Wittmaack 'Brothers on Call' Back on TV

He's not mobbed for autographs while on his way to grab a coffee on E. Ridgewood Ave., but don't be terribly surprised if in a year from now he and his brother are signing a few. Ridgewood natives Jon and Terry Wittmaack have had their TV home renovation reality show "Brothers on Call" picked up for a second season on DIY Network.

"It's really exciting. The first season was just great. It exceeded all expectations," said Jon with a coffee in hand Wednesday afternoon, wearing the trademark blue shirt. Jon does more of the business operations for the Ridgewood-based home renovation firm "Man Around the House," while older brother Terry is the chief builder and construction guru.

A 13-episode season and a bonus episode on Hurricane Irene capped off a whirlwind year on DIY, where Jon said they received high ratings at the Sunday night timeslot. The pair have been profiled and interviewed in numerous publications and appeared on NBC's The Today Show as Hurricane Irene was nearing the state.

(Flooded basements and trees plopped all around were common calls, Jon said. Some advice he offered: remember to clear your gutters out before a big rain storm hits; have an emergency backup generator, too.)

Between the two brothers and their late father, who started the business, the family may have been in just about half the houses in Ridgewood (perhaps even more when you factor in sister Elizabeth Wittmaack, ). The brothers, along with their team, complete more than 1,000 projects a year.

Fittingly, Jon said, the support Ridgewood has given the brothers as they do the little jobs to recreating entire homes completely unscripted, has been "unbelievable."

"I just can't say enough about the community support," he said, adding that the television exposure has brought more business along with messages from around the country.

"We have an exciting group of projects," Jon said of the upcoming season, which will premiere in May, again on Sunday nights. "We're really looking forward to it very much. We hope people watch!"