The Block (season 4)

A panorama of the 4 renovated houses, taken 3 weeks prior to auction. (Pictured left to right, blue (Josh & Jenna), yellow (Polly & Waz), green (Katrina & Amie) and red (Rod & Tania))

The fourth season of The Block premiered on Monday, 20 June 2011 at 7:00 pm on the Nine Network. Host Scott Cam returned from the previous season, with Shelley Craft joining the series as "Challenge Master".^[1]

Unlike previous series, the fourth season was filmed in Melbourne rather than Sydney, with the four houses to be renovated located in the inner-city suburb of Richmond.^[2]

The season was ultimately won by Polly Porter and Warwick "Waz" Jones, who were the only couple to sell their property at auction.^[3]

Contestants

Green: This couple won an elimination challenge and became a couple on the The Block 2011.

Red: This couple failed to win an elimination challenge and did not become a Block couple.

Summary

Results

Elimination week

Week 1

• Shelley Craft Challenge #1: "Run For Your Money" — The couples would race to collect five "red houses" hidden at five different locations around Melbourne. Each house was worth $5,000 in cash to go towards their renovating budget, and the first couple to collect all of their red houses would win the right to select any of the other couples' house as their own to renovate, or keep their current house. The winning couple was Polly and Waz. However, they decided to keep their own house.^[14]

• Scotty's Workshop Challenge #1": "Wall To Wall" — The couples had two hours to construct an exact replica of a partition wall that Scott had built, as well as paint and hang four framed pictures (to the same dimensions as Scott's example). Guest judges, Mark and Duncan (from the previous season), assisted the couples with advice, and would provide a day's service as the prize. The winning couple was Tania and Rod.^[15]

• Room Delivery Night #1: Bedroom 1 — The winning couple was Jenna and Josh.^[16]

Week 2

• Shelley Craft Challenge #2: "Trash To Treasure" — The couples had fifteen minutes, and a budget of up $100, to purchase a second-hand item that would then be fixed up in the space of four hours ready to sell at auction. The couple with the highest profit would win $1,000 to spend at an auction of their choice. The winning couple was Rod and Tania, with a profit of $135.^[17]

• Scotty's Workshop Challenge #2": "New To Old" — The couples were set the task of distressing and painting a chest of drawers to achieve an "antique effect". Keeping in line with "second-hand week", the winning couple would select one of two boxes containing a prize, "old" or "new", with the runner-up receiving whatever prize that was in the other box. The winning couple, Katrina and Amie, selected the "old" box and received a vintage bottle of red wine and a crystal decanter, together worth $1,000, to use in their room. Runners-up Polly and Waz received the same prize to a lesser value of $100.^[18]

• Room Delivery Night #2: Bedroom 2 — The winning couple was Jenna and Josh.^[16]

Week 3

• Shelley Craft Challenge #3: "Pipeworks" — The couples raced to connect a path of pipes, where the first couple who achieved running water from their tap, would win a night at the The Langham, Melbourne. The winning couple was Jenna and Josh.^[19]

• Scotty's Workshop Challenge #3": "On the Tiles" — The couples had fifteen minutes to select tiles to use to create a mosiac of their house in two hours. The couple that created a mosaic that most resembled their house, as adjudged by Scott, received either a free tiler or plumber for a day of work. The winning couple was Jenna and Josh.^[20]

• Room Delivery Night #3: Bathroom/Laundry — The winning couple was Rod and Tania.^[21]

Week 4

• Shelley Craft Challenge #4: "Puzzled Paper" — The couples had one hour to wallpaper a mobile billboard displaying an advertisement for the series with their pictures. The couple with the fewest imperfections, as judged by Scott and Shelley, would win $3,000. The winning couple was Katrina and Amie, who were then informed they would have to take their prize money from their fellow couples.^[22] Katrina and Amie decided to take $2,000 from Jenna and Josh, and $1,000 from Rod and Tania, representative of the rooms they has won to that point.^[23]

• Scotty's Workshop Challenge #4": "Camberwell Markets" — The couples were divided into two teams: Jenna and Josh with Polly and Waz, Katrina and Amie with Rodney and Tania. Further expanding their teams were the eliminated couples from the elimination week challenges, with each eliminated couple forming a part of the team with the respective couples that eliminated them. Each team visited a Salvation Army store to collect items that would form a part of a stand they would run at the Camberwell Market, aiming to raise money for the Salvation Army. The team that raised the most money, would receive a $5,000 prize ($2,500 per couple), as well as the services of their eliminated team members for two days. The team of Jenna and Josh with Polly and Waz were the winners, raising $1,800 compared to $1,300 raised by Katrina and Amie with Rodney and Tania. The eliminated couples that returned for the two days were Shannon and Aaron (for Jenna and Josh), and Chrissy and Toby (for Polly and Waz).^[24]

• Room Delivery Night #4: Main bedroom/Ensuite — There was a tie for the double room delivery, with Polly and Waz and Jenna and Josh both scoring 33/40. Polly and Waz achieved their score through a 17/20 for their master bedroom, whereas Jenna and Josh scored 17/20 for their ensuite; both couples scored 16/20 for the other room. As it was a double room delivery, both couples received $5,000, split from the original $10,000 prize.^[25]

Reception

Ratings

Colour key:

     – Highest rating episode and week during the series

     – Lowest rating episode and week during the series

Notes

• ^a The first week's average was incorrectly coded to include a repeat episode, resulting in a lower figure. Without this error, the average is 1.18 million, and is ranked 19th in the weekly Top 100 programs.^[28]
• ^b Due to a coding error for Australia's Got Talent, The Block was originally ranked third in nightly figures. With its adjusted figures, Australia's Got Talent was ranked first, therefore relegating The Block to fourth position.^[32]

References