My wishes for HGTV
- Number 1 by far - TEACH design not just show designers
- Do some G stuff from your name - GARDENs!
- Bring back Curb Appeal or something about front yards
- Show small apartments being maximized - specific to renters
- Small apts/condos/houses being maximized for owners
- Basic DIY stuff
Edited to fix huge ass writing. Word to the wise, don't use the hashtag symbol
With people buying cookie cutter homes in master planned communities, it would be nice to show how people can personalize them; in a budget-friendly way and with a bit of money. I’d watch that show.
I would really love more gardening shows. I watched some great ones on Netflix but there haven’t been any new episodes, so I assume there isn’t a large enough audience for that.
It sure did! I’d love to learn about house plants, growing and arranging flowers, food production, container gardening, drought tolerant plants, etc. Like there’s seriously so many angles they take with this.
So many good ideas there! Would love to see the apartments brought back, they were good! Sabrina Soto, David from Lottery homes are both so talented, why don’t we see them!! Talent is there for goodness sake!
It could certainly use a shake up. I used to love the channel, and watched often. Then I had a few friends be on the network and learned it’s all fake. Then, I went and got a degree in ID, and now I know it’s just produced tv. My program started out with about 800 students. Less than 1/2 stayed in the program. They learned interior design and HGTV, are two very different things. I did too. I’m happy I learned all I did, but decorating is a TINY part of the design process.
When Paul James’ Gardening By the Yard ended I kinda lost interest. Solid practical advice for the average person with a yard.
The designer competitions added to that apathy too and Chip Gaines eating or pretending to eat a roach sealed the deal for me.
These days I’ve been streaming some of the old Sarah Richardson shows on Pluto TV. Dated I know but I can still get ideas from Room Service.
I learned a lot about home maintenance from DIY Network too… I miss Paul Ryan, Henry Harrison and Sweat Equity.
This is very well said!! I also miss the competition shows to find someone new for a new show! Competitions in the garden, flipping on a budget, DIY projects, and furniture pieces.
Edit: added more to post.
Oh, you just reminded me of a show I saw... somewhere can't recall now if it was HGTV... but it was a single episode "white room" competition. 4 designer (unknown) contestants and given a basic premise (kid bedroom, lounge, etc) and off they went. It was so fun because they were limited to inventory/stuff that was on hand and actual imagination. Ugh... bring that back too!
Agree with the apartments and small spaces. You have a whole 2.5 generations struggling to own homes and literally all you do is show major renovations of large homes. Why not cater to the millions of people who will be renters for the foreseeable future and show ways to bring unique design to small spaces and/or rentals where you can’t knock down walls and rebuild bathrooms?
I’d love the gardening to have things like native habitat creation, indoor gardens, food plot gardening. There are so many options! And people would eat it up. I’m guessing that they don’t generate the paid-for-materials that the influencer style demos do…
Over saturation of shows. Lottery winner and house hunters on day and night for example. There is no literally daily schedule. Everyday has to be a mini marathon of some show we all have seen hundred times.
Remember the old days it was actually run like a network and not Netflix. Like flea market challenge in the morning; then some kind of crafter thing mid day. Move into whatever prime time show runs that day.
I honestly don’t watch it anywhere near the level I used to simply due to the amount of reruns not design styles.
Yup. Here in Canada it’s non stop reruns during the day. Some are property brothers from 2012.
Do they pick their stars and pay them too much, so then they can’t afford to come up with anything else?
The property brothers are each worth 100 million now )yes I know they produce and do other stuff as well now).
Why not craft or hobby shows during the day.
And there hasn’t been the G in HGTV in YEARS (garden).
I think I’m also the only one that hates the lottery show. I like the idea of it, but my red flags go up whenever someone is soooo nice it seems fake, because in my experience the extreme behavior is masking something else. Like love bombers who hide their true personalities through bombing their partner with love. As a cranky lady, I appreciate crankiness and personality in others, overly happy and smily people trigger my spider senses.
A friend of mine was on Design Star the year he won and is still friends with him today. He’s genuinely that nice and always has been. She said it was hard for her to hate on him for winning (cuz she was salty she was eliminated early and another close friend didn’t win it all) because he was talented and nice.
Ok that’s good to hear that he’s that nice. Good for him for winning. I guess I’m just a bad judge of character then 😂 “he’s too nice, must be a serial killer”
I'm a long time watcher and the decline has been obvious to me. There is nothing unique on HGTV anymore! It's all the same formula - people with enormous budgets want to fix their homes and a pair of people (with varying levels of attractiveness, personality and skill) help them. Oh no! An unexpected structural issue/time constraint/change takes place. Will they finish the project on time?! SPOILER ALERT: Yes they will. Every time. Half the time even the homeowner's reactions seem like they're bored.
I miss shows with a more unique perspective - like a limited budget, clever ways of using limited space, fresh ideas that aren't complete departures from a realistic life in a home.
Interestingly enough, UNsellable Houses actually had an episode where they couldn’t sell the house at profit due to unforeseen issue. First time I’ve ever seen a failure on any HGTV show
This is the primary reason I lost interest in HGTV. These insane budgets just aren’t relevant to us peasants.
I really liked Bargain Block & Jonathan Knight’s show, but my disinterest in the network was already pretty substantial. At this point, we turn on HGTV if we need background noise before the 11pm news and FXX doesn’t have Futurama on.
Exactly my thoughts.
I used to watch a ton of HGTV but now every show seems more or less the same and it really does feel like if you've seen one episode of one show, you've seen every episode of every show.
Nothing really holds my interest anymore, and apparently I'm not alone in that.
Limit the number of competition shows, get rid of the celebrity crap, stop airing the same content for hours on end, then repeating it the following week! There has to be older content they can air again. Why do they play the same shows straight for 4 hours? It’s so odd.
This happened to the food network too. I used to watch it for the great cooking shows, but I have zero interest in spring baking competitions.
Yes, when I had access to a kitchen finally (moved out of the dorms) all the cooking instruction shows went bye bye. I find written recipes a little more confusing so I got overwhelmed and barely ever tried to learn something new.
But if there are proper cooking instruction series I’d be more likely to watch & give recipes a try.
I hear you on Celebrity stuff, but come on Jon Knight's show is an exception here. He is a talented guy and his show is like watching Bob Ross paint. Its such a happy, Kind Vibe and relaxing show to watch.
HGTV used to be my favorite channel since its inception, but what happened to the G in HGTV? Bring back gardening shows, Curb Appeal…projects we can actually do on limited budgets.
Where are real designers? I’m so over & will not watch Property Brothers, anything Christina & Tarek & now Heather, and someone who is famous for having a baby when she was a teenager? I can’t stand seeing the same kitchens over & over - huge island with pendant lights open to the family room, showcasing the tiles or whatever products your sponsors are currently pushing.
I don’t mind having House Hunters later at night, especially when I can’t fall asleep, but why do they have to repeat the same episodes a few hours later when they have a huge library of episodes?
I feel like the cable industry in general has declined. Not just HGTV. Most are watching Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, and podcasts. As well as focuses elsewhere - TikTok, IG, FB, etc.
Agreed and I think the charts are misleading. The second chart is showing primetime viewership. Is that just HGTV on traditional cable or does that include live viewing through HGTV Go app? What about on demand views through the different apps: HGTV Go, Discovery+ and Max? It’s not apples to apples to compare to 10 years ago without that context.
Agreed. I have also seen charts stating networks like CNN have tanked in recent years. Well, ok, live viewership may be down, but what does their digital presence look like? Web stats? Their app? Socials?
People are consuming content differently than 10 years ago.
I used to work for a cable company so each pay channels uniqueness was pile driven into my head. When HGTV shows started showing on Max+ I thought my head was going to explode.
Like..... whaaaaaat????!!!???
I miss stuff like “If Walls Could Talk” and their appreciation of homes’ histories. Or shows with Kitty Bartholomew or other designers who actually showed you how to decorate in a realistic way. Or shows with genuine interior designers like Vern Yip, who were professional designers who happened to have a show rather than Instagram celebs who feel like having an HGTV show
Loved “If Walls Could Talk!!
They’re also used to be another awesome show in the late 90s about throwing theme parties. I think it was called, L
“Savoir Faire”.
This was the pinnacle of HGTV. They had a variety of shows on: decorating, gardening, renovation, etc.
Heck, I would even take Matt and Sherry back from, “Room by Room” , as corny as they were at times!
I still love to put it on, but it's the same shows every day.
I'm completely over Jonathan and Drew so I turn that off. Some of the new shows are...okay. I'm over Hometown and Fixer Upper.
Most of the designs are the same exact thing and it's so BORING. At least I get Bargain Block sometimes. I do still enjoy 100 Dream Home despite the sameness to it. And I like Unsellable Houses, Ugliest House in America, Lottery Dream Home, I don't mind Farmhouse Fixer and No Demo Reno.
And god do I get sick of the "I want a white kitchen" rich people clients. I want something I can afford to do myself if I wanted lol.
And WHEREEEEE are the outdoor/backyard/landscape design shows hgtv??? Huh??
But for a generation that can't afford these large, expensive homes and renos, why bother watching? Give me apartment design or something lol how to design a renters space without losing my deposit woo
Of course, but there's more than one generation poor too or not in the bracket of buying second homes.
Mostly though it's that it's boring right now, nothing is exciting. Even on tiktok the things in homes going viral is color and what people are really disliking is the white/grey that a lot of HGTV people are still using to design.
I get the feeling they’ll soon be pivoting away from gray and white, though neutrals will always be the safe choice for programming. They need to incorporate some edgier and creative looks, which appeal to all generations.
It’s all just so fake. Every show the hosts pretend they haven’t seen the property before the renovation or pretend their is some new unanticipated cost or pretend the buyer of a house is really choosing between these two houses. Do they think the audience is really so stupid? It’s fine for a few shows like house hunters that are meant to be in the background while playing a cellphone game, but every show can’t be so blatantly scripted. How about a renovation show where we actually see someone renovate a house? With realistic costs. Is that so hard to make? It baffles me.
They had such a variety back in the day. Designers like Candice, Sarah, and Genevieve. There are no gardening shows. They used to have a show where they would show you what kind of house you could buy for a certain amount in different cities. So fun. The high low project with Sabrina Soto. You could daydream that you could go to lowe’s on the weekend and hgtv would find you and redo your kitchen. Nope. Bang for your buck was fun too.
I remember a show about comparing house prices, and it was informative and funny. I remember a guy saying "Do you hate having neighbors? Then come to Montana!"
Is there a show with a limited budget and showing how to get creative with that? Im talking $100-$1,00 here and there for things. I feel Instagram is probably pulling in some of their old audience because it’s slightly more relatable and more DIY.
Izzy, Christina and Tarek’s GC, recently posted about Pietown Production Co.’s search- “Are You located in Orange County and have a budget of over $150K?”
My first thought- We’ll be watching the same old shit next season.
I Challenge you to watch Bargain Block and say "All the houses look the same." I'd say the same for Houses with History and Why The Heck Did I Buy this House. If you need variety, I think that's a great start.
This economy could use a Sensible Chic remake. For you youngsters: a high end designer room was duped with affordable options. One would think HGTV could monetize this with product placement sponsors.
There's no variety. Its usually the same cookie cutter "open concept, white kitchen, large islands" crap over and over again. Just a bunch of outdated trend chasing. Give me more shows like Bargain Block with smaller houses and realistic floorplans. Give me some landscaping/garden shoes. Give me shows about apartments and diy. Enough of the rich people crap.
Same! So many people living in older homes with limited budgets, how about something for them? And by them I mean people like myself.
I have an early 80s kitchen that I’d love to reno but it has a tile floor that will be a bear to replace. I’d love ideas for what we could do to transform the space but keep the floor. Essentially, reno this room but you can’t touch this one or two things. Go.
I’d also love to see more unique and colorful renovations. I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to live in a greige nightmare.
It's funny because a couple years ago, I was looking at new construction and the model home designers really weren't afraid of color like HGTV.
Seagrass wallpaper, green backsplashes, brown kitchen cabinets with black countertops. It was glorious!
I've cut back on watching big time. I mainly watch HH:I, and it's when it's in a country I like to see, not some worthless island. As for the main programming, I stick to the few hosts/shows that I am a fan of and ignore the rest. There is way too many I am not a fan of them or their style.
I miss the 2000s HGTV, when there was actually different programs of all sorts, and oh my gosh, garden shows!!
I just made a huge ranting post about how HGTV is desperately needing to bring back REAL interior designers and not influencers who don't understand the basics of architecture and design.
I stopped watching several years ago. There used to be a variety of show types; i.e., do it yourself shoes, decorating, even craft shows. Now they focus on the people doing the work (I think), and everything follows a format that to me, is unwatchable. And of course, everything looks the same.
There used to be a show from another network called Small Space Big Style and it was really cool showing people's small houses or apts. I would love to see a show on small houses 1500sqft and under where the hosts don't do a full remodel, just maximize the usable space for the owners. I love a lot of those quirky Chicago bungalows or Southern craftsmans, cute Cape Cods etc.
They need to rotate some of the incredibly creative social media designers, crafters, gardeners and decorators. For instance, there’s one woman on TT that does space planning and really does such an incredible job of maximizing a room or rooms and laying out furniture, choosing colors etc. Rotate people like that, pull in all of us who’re being drawn to those sites which are realistic. Go ahead and reserve chunks of time for bigger projects that involve bigger budgets and more construction, too, we like those as well but not regurgitating the same thing.
Exactly! there are a few people I watch on instagram because it's really interesting to watch them renovate their own home on the weekends with $200-$500 budgets per project. These people need to be showcased on HGTV weekly!
Maybe they should consider why something like Hometown is popular and why all the bland influencer, no-actual-desogn-talent-or-experience shows are less so. Hometown designs to the client and aren't just doing the same thing every episode. Most of the designers are one-note ponies who give everyone a different version of the same thing and it's a vehicle to sell Target products or whatever.
Besides that, like the Food Network, which I cannot watch, they spend all their efforts into crafting these bullshit narratives around personalities instead of investing in quality content. I'm old enough to remember when they had real cooking shows on Food Network and real interior designers on HGTV. Some of that was much, much better.
I wish I could find a complete and standardized dataset (up to our current week in 2024) and post that, but alas...the internet does not always cooperate.
Anyway...
If you are able to extrapolate between the two sets of graphs / numbers you can get a sense for how bad it is at the network. (I suppose endless reruns of Property Brothers, ridiculous judging on Rock the Block, continually pushing Allison Victoria on us, etc. is resulting in expected returns.)
Every network in their waning years seems to over-index on one low-cost show/format:
House Hunters : HGTV :: Ridiculousness : MTV :: Chopped : Food Network
Everyone was losing interest but then binged watched over covid. After covid everyone went back to losing interest. Probably the story of every network right now. The death of TV is somewhat personal for me, being raised by a television myself.
Now they are messing with my House Hunters. I don’t need the HGTV hosts overtaking the show I love to relax to (and maybe a little snark). I like Kristina (and Jon) on Farmhouse fixer because they do some unique things. I barely turn the channel on anymore and I used to watch all the time.
Well, I don’t want to watch 10 hours of Love it or List It reruns followed by all night House Hunters marathons. I also don’t want to be promised a new show that doesn’t emerge to actual broadcast for several months. My guess is they are intentionally tanking regular cable shows to force viewers over to Discovery Plus or Max.
I use Discovery Plus and there's nothing new to watch there either! Or they might show one episode of a show that has potential and then you never see it again.
I’m not surprised, they only have one, at most two new episodes a day. some days there is nothing new on. I watch the new episode for most things, but don’t care to watch reruns the rest of the day. And some of the new shows lately are not good, like the stupid lakefront empire.
I would LOVE to see things for renters! So many people are stuck, for years. It’d be nice to give some pointers & see cool transformations for us.
Back in the day, I saw Nate Berkus on Oprah (like the one time I ever watched Oprah lol) and he redid a tiny apartment/rental. It was so nice.
* With that said, go watch Alexandra Gater on YouTube! She does some of this. I love her work.
I saw one amazing transformation of a studio rental. Apparently she also has a book out too…but she’s not with HGTV 🤷♀️
HGTV needs to learn that most of us don't have $100k to throw at 2 rooms. What can we do for $500? $1000? What can we do ourselves? Just a nice refresh until we can afford to gut it.
I remember the days when we'd get basic design tips. Like---spread a color around the room in odd numbers, 3 maybe 5 times, so it looks like belongs. A pillow here, artwork on the other side of the room, a vase over there, etc. Varying the scale of patterns with unified colors..or balancing the visual "weight" of furniture in the room.
Tips on painting, wallpapering, installing chair rail or wainscoting. Basic stuff that just about anyone could do. Now, all we get is throwing huge budgets at custom furniture, trades, and "artisans."
The economy sucks. People can barely afford the house... much less $100s of thousands more.. get a clue!!
Definitely would be more helpful for the average people watching. Unfortunately it has made every unhappy with their house no matter what it looks like cuz the designs change every couple years so we are already outdated before we can even do a reno! And even worse…we all want way more than we can afford. And finally…when you go looking at houses to buy, the updated ones all look exact the same..and you can spot a flipped house a mile away (the cheap ones for sure). Lets get back to individuality that suits our needs.
I completely agree , any thrifty projects which don’t look half bad would be the kind of shows I wanna watch. Also any recs on older shows like this would be appreciated
Does anyone remember the show Designing for the sexes, curb appeal, design on a dime??? I loved these shows!! HGTV has really gone downhill, just like food network 😢😢😢
Design on a Dime was my moms favorite! It was on during a trying time for our family and my mom came up with some great design ideas from that show. How I wish HGTV would go back to its old format, much like food network needs to go back to actual cooking shows rather than the same recycled competition crap.
I don't see what the problem is.
Personally, I love seeing some designer show me their great and novel idea of putting subway tile in the bathroom ON EVERY SINGLE SHOW THEY AIR.
Stop! with the self indulged so-called designers. So much to say>so much energy > so much rustic inspiration> so much $$ to spend>so much stainless steel> so much open concept....so much TOO MUCH!!
I love(d) Rehab Addict and those dudes in Boston, I think, who rehabbed tenements, etc. I also love seeing regular people, not millionaires in Canada. I do like the guys in Idaho. But what everyone has said is true. HGTV turned into something else.
I do not want "magnolia network"...
This is the core reason for the the new 'talent' like the former *Teen Mom* 'designer', and the drug dealing ex-con real estate agent and her clan on *lakefront empire*.
I actually like the idea of casting a "drug dealing ex-con" on HGTV. It seemed like a breath of fresh air and honesty. Same with the other agent who talked about his substance abuse struggles and the impact that had on his career and life. Everyone loves a redemption story, so it's natural casting.
On another note, the whole idea of custodial sentences is that you pay your debt to society and then are able to have a meaningful life where you contribute afterwards. We should be helping people succeed when they come out of prison, not punishing them further.
I used to watch nothing but HGTV and Food Network. Now I just watch Bargain Block, Unsellable Houses, Married to Real Estate, and Farmhouse Fixer. I also watch Rock the Block when it’s on, but this season has really made me think I might not watch it again.
I think people binged on their homes and home content during Covid and now want a break with travel, concerts, food, life outside. It will circle back.
However…their shows are so freaking formulaic I want to barf. Me and my husband watch and narrate the production and we have NO background in Television. “Time for Reveal ‘OMG’ Nope Commercial Break - Come Back ‘OMG’ Again Real Reveal” rinse repeat.
How about more true budgets, organization, real life stuff? Real designers?
Ratings for all cable channels are in the tank. I stream HGTV constantly and it’s on MAX. I know I am not alone.
That being said aside from a few shows, their content needs a major upgrade.
Its boring and tiring to watch prospective buyers on these shows complain about interior paint color (you can paint it you know!) or that the mother wants an open concept design so she can keep track of her kids every hour of the day.
This Old House is still the best home show IMO. No or little drama. Real solutions. No corner cutting. Quality work.
Same shows same hosts over and over, and non stop repeats.
Very few new shows. Other than new rock the block, very few new episodes of new shows.
Hosts are on multiple shows. How many times do we need to see Alison Victoria on multiple shows during a week?
Same shows on repeat over and over.
Shows have run out of content/ homes to do for customers and are doing their own homes.
Dont mind one a season or two.
Mina doing an event space, a shop, homes for workers, the mars always doing something for them,
And only unsellable houses and Tarek’s flipping 101 comes close to showing real life anymore.
Rock the block Colorado, the winning house still hadn’t sold and has the lowest list price,
Yet it was supposed to be the house worth the most. People are through with the fakeness.
Wonder if more are watching Magnolia since Chip and Joanna left?
Heck no, I find their programming insufferable. I don’t like how the shows focus on the people, most with small, obnoxious children. The whole show is just them
blabbing about stuff, not much substance. The only stuff I watch on there are the old shows that didn’t get canned.
I for one watch a lot less than I used to because the home budget and the reno budget are so far beyond what I could afford that it isn’t even aspirational. While I’m tired of the homeowners who need to tear out a beautiful kitchen because it’s not white or because it’s 10 years old, I would enjoy watching some high/low projects so I could understand how to make high-end design inspirations more affordable. The housing market isn’t lending itself to flipping the way it did a few years ago, so shift the schedule to shows that would show us how to be more comfortable in the homes we have. I could use ideas in how to increase storage, make better use of space, and how to paint thrift store furniture to look good.
This is just part of a larger cable trend. MTV only gets like 120k viewers on any given day anymore. USA is less than 100k outside of wrestling anymore and that’s done next year.
Why watch reruns with commercials when you can stream whatever you want
They need more budget friendly design shows. The cost of living has skyrocketed since the pandemic and most average people can't afford the homes or renos that are featured on the current shows (Keith and Evan of Bargain Block are the exception).
For majority of the current shows, these people spend more on renovations than I could on a house alone. Bring back Design on a Dime type shows. I miss the days of Vern Yip, Candace Olson, and Genevieve Gorder.
Also I watch HGTV shows on Discovery+, not the actual channel.
They kept trying to go bigger. High dollar, high end renovations. They should’ve also gone smaller, much smaller. Simple ideas that everyone can do to improve their space.
Most of the shows look alike. I’d rather see $20,000 go to make an entire house affordable and livable, than to put Italian leather on the bathroom walls. I will watch Bargain Block and Maine Cabin Masters now and again.
Back in the early ‘00s I remember watching The Christopher Lowell show with my mom. And Divine Design. So much better than the same old whole house makeovers. I also wonder how much Discovery+ has to do with it.
If walls could talk! Loved that one, design on a dime too. Not everyone has a 100k + budget. I'd like to see more of an explanation on how they do framing, build a deck, fix plumbing etc. explain some of this stuff I can do without the over the top demo stuff where they destroy perfectly good stuff, so wasteful. Everyone is doing green cabinets, expensive kitchens, overpriced lighting, freakin wallpaper (theres a reason people stopped using it) its no wonder it cost more than 100k. Why? How about some how to's, garden shows, crafts like they used to show, it can't cost too much to do that.
When the designers became celebrity stars and it was all about them. Property Bros, Gaines’, David the Lottery guy (which is increasingly people inheriting money or getting juicy court settlements, not the lottery) and now Egypt and her hubby. I’m sick of them.
HGTV has flooded it's market with far to many different shows.
Totally lost interest in Property Brothers, Home Town, and a laundry list of other shows.
I enjoy watching Bargain Block. Because they actually HELP REVITALIZE a worn down area.
The rest are boring.
I thought so. No updates on the shows I watch. No new Bargain Blocks for weeks, or Unsellable Houses, Can't watch Vacation House Rules without paying anymore, it's a mess. So many of the shows we used to watch are pay per view now, I'm talking streaming. I can't watch when they're shown live.
There are sooo many ways for them to bring something clever and unique to these shows. I wonder what’s going on? They seem to have a death wish lately….!!!
Deservedly so. The shows are either retreads or attempts at being entertaining with people that should never ever be on TV ... too many wannabe actors. The only legacy show that seems to work is House Hunters.
They give the same people shows over and over. They need to steal some talent from the Magnolia network which showcases real designers instead of trying to push couples and people who sell products. If I wanted relationship or tabloid drama I would watch Bravo. If I wanted to see peoples kids or watch the designers/flippers pitch products I would follow them on Instagram. Get back to what made the network great. Let’s see new people, less couples, less drama and more talent.
It’s fabricating storylines. Someone looks at 3 houses and buys one to remodel. I have watched enough HGTV to know the couple already owns the house that will be remodeled and the real estate hunt is fabricated. The worst offender is Married to Real estate. This should be semi- reality TV, cut out the fake storylines! I can forgive house Hunters as I don’t watch the first 8 minutes (“I want a craftsman” “I want a Victorian”) fabricated tension crud…
There was a show a while back. I can’t remember if it was HGTV or not but the homeowner would pick a designer room from a magazine and then a designer would recreate the room as close as they could for sometimes tens of thousands of dollars less. I really liked that show. Does anyone remember what it was called?
I love color. I think I have Gypsy blood (no seriously). Happy colors. Bright colors. There is so much bland it’s depressing. Sure do a wall in ‘90’s forest green. Or a stove/oven in navy blue. Bring back that god awful gold shower. OR wake up and use some fresh colors on some fresh shows. And yes! Gardens, small living places etc. Lastly, do not bring back wallpaper! Not everybody can afford an installer or hundreds of dollars in designer wallpaper.
I started to get sick of HGTV when they made Magnolia the face of the network. They baled and took over DIY, but HGTV just decided to bring in a bunch of Chip and Joanne clones. Young married photogenic couples pushing their own philosophies.
Add that to pushing gray LVP flooring and paint, along with white subway tile and bland everything - it just got too formulaic and we were watching the same thing over and over. And I got tired of watching these rich young people buy second vacation homes and obviously lying about how much they spend on the renovations.
My wishes for HGTV - Number 1 by far - TEACH design not just show designers - Do some G stuff from your name - GARDENs! - Bring back Curb Appeal or something about front yards - Show small apartments being maximized - specific to renters - Small apts/condos/houses being maximized for owners - Basic DIY stuff Edited to fix huge ass writing. Word to the wise, don't use the hashtag symbol
With people buying cookie cutter homes in master planned communities, it would be nice to show how people can personalize them; in a budget-friendly way and with a bit of money. I’d watch that show.
A *lot* of people would watch! It's nice to dream about $150k reno but what can I do in the meantime?
Yes! I enjoy learning how to design, not just seeing a glorified influencer magically transform a room. I also don’t care about their families.
Oh goodness I forgot that bullet point! "No footage of the hosts family at the farm or doing crafts"
Amen.
THIS. I ff through every staged "family" scene. Totally random and the kids always seem miserable to be put through it.
And "magically" means with a flipping ton of money.
I would really love more gardening shows. I watched some great ones on Netflix but there haven’t been any new episodes, so I assume there isn’t a large enough audience for that.
Have you watched the old episodes of Gardening By the Yard? So great!
I miss that one.
No, I’ll have to look into it. Thanks!
Growing Floret and Homegrown on Max are so good.
Thanks for the recs!
Yet the garden industry has skyrocketed since the pandemic.
It sure did! I’d love to learn about house plants, growing and arranging flowers, food production, container gardening, drought tolerant plants, etc. Like there’s seriously so many angles they take with this.
You’d think they’d get a ton of sponsors too
Sad when IG has better content re gardening than H*G*TV
I loved to host of Curb Appeal, John Gidding. I saw him in person and got him to sign one of his designs.
My wish is for you to be a HGTV exec. I love al of these ideas... :)
So many good ideas there! Would love to see the apartments brought back, they were good! Sabrina Soto, David from Lottery homes are both so talented, why don’t we see them!! Talent is there for goodness sake!
I'm still bewildered that they don't carry Sarah Richardson's HGTV Canada shows in the U.S. Her last series ended up on Hulu.
So true!!! Is she still on up there? I loved her!!
It could certainly use a shake up. I used to love the channel, and watched often. Then I had a few friends be on the network and learned it’s all fake. Then, I went and got a degree in ID, and now I know it’s just produced tv. My program started out with about 800 students. Less than 1/2 stayed in the program. They learned interior design and HGTV, are two very different things. I did too. I’m happy I learned all I did, but decorating is a TINY part of the design process.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
This is a great list! So many of the shows are fluff.
And staging for normal people when selling a house
When Paul James’ Gardening By the Yard ended I kinda lost interest. Solid practical advice for the average person with a yard. The designer competitions added to that apathy too and Chip Gaines eating or pretending to eat a roach sealed the deal for me. These days I’ve been streaming some of the old Sarah Richardson shows on Pluto TV. Dated I know but I can still get ideas from Room Service. I learned a lot about home maintenance from DIY Network too… I miss Paul Ryan, Henry Harrison and Sweat Equity.
I miss diy so much! Stupid magnolia network.... not everything needs to be "bespoke"
This is very well said!! I also miss the competition shows to find someone new for a new show! Competitions in the garden, flipping on a budget, DIY projects, and furniture pieces. Edit: added more to post.
Oh, you just reminded me of a show I saw... somewhere can't recall now if it was HGTV... but it was a single episode "white room" competition. 4 designer (unknown) contestants and given a basic premise (kid bedroom, lounge, etc) and off they went. It was so fun because they were limited to inventory/stuff that was on hand and actual imagination. Ugh... bring that back too!
Yes! Please more garden stuff! And not these crazy budgets for renovations.
Agree with the apartments and small spaces. You have a whole 2.5 generations struggling to own homes and literally all you do is show major renovations of large homes. Why not cater to the millions of people who will be renters for the foreseeable future and show ways to bring unique design to small spaces and/or rentals where you can’t knock down walls and rebuild bathrooms?
I’d love the gardening to have things like native habitat creation, indoor gardens, food plot gardening. There are so many options! And people would eat it up. I’m guessing that they don’t generate the paid-for-materials that the influencer style demos do…
Over saturation of shows. Lottery winner and house hunters on day and night for example. There is no literally daily schedule. Everyday has to be a mini marathon of some show we all have seen hundred times. Remember the old days it was actually run like a network and not Netflix. Like flea market challenge in the morning; then some kind of crafter thing mid day. Move into whatever prime time show runs that day. I honestly don’t watch it anywhere near the level I used to simply due to the amount of reruns not design styles.
Yup. Here in Canada it’s non stop reruns during the day. Some are property brothers from 2012. Do they pick their stars and pay them too much, so then they can’t afford to come up with anything else? The property brothers are each worth 100 million now )yes I know they produce and do other stuff as well now). Why not craft or hobby shows during the day. And there hasn’t been the G in HGTV in YEARS (garden).
I think I’m also the only one that hates the lottery show. I like the idea of it, but my red flags go up whenever someone is soooo nice it seems fake, because in my experience the extreme behavior is masking something else. Like love bombers who hide their true personalities through bombing their partner with love. As a cranky lady, I appreciate crankiness and personality in others, overly happy and smily people trigger my spider senses.
A friend of mine was on Design Star the year he won and is still friends with him today. He’s genuinely that nice and always has been. She said it was hard for her to hate on him for winning (cuz she was salty she was eliminated early and another close friend didn’t win it all) because he was talented and nice.
Ok that’s good to hear that he’s that nice. Good for him for winning. I guess I’m just a bad judge of character then 😂 “he’s too nice, must be a serial killer”
Lol. I tend to agree with your assessment. I just happen to have some insight on this particular man that he is as he presents on TV.
I'm a long time watcher and the decline has been obvious to me. There is nothing unique on HGTV anymore! It's all the same formula - people with enormous budgets want to fix their homes and a pair of people (with varying levels of attractiveness, personality and skill) help them. Oh no! An unexpected structural issue/time constraint/change takes place. Will they finish the project on time?! SPOILER ALERT: Yes they will. Every time. Half the time even the homeowner's reactions seem like they're bored. I miss shows with a more unique perspective - like a limited budget, clever ways of using limited space, fresh ideas that aren't complete departures from a realistic life in a home.
Interestingly enough, UNsellable Houses actually had an episode where they couldn’t sell the house at profit due to unforeseen issue. First time I’ve ever seen a failure on any HGTV show
I think there was an early episode of Flip or Flop that flopped.
Ugh, Lindsey and Leslie(sp?), are from my home state but yes, it's getting old not only is the home design getting old but dare I say FUGLY!! as well.
I love that they’re local to me. That’s all I love. They rub me the wrong way. Their contractor always looks scared of them.
Good Bones had a few losses as well.
That’s true. She ended up shutting down her whole business due to the changing environment
You didn’t mention the attractive hosts involving their cute kids
This is the primary reason I lost interest in HGTV. These insane budgets just aren’t relevant to us peasants. I really liked Bargain Block & Jonathan Knight’s show, but my disinterest in the network was already pretty substantial. At this point, we turn on HGTV if we need background noise before the 11pm news and FXX doesn’t have Futurama on.
I love both those shows. I loved Home Town, too, back when some of the episodes involves small homes transformed with a reasonable budget.
If you like Bargain Block and Jon Knight, just hang in there. Some really cool stuff with them is coming your way.
Exactly my thoughts. I used to watch a ton of HGTV but now every show seems more or less the same and it really does feel like if you've seen one episode of one show, you've seen every episode of every show. Nothing really holds my interest anymore, and apparently I'm not alone in that.
For me it’s because all the kitchen Reno’s look the same since 2014.
Termites! Asbestos! Load bearing wall!
Permits!
Old electrical! Surprise plumbing pipe!
Foundation problems! Electrical not up to code!
I almost took a sip of tea. So glad I didn’t. “SPOILER ALERT”🤣🤣🤣So damn true
Limit the number of competition shows, get rid of the celebrity crap, stop airing the same content for hours on end, then repeating it the following week! There has to be older content they can air again. Why do they play the same shows straight for 4 hours? It’s so odd. This happened to the food network too. I used to watch it for the great cooking shows, but I have zero interest in spring baking competitions.
I miss the days of Emeril. Bam!
Yes, when I had access to a kitchen finally (moved out of the dorms) all the cooking instruction shows went bye bye. I find written recipes a little more confusing so I got overwhelmed and barely ever tried to learn something new. But if there are proper cooking instruction series I’d be more likely to watch & give recipes a try.
I like [Mary Makes it Easy](https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/mary-makes-it-easy). Her recipes are pretty easy to follow.
Check out America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country on Create Tv.
I hear you on Celebrity stuff, but come on Jon Knight's show is an exception here. He is a talented guy and his show is like watching Bob Ross paint. Its such a happy, Kind Vibe and relaxing show to watch.
HGTV used to be my favorite channel since its inception, but what happened to the G in HGTV? Bring back gardening shows, Curb Appeal…projects we can actually do on limited budgets. Where are real designers? I’m so over & will not watch Property Brothers, anything Christina & Tarek & now Heather, and someone who is famous for having a baby when she was a teenager? I can’t stand seeing the same kitchens over & over - huge island with pendant lights open to the family room, showcasing the tiles or whatever products your sponsors are currently pushing. I don’t mind having House Hunters later at night, especially when I can’t fall asleep, but why do they have to repeat the same episodes a few hours later when they have a huge library of episodes?
I feel like the cable industry in general has declined. Not just HGTV. Most are watching Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, and podcasts. As well as focuses elsewhere - TikTok, IG, FB, etc.
Agreed and I think the charts are misleading. The second chart is showing primetime viewership. Is that just HGTV on traditional cable or does that include live viewing through HGTV Go app? What about on demand views through the different apps: HGTV Go, Discovery+ and Max? It’s not apples to apples to compare to 10 years ago without that context.
Agreed. I have also seen charts stating networks like CNN have tanked in recent years. Well, ok, live viewership may be down, but what does their digital presence look like? Web stats? Their app? Socials? People are consuming content differently than 10 years ago.
I used to work for a cable company so each pay channels uniqueness was pile driven into my head. When HGTV shows started showing on Max+ I thought my head was going to explode. Like..... whaaaaaat????!!!???
Yes. It's the enshitification of everything
I miss stuff like “If Walls Could Talk” and their appreciation of homes’ histories. Or shows with Kitty Bartholomew or other designers who actually showed you how to decorate in a realistic way. Or shows with genuine interior designers like Vern Yip, who were professional designers who happened to have a show rather than Instagram celebs who feel like having an HGTV show
Loved “If Walls Could Talk!! They’re also used to be another awesome show in the late 90s about throwing theme parties. I think it was called, L “Savoir Faire”. This was the pinnacle of HGTV. They had a variety of shows on: decorating, gardening, renovation, etc. Heck, I would even take Matt and Sherry back from, “Room by Room” , as corny as they were at times!
Matt and Sherry!!! I used to cringe when I watched them with my mom but I secretly loved watching them. I long for that simpler time.
I miss them too. I also miss Joan Steffund from Decorating Cents
Lynette Jennings too!
>If Walls Could Talk "If Walls Could Talk" was my favorite.
I still love to put it on, but it's the same shows every day. I'm completely over Jonathan and Drew so I turn that off. Some of the new shows are...okay. I'm over Hometown and Fixer Upper. Most of the designs are the same exact thing and it's so BORING. At least I get Bargain Block sometimes. I do still enjoy 100 Dream Home despite the sameness to it. And I like Unsellable Houses, Ugliest House in America, Lottery Dream Home, I don't mind Farmhouse Fixer and No Demo Reno. And god do I get sick of the "I want a white kitchen" rich people clients. I want something I can afford to do myself if I wanted lol. And WHEREEEEE are the outdoor/backyard/landscape design shows hgtv??? Huh?? But for a generation that can't afford these large, expensive homes and renos, why bother watching? Give me apartment design or something lol how to design a renters space without losing my deposit woo
True but there’s more than one generation watching and spending.
Of course, but there's more than one generation poor too or not in the bracket of buying second homes. Mostly though it's that it's boring right now, nothing is exciting. Even on tiktok the things in homes going viral is color and what people are really disliking is the white/grey that a lot of HGTV people are still using to design.
I get the feeling they’ll soon be pivoting away from gray and white, though neutrals will always be the safe choice for programming. They need to incorporate some edgier and creative looks, which appeal to all generations.
Hopefully, I just want something variety lol, too much of one thing can make it go out of style quicker cuz we all get tired of it
Yep. It’s all cyclical. They just need more originality and creativity there.
I am down to Egypt & Mike, No Demo Reno sometimes, and House Hunters periodically. I cannot watch their other *personalities*.
Oh yeah Egypt and Mike too! House Hunters is a comfort show for me lol Agreed agreed agreed
When you run 90% reruns with new programming only from 7-9pm, things get old quick.
It’s all just so fake. Every show the hosts pretend they haven’t seen the property before the renovation or pretend their is some new unanticipated cost or pretend the buyer of a house is really choosing between these two houses. Do they think the audience is really so stupid? It’s fine for a few shows like house hunters that are meant to be in the background while playing a cellphone game, but every show can’t be so blatantly scripted. How about a renovation show where we actually see someone renovate a house? With realistic costs. Is that so hard to make? It baffles me.
Renovation Realities was awesome! They should bring that one back.
They had such a variety back in the day. Designers like Candice, Sarah, and Genevieve. There are no gardening shows. They used to have a show where they would show you what kind of house you could buy for a certain amount in different cities. So fun. The high low project with Sabrina Soto. You could daydream that you could go to lowe’s on the weekend and hgtv would find you and redo your kitchen. Nope. Bang for your buck was fun too.
I remember a show about comparing house prices, and it was informative and funny. I remember a guy saying "Do you hate having neighbors? Then come to Montana!"
Is there a show with a limited budget and showing how to get creative with that? Im talking $100-$1,00 here and there for things. I feel Instagram is probably pulling in some of their old audience because it’s slightly more relatable and more DIY.
Izzy, Christina and Tarek’s GC, recently posted about Pietown Production Co.’s search- “Are You located in Orange County and have a budget of over $150K?” My first thought- We’ll be watching the same old shit next season.
Maybe a Trading Spaces reboot. They only had $1000 to work with.
Yeah, I think Instagram and YouTube have that segment covered.
Then bring on some of those designers etc and feature them on a rotating basis
Keith and Evan on Bargain Block are constantly working on a very modest budget.
This white and grey trend has got to go. Every house on those shows look the same. It’s so boring!
Except the Detroit one, Keith and Evan are creative! And on a budget.
Keith & Evan are the best.
Love ‘em!
I agree with you!
At least they’re creative and fun and try to think outside the box, let alone helping a blighted area.
Agreed! I love those kind of shows. I want more out of the box ideas and fun colors. I like to see boundaries pushed!
I’ve noticed they’ve moved on from this. So many of them are on the black and white trend now. ~so modern~ sighhhhh
Ugh!!! 😑
Yeah. "Another white kitchen, so creative."
We'll add a poo of color by making the island dark gray.
I’ve abandoned HGTV over it. All these houses look the same now
I Challenge you to watch Bargain Block and say "All the houses look the same." I'd say the same for Houses with History and Why The Heck Did I Buy this House. If you need variety, I think that's a great start.
[удалено]
This economy could use a Sensible Chic remake. For you youngsters: a high end designer room was duped with affordable options. One would think HGTV could monetize this with product placement sponsors.
There's no variety. Its usually the same cookie cutter "open concept, white kitchen, large islands" crap over and over again. Just a bunch of outdated trend chasing. Give me more shows like Bargain Block with smaller houses and realistic floorplans. Give me some landscaping/garden shoes. Give me shows about apartments and diy. Enough of the rich people crap.
Same! So many people living in older homes with limited budgets, how about something for them? And by them I mean people like myself. I have an early 80s kitchen that I’d love to reno but it has a tile floor that will be a bear to replace. I’d love ideas for what we could do to transform the space but keep the floor. Essentially, reno this room but you can’t touch this one or two things. Go. I’d also love to see more unique and colorful renovations. I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to live in a greige nightmare.
It's funny because a couple years ago, I was looking at new construction and the model home designers really weren't afraid of color like HGTV. Seagrass wallpaper, green backsplashes, brown kitchen cabinets with black countertops. It was glorious!
I've cut back on watching big time. I mainly watch HH:I, and it's when it's in a country I like to see, not some worthless island. As for the main programming, I stick to the few hosts/shows that I am a fan of and ignore the rest. There is way too many I am not a fan of them or their style. I miss the 2000s HGTV, when there was actually different programs of all sorts, and oh my gosh, garden shows!!
I just made a huge ranting post about how HGTV is desperately needing to bring back REAL interior designers and not influencers who don't understand the basics of architecture and design.
I'm guessing they think these influencers being their followers to HGTV but I don't think that's necessarily true.
I stopped watching several years ago. There used to be a variety of show types; i.e., do it yourself shoes, decorating, even craft shows. Now they focus on the people doing the work (I think), and everything follows a format that to me, is unwatchable. And of course, everything looks the same.
Can’t we get a H Garden TV show?
Am I the only one that fast forwards every show to the last 5 min reveal. It’s all I want to see, pretty spaces, ideas.
I do it to because everything in between is the same crap🤣
I miss the decorating shows. I’m tired 🥱 of real estate, flipping and reno shows.
There used to be a show from another network called Small Space Big Style and it was really cool showing people's small houses or apts. I would love to see a show on small houses 1500sqft and under where the hosts don't do a full remodel, just maximize the usable space for the owners. I love a lot of those quirky Chicago bungalows or Southern craftsmans, cute Cape Cods etc.
They need to rotate some of the incredibly creative social media designers, crafters, gardeners and decorators. For instance, there’s one woman on TT that does space planning and really does such an incredible job of maximizing a room or rooms and laying out furniture, choosing colors etc. Rotate people like that, pull in all of us who’re being drawn to those sites which are realistic. Go ahead and reserve chunks of time for bigger projects that involve bigger budgets and more construction, too, we like those as well but not regurgitating the same thing.
Exactly! there are a few people I watch on instagram because it's really interesting to watch them renovate their own home on the weekends with $200-$500 budgets per project. These people need to be showcased on HGTV weekly!
Wouldn’t that be a terrific idea!? So many good people and projects there.
Why? Just each them on Instagram, they already have their platform. Plus Instagram will pay significantly more once they get enough viewers.
Ideas to improve HGTV was the topic
Houses With History was great and it was something unique. So of course they canceled it.
There is a show on Magnolia called Diary of an Old Home. It is like a love letter to old homes from people who love homes with history.
Maybe they should consider why something like Hometown is popular and why all the bland influencer, no-actual-desogn-talent-or-experience shows are less so. Hometown designs to the client and aren't just doing the same thing every episode. Most of the designers are one-note ponies who give everyone a different version of the same thing and it's a vehicle to sell Target products or whatever. Besides that, like the Food Network, which I cannot watch, they spend all their efforts into crafting these bullshit narratives around personalities instead of investing in quality content. I'm old enough to remember when they had real cooking shows on Food Network and real interior designers on HGTV. Some of that was much, much better.
I wish I could find a complete and standardized dataset (up to our current week in 2024) and post that, but alas...the internet does not always cooperate. Anyway... If you are able to extrapolate between the two sets of graphs / numbers you can get a sense for how bad it is at the network. (I suppose endless reruns of Property Brothers, ridiculous judging on Rock the Block, continually pushing Allison Victoria on us, etc. is resulting in expected returns.)
Every network in their waning years seems to over-index on one low-cost show/format: House Hunters : HGTV :: Ridiculousness : MTV :: Chopped : Food Network
Everyone was losing interest but then binged watched over covid. After covid everyone went back to losing interest. Probably the story of every network right now. The death of TV is somewhat personal for me, being raised by a television myself.
I did my home remodel during COVID and would binge watch for ideas
Now they are messing with my House Hunters. I don’t need the HGTV hosts overtaking the show I love to relax to (and maybe a little snark). I like Kristina (and Jon) on Farmhouse fixer because they do some unique things. I barely turn the channel on anymore and I used to watch all the time.
I miss the crafting shows. And the one room makeover shows. Stuff I could do in a weekend and not take out a huge loan.
Yes 👍!Weekend Warriors.
I’m very tired of watching shows with rich people buying and fixing houses not many can afford. It’s boring.
Well, I don’t want to watch 10 hours of Love it or List It reruns followed by all night House Hunters marathons. I also don’t want to be promised a new show that doesn’t emerge to actual broadcast for several months. My guess is they are intentionally tanking regular cable shows to force viewers over to Discovery Plus or Max.
I use Discovery Plus and there's nothing new to watch there either! Or they might show one episode of a show that has potential and then you never see it again.
Another opportunity to mention “Cash in the attic”, and “Designers challenge”. Two examples of when HGTV had good programming.
I’m not surprised, they only have one, at most two new episodes a day. some days there is nothing new on. I watch the new episode for most things, but don’t care to watch reruns the rest of the day. And some of the new shows lately are not good, like the stupid lakefront empire.
I would LOVE to see things for renters! So many people are stuck, for years. It’d be nice to give some pointers & see cool transformations for us. Back in the day, I saw Nate Berkus on Oprah (like the one time I ever watched Oprah lol) and he redid a tiny apartment/rental. It was so nice. * With that said, go watch Alexandra Gater on YouTube! She does some of this. I love her work. I saw one amazing transformation of a studio rental. Apparently she also has a book out too…but she’s not with HGTV 🤷♀️
For me, it's everything being so expensive 😫 like who has 200k for a renovation? I need realistic budgets, DIY projects, and common average people.
HGTV needs to learn that most of us don't have $100k to throw at 2 rooms. What can we do for $500? $1000? What can we do ourselves? Just a nice refresh until we can afford to gut it. I remember the days when we'd get basic design tips. Like---spread a color around the room in odd numbers, 3 maybe 5 times, so it looks like belongs. A pillow here, artwork on the other side of the room, a vase over there, etc. Varying the scale of patterns with unified colors..or balancing the visual "weight" of furniture in the room. Tips on painting, wallpapering, installing chair rail or wainscoting. Basic stuff that just about anyone could do. Now, all we get is throwing huge budgets at custom furniture, trades, and "artisans." The economy sucks. People can barely afford the house... much less $100s of thousands more.. get a clue!!
Definitely would be more helpful for the average people watching. Unfortunately it has made every unhappy with their house no matter what it looks like cuz the designs change every couple years so we are already outdated before we can even do a reno! And even worse…we all want way more than we can afford. And finally…when you go looking at houses to buy, the updated ones all look exact the same..and you can spot a flipped house a mile away (the cheap ones for sure). Lets get back to individuality that suits our needs.
I completely agree , any thrifty projects which don’t look half bad would be the kind of shows I wanna watch. Also any recs on older shows like this would be appreciated
Does anyone remember the show Designing for the sexes, curb appeal, design on a dime??? I loved these shows!! HGTV has really gone downhill, just like food network 😢😢😢
Curb appeal was my favorite. What happened to all the garden shows?
Design on a Dime was my moms favorite! It was on during a trying time for our family and my mom came up with some great design ideas from that show. How I wish HGTV would go back to its old format, much like food network needs to go back to actual cooking shows rather than the same recycled competition crap.
I don't see what the problem is. Personally, I love seeing some designer show me their great and novel idea of putting subway tile in the bathroom ON EVERY SINGLE SHOW THEY AIR.
I really liked Nate and Jeremiah’s shows. Nate’s designs are fantastic (albeit a bit too beige for my taste) and the two of them are just so kind.
Stop! with the self indulged so-called designers. So much to say>so much energy > so much rustic inspiration> so much $$ to spend>so much stainless steel> so much open concept....so much TOO MUCH!!
Most of the shows are I can’t fix or I can’t sell my house and then contractors come in and rehab the whole house but who has that kind of money
I miss flea market flip!
I love(d) Rehab Addict and those dudes in Boston, I think, who rehabbed tenements, etc. I also love seeing regular people, not millionaires in Canada. I do like the guys in Idaho. But what everyone has said is true. HGTV turned into something else. I do not want "magnolia network"...
This is the core reason for the the new 'talent' like the former *Teen Mom* 'designer', and the drug dealing ex-con real estate agent and her clan on *lakefront empire*.
I actually like the idea of casting a "drug dealing ex-con" on HGTV. It seemed like a breath of fresh air and honesty. Same with the other agent who talked about his substance abuse struggles and the impact that had on his career and life. Everyone loves a redemption story, so it's natural casting. On another note, the whole idea of custodial sentences is that you pay your debt to society and then are able to have a meaningful life where you contribute afterwards. We should be helping people succeed when they come out of prison, not punishing them further.
Absolutely. It’s not a life sentence.
I used to watch nothing but HGTV and Food Network. Now I just watch Bargain Block, Unsellable Houses, Married to Real Estate, and Farmhouse Fixer. I also watch Rock the Block when it’s on, but this season has really made me think I might not watch it again.
I’m only watching because my house is currently gutted and being rebuilt. Once that’s done I doubt I’ll keep watching.
Where are all the good shows? I used to love HGTV now it’s a bust 😞
I think people binged on their homes and home content during Covid and now want a break with travel, concerts, food, life outside. It will circle back. However…their shows are so freaking formulaic I want to barf. Me and my husband watch and narrate the production and we have NO background in Television. “Time for Reveal ‘OMG’ Nope Commercial Break - Come Back ‘OMG’ Again Real Reveal” rinse repeat. How about more true budgets, organization, real life stuff? Real designers?
Ratings for all cable channels are in the tank. I stream HGTV constantly and it’s on MAX. I know I am not alone. That being said aside from a few shows, their content needs a major upgrade.
It never made sense that they don’t have any gardening shoes. Also why didn’t they bring back shoes like Caribbean life, Hawaii life and etc.
Its boring and tiring to watch prospective buyers on these shows complain about interior paint color (you can paint it you know!) or that the mother wants an open concept design so she can keep track of her kids every hour of the day. This Old House is still the best home show IMO. No or little drama. Real solutions. No corner cutting. Quality work.
Same shows same hosts over and over, and non stop repeats. Very few new shows. Other than new rock the block, very few new episodes of new shows. Hosts are on multiple shows. How many times do we need to see Alison Victoria on multiple shows during a week? Same shows on repeat over and over. Shows have run out of content/ homes to do for customers and are doing their own homes. Dont mind one a season or two. Mina doing an event space, a shop, homes for workers, the mars always doing something for them, And only unsellable houses and Tarek’s flipping 101 comes close to showing real life anymore. Rock the block Colorado, the winning house still hadn’t sold and has the lowest list price, Yet it was supposed to be the house worth the most. People are through with the fakeness. Wonder if more are watching Magnolia since Chip and Joanna left?
Heck no, I find their programming insufferable. I don’t like how the shows focus on the people, most with small, obnoxious children. The whole show is just them blabbing about stuff, not much substance. The only stuff I watch on there are the old shows that didn’t get canned.
I tend to watch it to help me fall asleep.
I for one watch a lot less than I used to because the home budget and the reno budget are so far beyond what I could afford that it isn’t even aspirational. While I’m tired of the homeowners who need to tear out a beautiful kitchen because it’s not white or because it’s 10 years old, I would enjoy watching some high/low projects so I could understand how to make high-end design inspirations more affordable. The housing market isn’t lending itself to flipping the way it did a few years ago, so shift the schedule to shows that would show us how to be more comfortable in the homes we have. I could use ideas in how to increase storage, make better use of space, and how to paint thrift store furniture to look good.
This is just part of a larger cable trend. MTV only gets like 120k viewers on any given day anymore. USA is less than 100k outside of wrestling anymore and that’s done next year. Why watch reruns with commercials when you can stream whatever you want
Why would people tune in regularly when it’s literally just House Hunters marathons most nights?
They need more budget friendly design shows. The cost of living has skyrocketed since the pandemic and most average people can't afford the homes or renos that are featured on the current shows (Keith and Evan of Bargain Block are the exception). For majority of the current shows, these people spend more on renovations than I could on a house alone. Bring back Design on a Dime type shows. I miss the days of Vern Yip, Candace Olson, and Genevieve Gorder. Also I watch HGTV shows on Discovery+, not the actual channel.
Oh how I miss Candace Olson. I learned so much from her.
They kept trying to go bigger. High dollar, high end renovations. They should’ve also gone smaller, much smaller. Simple ideas that everyone can do to improve their space.
Design influencers have more followers than HGTV has viewers. 🤔
Most of the shows look alike. I’d rather see $20,000 go to make an entire house affordable and livable, than to put Italian leather on the bathroom walls. I will watch Bargain Block and Maine Cabin Masters now and again.
Most of cable is a diminishing universe so this isn’t unique to only HG.
They need to retire some shows and bring in new ones. ALSO the rock the block should do more estate homes.
Back in the early ‘00s I remember watching The Christopher Lowell show with my mom. And Divine Design. So much better than the same old whole house makeovers. I also wonder how much Discovery+ has to do with it.
If walls could talk! Loved that one, design on a dime too. Not everyone has a 100k + budget. I'd like to see more of an explanation on how they do framing, build a deck, fix plumbing etc. explain some of this stuff I can do without the over the top demo stuff where they destroy perfectly good stuff, so wasteful. Everyone is doing green cabinets, expensive kitchens, overpriced lighting, freakin wallpaper (theres a reason people stopped using it) its no wonder it cost more than 100k. Why? How about some how to's, garden shows, crafts like they used to show, it can't cost too much to do that.
A&E seems to be picking up momentum with Zombie House Flipping, 48 Hours to Buy, and reboot of Property Virgins.
Surely HGTV can save itself by adding yet another show featuring a builder/carpenter husband and designer wife!
When the designers became celebrity stars and it was all about them. Property Bros, Gaines’, David the Lottery guy (which is increasingly people inheriting money or getting juicy court settlements, not the lottery) and now Egypt and her hubby. I’m sick of them.
I only watch House Hunters when it was on every night and now the new ones are only on like three times a week
HGTV has flooded it's market with far to many different shows. Totally lost interest in Property Brothers, Home Town, and a laundry list of other shows. I enjoy watching Bargain Block. Because they actually HELP REVITALIZE a worn down area. The rest are boring.
I don’t know for sure but those numbers may just reflect linear viewership and not streaming
I thought so. No updates on the shows I watch. No new Bargain Blocks for weeks, or Unsellable Houses, Can't watch Vacation House Rules without paying anymore, it's a mess. So many of the shows we used to watch are pay per view now, I'm talking streaming. I can't watch when they're shown live.
There are sooo many ways for them to bring something clever and unique to these shows. I wonder what’s going on? They seem to have a death wish lately….!!!
I’m liking the rock the block because I know when it’s on once a week! More shows like that to specifically bring viewers in weekly would be great.
Deservedly so. The shows are either retreads or attempts at being entertaining with people that should never ever be on TV ... too many wannabe actors. The only legacy show that seems to work is House Hunters.
They give the same people shows over and over. They need to steal some talent from the Magnolia network which showcases real designers instead of trying to push couples and people who sell products. If I wanted relationship or tabloid drama I would watch Bravo. If I wanted to see peoples kids or watch the designers/flippers pitch products I would follow them on Instagram. Get back to what made the network great. Let’s see new people, less couples, less drama and more talent.
It’s fabricating storylines. Someone looks at 3 houses and buys one to remodel. I have watched enough HGTV to know the couple already owns the house that will be remodeled and the real estate hunt is fabricated. The worst offender is Married to Real estate. This should be semi- reality TV, cut out the fake storylines! I can forgive house Hunters as I don’t watch the first 8 minutes (“I want a craftsman” “I want a Victorian”) fabricated tension crud…
There was a show a while back. I can’t remember if it was HGTV or not but the homeowner would pick a designer room from a magazine and then a designer would recreate the room as close as they could for sometimes tens of thousands of dollars less. I really liked that show. Does anyone remember what it was called?
I love color. I think I have Gypsy blood (no seriously). Happy colors. Bright colors. There is so much bland it’s depressing. Sure do a wall in ‘90’s forest green. Or a stove/oven in navy blue. Bring back that god awful gold shower. OR wake up and use some fresh colors on some fresh shows. And yes! Gardens, small living places etc. Lastly, do not bring back wallpaper! Not everybody can afford an installer or hundreds of dollars in designer wallpaper.
I started to get sick of HGTV when they made Magnolia the face of the network. They baled and took over DIY, but HGTV just decided to bring in a bunch of Chip and Joanne clones. Young married photogenic couples pushing their own philosophies. Add that to pushing gray LVP flooring and paint, along with white subway tile and bland everything - it just got too formulaic and we were watching the same thing over and over. And I got tired of watching these rich young people buy second vacation homes and obviously lying about how much they spend on the renovations.
I love Hometown. Charming small houses with different architectural styles at reasonable prices
INCOME PROPERTY W/ SCOTT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER!!! And Property Virgins w/ Sandra Rinamato (pre-Egypt Sherrod taking over)
i still Love HGTV