to make our home abit more comfortable. That way we don’t have to move to an old folks complex.
We have a small house with a big patio that we would like to turn into a Florida Room, or something like that. We would be able to enjoy it year round.
Eddie Hill
I really need a master bedroom with bathroom I have a garage I would like to turn it into a beautiful master bedroom and bath I am getting older and can not get around very good please help
https://www.staytunedmag.com/2014/09/04/antonio-sabato-jr-wants-fix-finish/comment-page-5/#comment-693659
Antonio hi my name is Tory Ricketfs I desperately need your help with my back yard. In 2002 my brother and I bought a house for our mother It has gotten so very hard for me taking care of her since my brother commited suicide in 2012 . I have 2 children but raised 5 the only help comes from my Daugther and her husband. Antonio my mom and I live in a 3 bedroom rancher in chesterfield virginia I have gotten a few people to clean it and talked about building a deck , but the cost is to high for me Thers only one emergency exit In Case there’s a fire for my mom to get out there’s stairs back there and she use a walker so please if you can help me I greatly appreciate hearing from you
Sign. Tory no where to turn.
a
Antonio. please help me , I have a septic tank that has concret over it and a deck over that .I have moisture problems, The deck needs to come down and concret broken up,I am 72 and live alone. please help me ,
Hi, I sent you a message, but don’t know if you received it.
I so need your help. Please see the other message I sent earlier. I’m not sure which website of yours I was on.
Thank you,
God Bless,
Reda Young
Hello Mr.Sabato and Company,
My name is Maxine Lee, I live with my husband in Orlando, Florida. He is a retired veteran of twenty years with Alzheimer’s, two knee replacements, and one hip replacement. We live in a thirty year old home.
We have managed to
complete some projects
however, my major concern is the bathroom. When he t
take a bath, I have to make
sure that I’m near so that he
does not fall. The tub is too high and wide. We need a
lower tub so that he can just
step into the tub. If Fit It and
Finish It can assist us , we will be very appreciative.
Maxine Lee
Orlando, Florida
Finish It can help, we will greatly appreciate it.
Hi, My name is Martha, my husband George, and I watch your show every chance we get, when we are not keeping a Doctors appointment, witch is very often, you see he has a serious Heart problem, on top of that he had a stroke . he is getting weaker each day. and he tend fall a lot , with all of the medical bills, we are struggling , but we desperately need a safer way to get him in and out of the house. he loves the out doors but is afraid falling. going up and the steps.,
i neeed help with my living room &din ning room floor. i would love to have hard wood floors, my carpet is 13 yrs old. iam a widow that lives on ss and cannot afford to do. please help me
Hi, did I give enough details about what we need. We are in desperate need .MY HUSBAND IS 83 YEARS OLD , AND I AM 75.
Hi ..
my husband and I have a brick paver co ..
we would like to volunteer some labor for you show in return for exposure on the show.
Please call me 407 398 3699
florida.
I forgot to mention that I live in Lodi, WI
I watch your show every day that I can and love it. I purchase my house 30 years ago. I used to call it the last house on the left or the money pit. The people that I purchased from lied to me about the house and it leaked from the basement to the 2 floor. I was only 25 and lost my parents from a car accident 10 days before my 18th birthday, so, I did not have anyone to guide me on the purchased. I have been struggling the last 7 years. My boyfriend of 25 years had a stoke when he turned 50 and then lost his job and I had to take over all the bills and his medical. He then had to have aneurysm surgery: hernia surgery: and colon cancer in a 7 year period. He has good days and very bad days. If you would see him, you would not know what he went through! I have fibromyalgia and cervical disk disease. I would greatly appreciate if I could get my kitchen/dining area done. Kitchen/dining area has not had anything done in over 35 years.
Hi it’s me again, I have a neighbor that’s a good friend of mine. She works for Smith Co. Jail (officer Pamela Williams) I’d like to sign her up for contest. I told her about the contest and she said that she needed some things done to her home, but apparently she isn’t going to sign up. So my question to you guys is how would I sign her up myself. Mrs. Pamela doesn’t have an email address. Can you please let me know what can I do to get her entered into the contest. Signed NERVOUS IN EAST TEXAS. THANKS……
SORRY for the misspelled words, signed very tired
Hi again Mr. Antonio, first let me take the opportunity to WELCOME YOU and YOUR TEAM to East Texas. I was blown away around 11 pm 4-29-15, to awake to you on our news channel here in Tyler, Tx., and ti hear that FIX IT AND FINISH IT is having a hundred thousand dollar home renovation contest hear in our ROSE CITY. We are known for growing roses you know? I had a very tiresome day trying to get entry form filled out, hoping that the Lord sees fit for my 101 year old mother ( Marion Hackett ) to win this KLTV MAKE OVER HOME CONTEST. Even if she isn’t chosen. It will be a pleasure just to have you TYLER TX. (the rose city) WELCOME TO TEXAS MR.ANTONIO
4/26/15
“Fix It & Finish It” Home Improvement Television Show
My husband suffered a serious on-the-job injury several years ago and is no longer able to fix simple home repair items, including being able to stand longer than approximately two- to three-minutes.
We are a family of three (husband, wife, & a 15 year-old teenage son). Our son and my husband share a very close father & son relationship. Since my husband is unable to walk from a vehicle parking lot to a school football field, or a parking lot to a baseball field bleachers, or able to drive my son to and from any athletic practices, our son no longer has ambitions of wanting to play sports, even on our church’s community-wide church basketball league, which play various other churches in our community’s Youth teenage basketball teams. My heart has been broken, when our son lost all interests in playing any type of sports simply because his Dad (my husband) is unable to take him to team practices or attend any games. Our son has chosen to be with his Dad at home hanging out.
We have an attic in our home that has the capability to be renovated into a “game room” or multi-purpose” room, which would be so fantastic for my husband and son to have a comfortable place in our home to put a couple of comfortable recliner chairs, a large flat-screen TV, perhaps an air hockey table, and/or a table (that has cup holders) big enough to play chess, place a large pizza, and for guests to have a place to put their soda/water in a cup holder (to help prevent too many spills), and a spot for guests to place a paper plate w/ a snack on it (i.e., pizza, etc.).
Our son’s plans for post-high school graduation, is to go into the U.S. Marine Corps. He has always wanted to become a U.S. Marine all of his life, even when he was a toddler. Therefore, perhaps the “theme” of the decorations for the multi-purpose room could be U.S. Military.
I do not know how to get this message to the “Fix It & Finish It” television show’s producers and directors in hopes to get my “Comment” section to them about why my family wishes to be among the potential candidates for their home improvement show. I watch it all the time and am impressed with the way the show’s producers, directors, contractors, and designers work together as one team, to help each family enjoy the home improvements and upgrades that were made possible only by this television show, while at the same time, providing each family the means in which they have a nicer house, in which to live!
Thank you.
We moved in our Aunt’s house when she passed away. We are on a fixed income. John is on disabilty and I am on SSI. The house is a old house and we don’t have the money to do any thing to this house. The kitchen is so small. With 2 people in it you can;t move around. Could you get in touch with us. We would really appreciate if you could help us.We both have bad health.we live in Gastonia NC 28054. Thank you !!!
Wish you could help us out our kitchen needs work and I’m disabled and I ain’t able to fix it Watch your show all the time maybe someday we can get somebody like you to help us out thanks yours truly Jerry
My wife and I got married in 2000 found a moble home to rent to own 16ft by 80 ft 3bedroom it was her and I and 3kids I built 18 ft down the back side for more space I had no one but me it is now a big unfinished mess I had to try to down size becouse her health is bad my back and kneck won’t let me finish my wife has trouble walking and is living in very uncomfortable situation I just won’t my wife to have what I set out to give her she has given to all of us all she has and never got nothing finished I need help to simplify our living and have a nice home for her for once I’m 52 she is 51 she has ra in her knees and it hurts me to see her struggle so hard we have one child left at home out of seven I tried to down size and never got it right can you please help
hi, me and my mom love watching you. we and my two kids live with my parents but my kids are 16teen. my kids been share a room for 6 years or more. i had to help my parents dad can’t hear and my mom health is gooding down hill. she can’t hear or see good, see is almost blind in one eye a d her balance is not good. how i surpost to be helping them how i am having problems, seizure and i can’t memory good it is hard. my 2 twin boys fuss all the time because they always share a room sense they was baby. how there have alot on them because they love there grandparent and there mom. they always said there grandparents done alot for them i wish i could give them a room the room there share is small.. i live in gastonia nc, 28086 …. my name is tammy burgess sarvis