HGTV: Now With a Lot Less "G"

[biakbiak]

On 5/17/2016 at 5:52 AM, chessiegal said:

For anyone who Selling New York, I was looking out the window of our hotel in Brooklyn, and saw this building with a clock on the top, and recognized it as the penthouse condo they had trouble selling, partly because it was in Brooklyn. It's the former Williamsburg Savings Bank that now has luxury condos.

They are different buildings. This is the one they had trouble selling and this is the Williamsburg Savings Building.

Edited May 19, 2016 by biakbiak

[Kemper]

I watched "Masters of Flip" last night - it was on at 11:00 p.m.  I must say, I enjoy it more than the Chip and Joanna one.  If you overlook the "acting" for the cameras, the guy (Dave?) has a great sense of humor and I love the staging.  That's the best thing....the decorating and staging are just fantastic - and never the same look twice.  Last week it was a "shabby chic" look (which I wasn't all that crazy about) but last night's episode was "popping" with color.  Love that term..."pop"...only on HGTV.  I have to wonder why the network is not putting it on at a better time.  I like the dynamic between the couple and neither one mugs as much as Chip does.  The look of the houses is never boring.  I would love to know where Courtney (the wife) and her stagers get the furniture and accessories  Last night's accent colors were either a robin's egg blue or some such with RASPBERRY painted ceilings in a couple rooms.  I hate to say I enjoy the show because if the network knew more than a few people watched, we would be treated to marathons at least once a week.  Hope  this show will become a regular and be on at a better time, but let's face it - The Property Brothers, Chip and Joanna and Love it or List it are the channel's bread and butter.  And I am exhausted by it.  I even welcome reruns of House Hunters and Flea Market Flip...at least the cast of characters changes every episode.

[Terrafamilia]

On 5/19/2016 at 8:33 PM, biakbiak said:

They are different buildings. This is the one they had trouble selling and this is the Williamsburg Savings Building.

If I bought that condo, would they allow me to install drapes, shades, blinds, etc.? Otherwise, no sale (though it's not like I'm anywhere near to being in the running).

[Writing Wrongs]

I didn't see a thread for DIY, but my new favorite show is Barnwood Builders. They are so entertaining.

I miss shows like Curb Appeal. I'm so tired of "flipping" shows on 24/7.

[Bastet]

Quote

I didn't see a thread for DIY,

I don't believe there is one for the network, but there is one for DIY shows in the Genre forum.

[auntjess]

I like Barnwood Builders too.  There's a genre topic for Junking, Picking, & Salvaging.
http://forums.previously.tv/topic/13330-junking-picking-salvaging/#comment-1407371

[rcc]

Love It or List It is a terrible show. I had to watch at the dentist's office and I don't think I was the only one there who couldn't stand the pretentious people on there yesterday morning.

[auntjess]

I don't think they, or any of the Scripps channels, are making more than one or two new shows, and can't figure what's going on with them.
When they do get a show, they run it into the ground.

[txvoodoo]

It really seems that the better shows are on DIY these days. Ditto Cooking Channel vs FoodNet.

 

DIY has Jeff Devlin's new show about restoring 200-300 year old houses in PA. I admit, I'm partial to it because he's basically doing it around my hometown area, but it's pretty good and he's skilled, not just drama. 

[Collinwood]

17 hours ago, txvoodoo said:

It really seems that the better shows are on DIY these days. Ditto Cooking Channel vs FoodNet.

 

DIY has Jeff Devlin's new show about restoring 200-300 year old houses in PA. I admit, I'm partial to it because he's basically doing it around my hometown area, but it's pretty good and he's skilled, not just drama. 

Stone House Revival with Jeff Devlin!  That's the new favorite show here at Collinwood.  The best part as far as we are concerned is when he tears down newer walls and reveals what was there originally.  The only thing we are wondering is how many stone houses are there to revive in Bucks county Pennsylvania.  How many episodes can we get of this show?

[txvoodoo]

On 6/12/2016 at 2:23 PM, Collinwood said:

Stone House Revival with Jeff Devlin!  That's the new favorite show here at Collinwood.  The best part as far as we are concerned is when he tears down newer walls and reveals what was there originally.  The only thing we are wondering is how many stone houses are there to revive in Bucks county Pennsylvania.  How many episodes can we get of this show?

A LOT. And actually, he's doing Chester & Delaware counties as well, probably Montgomery. All the ones surrounding Philly are accessible. 

I grew up in Delaware county and those old stone houses were *everywhere*. Great places, from cottage sized to mansion sized. I really miss seeing them around since we moved to Texas. There were about 8 within 1/4 mile of my 60s subdivision, and I looked on Google streetview and they're still there!

[Terrafamilia]

Instead of all the buying and remodeling shows I would kinda like to see one where they do a whole new build. Might not have drama about mold in the bathroom but maybe drywall or treated lumber from China. If I was one of those people who had 500-750k to spend on a used house that still needed loads of remodeling I'd just as soon use the money to start from scratch and do it my way from the ground up.

[Spunkygal]

DIY channel is now my go to channel for interesting shows. I love Barnwood Builders and Stone House Revival. Am also hooked on Sight Unseen. I have never heard of the couple before but googled them and Wes is a guitarist in Limp Bizkit and Carre is also in a musical group. They lived in LA and moved to Detroit and bought a neglected mansion "sight unseen." Love that they moved to Detroit..a city that needs some love. I enjoy their interaction and their respect for this old mansion. I guess when the mansion is finished, the show will be too, but DIY is re-running episodes so you might want to check it out. I am impressed with their passion for their home, how much it appears they actually do (considering how much money they must have) and how they try to respect the structure. Anyone else watching this? 

[auntjess]

In the past few days, I've seen repeats of Unlivable on FYI. 
I liked it a lot.
DIY is my go-to channel also, and Salvage Dawgs is coming back next week, I think.

[auntjess]

On their Facebook page, HGTV posted this,

Quote

HGTV

3 hrs · Atlanta, GA ·

Were you too excited to eat at your own wedding?

along with a video of couples replying.
Of course dozens of people chimed in and answered, and I was the only one saying "why is this here?"  "This is TLC stuff."

[carrps]

Ugh. Just watched the latest Urban Oasis show. A Craftsman bungalow in Ann Arbor. It looked o.k. from the outside, but the inside was a just a mess. I think the designer had no idea what Craftsman even is. I think he was equating it with craftsy. He decided to do an MCM interior???!!!! First of all, they took it down almost beyond the studs and rebuilt the whole house. The layout was bad. There was not much space so they opened the rafters to add a second story, but they built their "living room" with a two-story vaulted ceiling. But the square footage in the area (8'x8'?) was so small, it was like an elevator car. With a TV over the fireplace that had the two sofas at right angles RIGHT BENEATH IT. The only way to watch the TV was lying down lengthwise on the sofas. Other than a screened porch at the back end of the garage (and the garage itself!), this was the only entertaining space in the house. He did a small scale shiny black herringbone tile backsplash that covered nearly all the walls in the kitchen. From a few feet away the walls looked sequined. He put elaborate cement tiles on all the walls (!) of the laundry roomlet. The downstairs powder room was covered in a grey-blue Mooresque shaped tile. The downstairs en suite was completely covered in a black-white-grey geometric tile (almost had a tumbling blocks look, but more diamond shapes than square) and extremely busy. The upstairs en suite was covered in aqua penny tiles. All those tile finishes are expensive, and very much not neutral. Very limiting. The decor choices were mostly bad and cheap-looking. There was a small demilune under the wall-mounted TV in the upstairs bedroom that they had staged with three stacks of folded blue jeans. Whuh? And there was a desk on one side of the bed which was o.k. as a bedside table, but the other side had a tall shoe cupboard (who wants their stinky shoes right next to their face when they're sleeping?) with no surface except four feet over your head if you're in bed. Just a mess.

[auntjess]

Yes, but if it's like last year, you can choose to take cash instead, if you win it.
Last year, I think, was a cool apartment in Atlanta.

[Kemper]

Does anyone know how HGTV ratings are?  I can't believe that any network that shows the same three or four shows, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, can get good overall ratings.  Property Brothers, Fixer Upper, Flip or Flop...what am I leaving out?  Love it or List it?  I feel like I am leaving one of the biggies off.  If I turn the channel on and see one of the ones listed, I immediately flip to another channel.  Is anyone else as sick of Flippers as I am?  Of the same hosts over and over?  Gaaah.  I don't even mind House Hunters or Flea Market Flip so much anymore....sometimes there is a new one one and different cities are featured.  

[jazzpno]

5 minutes ago, Kemper said:

 I feel like I am leaving one of the biggies off.  

Don't forget the ubiquitous House Hunters franchise. House Hunters...HH International...HH Renovations...I can't believe that these shows are sustaining this channel either. Remember the good 'ole days with Kitty Bartholomew and Paul James?

[chessiegal]

My understanding is that HGTV and Scripps (their parent owner) are the leading lifestyle shows on cable. If you look at Scripps, they have Cooking Channel, Food Network, DIY, Travel Channel, HGTV, and GAC (Great American Country). I think they are doing very well.

[Maverick]

 I haven't watched anything on HGTV in years.   It used to be a good background noise channel but now I don't even bother looking at it on the cable guide.

[chessiegal]

I've also read that HGTV had no idea HH was going to be so popular. They figured it would last a few seasons. It's incredibly cheap to produce and they can crank out new shows quickly that get good ratings. There are new shows of HH and HHI almost every night at 10 and 10:30 pm, including for at least the last few months. People love house porn.

[MortysCleaningLady]

12 hours ago, jazzpno said:

Don't forget the ubiquitous House Hunters franchise. House Hunters...HH International...HH Renovations...I can't believe that these shows are sustaining this channel either. Remember the good 'ole days with Kitty Bartholomew and Paul James?

I was just talking about Kitty and that fabulous fair streak the other day!  I really miss the realistic home and gardening programs.  That's why I find I'm on PBS more than HG or Food.

[Kemper]

I still don't see why they can't have a "Retro" night on once in awhile...Decorating Cents, Kitty Bartholomew, a few others that I can't remember off the top of my head.  Does anyone remember when they used to have decorating "specials"?  There would be on in the fall, one for Christmas, I think...one for spring, etc.?  How expensive would those have to be to produce?  Four a year, for crying out loud.  Of course, now it would be how to seasonally decorate to sell.  At least have a Christmas one.  

I understand that the corporation that owns HGTV, Food Network, etc., has found an easy way to make money.  It is just that I can't imagine their HGTV ratings are improving with the constant marathons.  I don't know about the rest of the networks because HGTV is the only one I tune in to. And not very often anymore.  Wouldn't the bottom have to fall out at some point?  I like most of these shows, with the exception of the Tarek and wife one; like the hosts.  But it would seem most anyone would have their limits to how many reruns they could possibly watch.  In a week.  In a day.  I guess that is why I kind of liked "Masters of Flip"..."full of herself" hostess...snarky hat-fetishing hubby...at least it is a little different; different city, different staging; hosts that don't push "family" onto me...every house they do looks different.  And Good Lord, I certainly don't need a marathon of it any time soon.  There.  I feel better.

[WendyCR72]

4 hours ago, Kemper said:

I understand that the corporation that owns HGTV, Food Network, etc., has found an easy way to make money.  It is just that I can't imagine their HGTV ratings are improving with the constant marathons

Not sure I agree if only - since they occur frequently - people must be watching because the marathons of shows have become so frequent. If no one watched, I'd bet HGTV would be fiddling with the schedule and trying some other house show. (Garden shows on HGTV? Ha!) Like it or not, these current crop of shows must be making enough money for constant, constant rotation.

[jazzpno]

5 hours ago, Kemper said:

Does anyone remember when they used to have decorating "specials"?  There would be on in the fall, one for Christmas, I think...one for spring, etc.?

They used to air a full night of holiday decorating on Black Friday. I remember my sister and I would shop all day, and watch Christmas decorating all night. Some of the specials were hosted by their regular show hosts, some were regional (Christmas in Texas, Christmas at the beach, etc.).

I also remember Nancy Glass hosting (and perhaps producing) occasional specials related to a particular theme or location, i.e. "The Homes of Country" that would feature the homes of famous country musicians, or "Homes of New York" that featured a variety of houses in NYC.

Good times.

Edited October 7, 2016 by jazzpno
gud spellin cowntz

[Jaded]

Cute article from Good Housekeeping.....

6 Classic HGTV Shows We Wish Would Stage a Comeback

[auntjess]

I guess I'd rather see Buy Me.  Loved it.  I think that was TLC.

[Albino]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

Cute article from Good Housekeeping.....

6 Classic HGTV Shows We Wish Would Stage a Comeback

Hahahaha...thanks for posting!  These old shows seem so rudimentary and low end compared to what's on now.  Can't imagine what the budgets were back then.  

Wonder if Property Virgins is ever coming back?  I didn't love the show, but it was enjoyable enough.  I guess everything is about renovations now.  :( 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Albino

[chessiegal]

19 minutes ago, auntjess said:

I guess I'd rather see Buy Me.  Loved it.  I think that was TLC.

Buy Me is a HGTV Canada show that they aired in the US for awhile.

[FormerMod-a1]

The marathons sure don't work on me.  I never watch HH anymore, for example, because it seems it's always on.  There's no urgency in watching.  I can watch it any time.  Food Network also has this problem for me.

[carrps]

23 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I've also read that HGTV had no idea HH was going to be so popular. They figured it would last a few seasons. It's incredibly cheap to produce and they can crank out new shows quickly that get good ratings. There are new shows of HH and HHI almost every night at 10 and 10:30 pm, including for at least the last few months. People love house porn.

But it's not "porn" if the houses are boooooooring as most on HH are. Not cool and not drool-worthy.

[chessiegal]

4 minutes ago, carrps said:

But it's not "porn" if the houses are boooooooring as most on HH are. Not cool and not drool-worthy.

The HH and HHI forums on PTV are very active, People are watching and commenting.

I see so many comments from posters who say they want to see houses. HGTV has a winner with the HH franchise and it's many spinoffs.

[carrps]

2 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

The HH and HHI forums on PTV are very active, People are watching and commenting.

I see so many comments from posters who say they want to see houses. HGTV has a winner with the HH franchise and it's many spinoffs.

I want to see houses. Cool houses. Beautiful houses. Not dumpy tract homes in BFE Boonieville. Just so sad. Sigh.

[auntjess]

To me it makes HGTV like a store that sells remainders.  Bins and bins of old junk.

[Kemper]

I think what bothers me most about HGTV these days is that the corporate owners seem to have no respect for their viewers.  They assume we are all happy watching reruns upon reruns of the same shows...sames hosts.  Like the fans of Chip and Joanna, Property Brother guys, etc., will accept anything their favorites are in, whether they have seen the programs a dozen times or not.  

 

I don't begrudge the Gaines family (is that Chip and Joanna's last name?) from trying to profit from their fame because it can be fleeting.  I am not aware of the Brothers selling stuff, etc.  I guess the programming is like Hallmark Movie Channel....lots of family stuff, romance, wedding fixation, etc.  Except with HGTV it is flipping and selling houses; and focusing on faaamilies.  Sorry, with being "stormed in" today, I could really use some house porn diversion; not more of the same.  It has made me grumpy.  And I know I am fortunate to have electricity and cable and staying out of harm's way.  I'll quit now. lol

[Court]

There used to be a show called curb appeal? Or something like that.  It may not have been on HGTV but I really enjoyed it. They would concentrate on the yard and outside of the house.

Does anyone remember this or did I imagine it?

[AntiBeeSpray]

1 minute ago, Court said:

There used to be a show called curb appeal? Or something like that.  It may not have been on HGTV but I really enjoyed it. They would concentrate on the yard and outside of the house.

Does anyone remember this or did I imagine it?

I remember it vaguely.

[izabella]

1 minute ago, Court said:

There used to be a show called curb appeal? Or something like that.  It may not have been on HGTV but I really enjoyed it. They would concentrate on the yard and outside of the house.

Does anyone remember this or did I imagine it?

Yes, Curb Appeal was on for many years, and was a nice little show about improving the front of the house with landscaping and paint/repairs to the facade.  They used to have many nice little shows which are gone, not to be replaced.  My favorite was Urban Gardener who showed how you can transform a tiny yard or deck into a sweet spot to hang out via plants and smaller landscaping or hardscape. 

Now, it's all some variation of house hunting or flipping, the flipping is all huge renos, and no gardening exists unless it is a huge rip and replace of everything during a flip.  That's why I spend more time on the DIY and FYI channels - they offer more variety, but most of it is still massive renos or landscaping rather than small things existing homeowners or renters could do to enjoy their homes a bit more.

[auntjess]

It was always in the SF Bay area, and the houses looked very much alike.
I did like that they did neighbors.

[Kemper]

I thought Masters of Flip was supposed to be on Monday nights?  Have they already yanked it?  Because we could always use more and more and more Love it or List it (with that utterly charmless bore of a host..David?) or more Flip or Flop, Property Brothers, etc. I know Masters of Flip isn't everyone's cup of tea, but at least the hosts were a little different and the designs were different.  Maybe the hosts could use their kids, etc.

[jazzpno]

I'm enjoying Masters of Flip. I wasn't sure that I would because I seemed to be inundated with the commercials for months before the season began, but I've been happy with the houses they have done so far. I hope it is here to stay.

I find it interesting that both MOF and Flipping Nashville are in the same city, however both sets of flippers take a different approach (Flipping Nashville seems to concentrate on restoring old houses, where MOF is just pure flipping for profit). Nashville seems to have a lot of architectural variety. I hope both shows continue.

Does anyone here have an opinion of the show Good Bones? There have been a few marathons, but I haven't seen it heavily promoted. It's filmed in Indianapolis - HOMETOWN SHOUT OUT!!! - and according to the local news, it has been renewed for a second season.

[izabella]

I really like Good Bones.  The mom-daughter duo are fun to watch, and I like that they focus on smaller, ordinary homes that don't cost hundreds of thousands to buy.  It's my favorite of the slew of new flipping shows HGTV has floated across in the last few months.

Edited October 26, 2016 by izabella

[annzeepark914]

On 10/11/2016 at 4:55 PM, Court said:

There used to be a show called curb appeal? Or something like that.  It may not have been on HGTV but I really enjoyed it. They would concentrate on the yard and outside of the house.

Does anyone remember this or did I imagine it?

I believe they started out in the south and then moved to CA.  I enjoyed the show (except for the entertainment patios they insisted on building in the front yard--I'm a private person and couldn't stand that!).  I liked when they'd go to other houses on the street and give those owners a little help with the front of their homes.  I also liked the kitchen renovation show with that very cheerful, sweet, big guy who was in charge of the work.  And I miss those shows in which people were trying to sell their homes but no one was interested so a decorator would visit and then renovate, paint, sometimes do just little things.  I learned a lot from those shows.  I can't take the brothers.  They're nice guys but they're so goofy looking & nerdy it drives me crazy :>)

[HunterHunted]

Curb Appeal started in 2002. The original version of it really was cleaning front yards, repainting houses, and just generally making houses look nicer in the front. The show has had quite a few hosts. John Giddings took over as the host of Curb Appeal in 2011 after Designed to Sell was canceled. John was the Atlanta designer for Designed to Sell so they ended up moving Curb Appeal to Atlanta when he became the designer. At some point the show moved to San Francisco for some reason. It was then rebooted as Curb Appeal: The Block. In this iteration, the improved the curb appeal of the primary house and did 2 or 3 revamps of neighbors' houses.

[Jaded]

The only host I really remember from Curb Appeal is Rick Spence. 

[Kemper]

I just can't anymore with Fixer Upper.  I wonder how many marathons and hours of Fixer Upper HGTV shows some weeks?  It seems every time I turn it on in the last week, they are on.  I notice that the "Fixer Upper" thread doesn't have many posts.  I like the couple...just sick to death of them.  I know, I am a broken record.  Party of one.

[chessiegal]

19 minutes ago, Kemper said:

I just can't anymore with Fixer Upper.  I wonder how many marathons and hours of Fixer Upper HGTV shows some weeks?  It seems every time I turn it on in the last week, they are on.  I notice that the "Fixer Upper" thread doesn't have many posts.  I like the couple...just sick to death of them.  I know, I am a broken record.  Party of one.

Depends on the day of the week. If Fixer Upper is on that night, they run marathons that day. Same with Propery Brothers and Love It or List It. Not only on HGTV but all the Scripps networks. It's boring and lazy programming.

[auntjess]

And DIY no longer shows staples like Kitchen Crashers, Yard Crashers, et al.
It's all flippers.

[Kemper]

I know the network shows marathons all day when the show (Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, Flip or Flop, etc.) is on at night...but they also have marathons of them on weekends, too.  I know it is expensive to produce these shows and no network can afford 24-hour days of original programming.  It is just that HGTV must have thousands of hours of programs that people used to enjoy; why not mix that in with the marathons..at least once in awhile.  It seems that now, if a show doesn't have a "family" theme or hosts, it isn't given much of a shot.  But who knows, maybe that is what most people want.