HGTV...what happened to it?

May the decorating begin! %0D\ %0D\ %0D

Firing poor Joan Steffend was the beginning of the end. And then they fucked up the Search for the Next Great Designer.
No more Clive and Lisa and that mom/daughter bitchy realtor team. WTF? I''m so over it. I used to love David Bromstad but since his show moved to Miami it is so one-note with all the hideous Miami Beach decor I can''t watch it. It''s like overdosing on Southwest decor....ugh. Too regional. And don''t get me started on Antonio, the great Guy Fieri hope of HGTV. That sink sank before it left the dock.
"ship sank"
R2
Canadian hegemony, that''s what happened.
Have you seen Scott McGillivray with the gay couple yet?
they have totally lost me as a viewer. I used to watch all the time - it was my default channel - now it''s nothing but phony real estate shows. I can''t for the life of me figure out who their audience is.
Agreed, most of the shows are horrible, and there aren''t any gardening shows that I can see. %0D\ %0D\ However, my plummy-voiced little Sofie Allsopp needs to keep prancing around in "The Unsellables." So hot.
No, R5, what about the gay couple? Was Scott uncomfortable around them?
Only TLC is worse.
Not uncomfortable at all R8.%0D\ %0D\ At one point near the end he was showing them the finished product and they all walked into the shower together, all giggly. Then Scott commented on the bizarre socks one of them was wearing and the other said "You should see his underwear!" more giggles.%0D\ %0D\ They both wanted Scott so bad and he just soaked up all that adulation with a big smile.
Every time I turn to it they show property "virgins" who have half a mil or more to spend. Bitch, please.
A lot of ''Property Virgins'' is filmed in Canada, R11. Their economy isn''t in the toilet like the U.S. Property prices in cities like Toronto are still high unlike most of the U.S. I still like that show because it is not fake like House Hunters. It''s not that unusual for the buyer not to buy anything on Prop Virg.
Too many house selling and hunting shows. I do like HHI though.
Yes, R12, it still showcases property virgins who have half a million to spend fresh out of community college. Ridiculous and part of the problem. All of the shows are like that. \ \ Excuse me, who is spending 400,000 Euros on a villa in SLOVENIA for cripe''s sake.\ \ It is a big part of the problem.
I like "Bang for Your Buck." Watching idiots with too much money get pwned. Is that HGTV or TLC?
I also miss"Moving Up" (also TLC) with that Doug person.
My favorite Candace Olsen is still on, wish she could do a room for me. I also like Selling New York with their over botoxed plastic surgery sales people.
Bang for your Buck is HGTV and ridiculous. You like your reno? Let us come in and slam all your choices for you and make you look like a fool on cable TV.
I like Candace, but I bet the room looks even better when she leaves and takes the 10,000 dollars worth of tchochkes the owner refuses to pay for.
Candace reminds me of Sue on Glee. Can''t help it.\ \ And she''ll happily do any room, R17, for a minimum of $80,000, I''m sure.
What''s not to love, R18?
[quote] Canadian hegemony, that''s what happened.\ \ And it''s about to get worse, since Shaw has just taken over Canwest, one of the big producers of shows for and the owner of HGTV Canada.
Too much with the House Hunters shows.%0D\ %0D\ Oh poor me I have to pick between three wonderfull 500,000.00 homes and once I choose I will rip out the old kitchen and re-do all the bathrooms within six months for the before and after shots! viola! Happy - wonderful life!%0D\ %0D\ It''s depressing. I rarely watch anymore.%0D\ %0D\ I miss Lisa LaRocca and her Clivey.%0D\ Designed to Sell is just crap now.%0D\ %0D\ I miss Joan Steffend and the nerdy kind of eighties couple who used to do coutry chic sort of things.%0D\ %0D\ I am getting tired of Divine Design and the custom built inns and metal fireplaces.%0D\ %0D\ Hate David Bromstead''s "custom art" and Antonio is pretentious it''s like he and his clients are too cool for the room.%0D\ %0D\ I still watch but not much.
Nancy Snodgrass
Make that Lisa Laporta!
Nancy
[quote] I miss Lisa LaRocca and her Clivey\ \ Lisa LaPorta, you mean.
I''m with you R19. I really like Candace but her design asthetic is really overdone. Too much clutter for my liking even if I really like the basic design. I used to really like the design show with the British Designer, can''t remember her name. Where they go in while one of the spouses is gone, redo one or two rooms and surprise the spouse on their return.
Is Steve Hanneman still around? He''s a cutie.
I''m having a new kitchen put in as we speak and I am so bummed that we are having granite countertops put in. I really wanted Silestone but the bf, who is "color sensitive" didn''t like any of the Silestone or Zodiaq or Caesarstone countertops. I feel so ickily HGTV.
Haven''t seen Hanneman and his "Hammerheads" show on for awhile. They seem to have replaced those Sat/Sunday morning shows produced here with reruns of Holmes on Holmes and shows from the DIY network.
Clive and Lisa, Steve Hanneman, Donna and Shannon Freeman. Ah, the golden age of HGTV, now departed. %0D\ %0D\ I do like "Real Estate Intervention." I love when the realtor drops the bomb on the homeowners that maybe, just maybe, their beautiful home ain''t worth what they think it''s worth, then takes them to comps with bigger and better features that have acctually sold for tens of thousands less. Hilarity all around ensues.
r28 be careful of granite, some emit toxins. One of the things they don''t tell you on HG-TV.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/garden/24granite.html
Back to Scott McGillivray and his tight shirts and sleeveless tops. There was one show with two gay guys and he even asked for a hug at the end. He has no problem with gays, at least on camera.
I am not into schadenfreude enough to enjoy Real Estate Intervention or Unsellables or Bang for your Buck. Sorry, beating people up isn''t entertainment, even if it is probably good for them long term. That asshat on REI is a smug douchebag.\ \ Vern:" I don''t really like a man with too many muscles."\ \ Homeowner:"I didn''t make him for YOU!"
Real Estate Intervention is so true. Homeowners always price their homes based on "what we need to get out of it" or "how much (money) we have in it". Do they really think that is how buyers in a buyers'' market decide what to pay for a house? MARY!
Comparables are all that matters
R31 that has been debunked.
R26, are you talking about While You Were Out? It had a very coked up Andrew DanJumbo as the carpenter. What happened to him anyway?
According to Wikipedia he is hosting Take Home Handyman on TLC, but I''ve never seen it.
I love Colin & Justin''s Home Heist (I''m in Canada; I don''t know if HGTV in the States is showing it). These two Scottish flaming queens go into a suburban house and either (1) outfit it entirely in white and black. Yeah, that white sofa will look great once your slob of a husband, two small kids and three dogs return to the house, or (2) tchotchked up Paris bordello by way of Shanghai. Your suburban friends will feel really comfortable in there when you have them over to watch a hockey game.
I've heard about the granite problem. Hopefully, we'll get one that isn't too radioactive. Neither of us smokes.%0D %0D My kitchen is being done by Ikea. I see HGTV is going to have an Ikea kitchen series on their network. I suppose I should have waited and tried to get on it, but Ikea was having a 40% off countertop sale and it saved me a ton of money.%0D %0D Personally, I don't understand the American obsession with $100,000 kitchens. I don't need to have "the best" for my kitchen cabinets. They're just where I store shit. It's not like my kitchen is the Sistine chapel. A friend of mine spent $50,000 on a tiny condo kitchen. It looks fine, but not spectacular. And no top-of-the-line appliances, just your basic Home Depot stuff.%0D %0D I'm ok with functional. And I like the pantries with the pull-out drawers that Ikea sells for next to nothing. %0D %0D I'm going to order some extra door panels and what-have-you in case of chipping. They're affordable enough so that I can order some in case they discontinue my cabinet line 10 years from now.
R28
I keep bitching at my HGTV friends here in Knoxville to do a series about reasonable renovations, not $50,000 kitchens, or $2,000 makeovers. \ \ Show me, a single guy who owns a nice two bedroom condo how to make the kitchen nice without the need for a cabinet/ appliance/ floor/ countertop/ plumbing replacement. \ \ Not getting any traction on that request.
I seldom watch HGTV because I don''t have it so all these shows/hosts run together. The Designed to Sell-type makeovers are interesting because the place really does *look* better yet it''s totally unlivable. Also there''s the fake "found in storage" or attic or back room sofa that the poor slob homeowner had to run out and buy to make it work.\ \ The regular Househunters is boring because the three choices are virtually identical subdivision tract homes. I do like the International one except when they go to Costa Rica and overspend by ridiculous amounts of money.
I keep wishing they''d do a show that would just take rooms to the next level. If they would just take an ordinary looking room, pleasant but not great, and do the small things to it that would make it look top notch. %0D\ %0D\ They seem to only do shows where the homeowner clearly has millions to spend (Candice Olsen) or they''re trying to do huge renovations in a desperate rush on stupidly small budget. %0D\ %0D\ I realize the before and afters are more dramatic but it''s useless to me. I neither have millions nor do I live in some 70s remainder bin home - I''d just like to learn how to make it look better.
I miss hunky Steve Watson of "Don''t Sweat It." His gravelly drawl could make me moist!
For the sheer eye candy, I like this:
http://www.hgtv.ca/disasterdiy/about.aspx
The camera work is dizzying. The before and after pans are so quick you can''t see enough to comprehend the changes.
r40 paint is your friend. The most functional kitchen I''ve saw was on Foodnetwok. The tall chef from Two Hot Tamales, they went to her home kitchen, it had white laminate slab cabinet doors and her husband was ironing one of them, he said if the laminate comes loose take a warm iron to it to reactivate the glue, ususinf a towel under the iron, of course.
I guess you don''t get the big advertisers to underwrite your network if you don''t go for the big blowout redos. Lowes and the Home Depot don''t want you painting your cabinets and keeping your 10 year old appliances. They want to sell you cabs, counters, fridges, etc.
I love If Walls Could Talk. Problem is , it comes on like at 5 in the morning or something like that.%0D\ %0D\ On another note,I thought gorgeous Scott was gay!
I guess I''m in the minority here because I like all the house hunting shows (especially Property Virgins and My First Place). What I don''t like and I''m starting to see more of on HGTV is DIY shows. I don''t get the appeal of the Mike Holmes show or Home/Yard Crashers, etc. are. Is the DIY network about to be flushed?
I actually miss the Fine Living Network. It never really took off, but there were some fun shows, including imports. I used to love "Room Service."
I really hate "Holmes on Homes" and that show where people get rental units built in the basements that are supposed to give them so much income without, apparently, paying for the construction. I also don''t like "Dear Genevieve" - basically I hate any show where the host spouts psychobabble or does construction.\ \ I like shows like "For Rent," "Design On A Dime" and shows where they just rearrange what people already have. In other words, shows where the subjects aren''t spending tons of money for the results. I like to make fun of Joan Steffend''s show, but I miss it now.\ \ Oh, and I hate the landscaping shows. And the House Hunters show set in any third world country.
Hs Tatiana shown up on American HGTV yet?
The landscaping shows are the worst. They used to have actual gardening shows on HGTV. Now there''s only that annoying bearded guy who is always planting crummy-looking ferns and firs in his wooded backyard.%0D\ %0D\ The landscaping shows dig big ditches, fill them with dirt and mulch and plant tiny seedlings 5 feet apart. Then they make a patio or something, surrounded by three inch tall seedlings. Looks like crap. Either go back in 3 years time and show us what it looks like when things have grown a little, or put in moderate-sized plantings. %0D\ %0D\ And go easy on the pachysandra, for Christ''s sake. There are other ground covers.
I miss it too, R50. I recently got FiOS and wish it were a choice.
Yeah, I am amused when they tell the folks on rental property that if they just spend 28,000 instead of 12,000 they can ask 1600/month rent instead of 1450. WTF?
Way, way, way, way too much House Hunters. %0D\ %0D\ JFC, that is the only show that is on, morning noon and night. %0D\ %0D\ It was fun in the beginning but not so much anymore. Even the International show is getting boring. Frankly it makes me just a tad jealous that these people can afford a vacation home in some beautiful locale. %0D\ %0D\ Love Scott and his show, though. He is a hottie. Candace''s decorating style is getting old too. %0D\ %0D\ I tune in less and less to that channel.%0D
At first I thought Holmes on Homes was OK. But they have run it into the ground. It seems like every time I turn HGTV on, there it is.%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ I hate the House Hunters International where its just some honky looking for a vacation house in Central America. But I do like the others.%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ I still miss The Designer''s Landscape with Gary Alan. I loved watching him run around in his shorts.
RE: All the Canada shows.\ \ HGTV Canada: Canadian broadcast laws require a certain percentage of canadian produced content on their channels.\ \ HGTV US: No content laws. Can show whatever they want from anywhere. The canadian content = essentially free programming.
Oh, and I do like Mike Aubry and Real Estate Intervention. %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ I wish they would go back to some of the older House Hunters shows and tell us what has happened in the intervening years. It would be great to see how many got foreclosed on.
I loved Designer''s Challenge but sadly that is not on anymore.%0D\ %0D\ It was fascinating to see the three options presented and usually it was a beautiful transformation.%0D\ %0D
More Scott McGillivray PLEASE!
Scottie McHottie is the only thing worth watching on HGTV now.
My partner and I watch a lot and Scott McGillivray gets turned off. He has no upper lip, ridiculous hair, and a nasal whine. Yes he has a nice body, but he is entirely unattractive to us. %0D\ %0D\ Over the years I''ve read posts here where some gorgeous guy is invariably labeled fugly, and I''ve always felt like they had to be troll posts. Guess not necessarily.
"Bang For Your Buck" can be fun because the homeowners get to snap back at the critics, who are often quite nit-picky in their critiques. I would love to see an uncensored version.
You didn''t hear this from me, but Candace Olsen is a major beeeeyotch.
Joan Steffend
Candace Olsen is a hack (speaking from personal experience). Also, HGTV Canada doesn''t have particularly high standards when it comes to their local design talent. My partner auditioned and was shortlisted for the designer job on one of the shows they were developing. He did it for shits and giggles as he has no interior design background.
What I hate about House Hunters is that the buyers spend the show telling what they hate about each of the three houses. Then they pick a house and tell what they love about it!
Then why did you pick it?
I''m with the above poster on the HHI thing. I love seeing how people live in Brazil, Argentina, Eastern Europe or even Western Europe (though I have a really hard time figuring out how one of the couple works from home in say....Bangkok). \ \ I am tired of watching the semi-retired CEO and family looking at beach houses in Costa Rica or Roatan.
They ruined Real Estate Intervention. It used to be about Mike crushing dreams and taking names, but they've made it more Sabrina-centric, and she's running around staging and shit. I removed it from my DVR this season and I won't watch it again until they've gone back to the old format. Re: Income Property, the point that Scott makes isn't about spending 10k more to get an extra $200 per month, but it's more about long term potential. He's said over and over again that he never does or recommends reno projects that can't be paid off in 2-3 years. Tops. So yes, it might cost the homeowner more upfront, but after the initial investment is paid off after two years, they will be pocketing more money LONG TERM. Try to pay attention, there's a method to his madness. I like all of the house hunting show except for HHI, which used to be my favorite. I liked it when they showed real citizens of other countries looking for real homes that they planned to live in. Now, every episode features boring vacation properties, and 80% of the time, with icky, entitled Americans who demand granite and "soaking tubs". No thank you.
Don''t kitchen floors need to be reinforced for granite countertops?%0D\ %0D\ Was HGTV the channel with the re-decorate-with-flea-market-and-yard-sale finds? I actually liked watching the search.
Exactly, r67. %0D\ %0D\ Also they are only 2 people looking for a house and demand 4 or 5 bedrooms, large bedrooms at that, and a tv room and super large kitchen, what for? %0D\ %0D\ That is why people are freaking losing their houses. They bought WAY more house than they could afford or even have need for. %0D\ %0D\ They do have to maintain the home and heat it and cool it. %0D\ %0D\ It''s really dumb.%0D\ %0D
Aren''t R67 and R71 adorable? They think HH is real.
House Hunters is completely fake. A friend of mine was asked to be on it because she was friends with one of the producers.\ \ She already owns a home.
I used to like HHI but I can''t stand it anymore and don''t watch. I''ve seen enough Mexican, Costa Rican and Panamanian second homes.%0D\ %0D\ I liked the Euro ones.
[quote]Don''t kitchen floors need to be reinforced for granite countertops?%0D\ %0D\ You read the most bizarre shit on DL.%0D\ %0D
WTF?
The recession happened.
The Urban Oasis winner will be announced Saturday. There''s no way they will pull up to an empty house to announce the winner, so whoever won must know by now.
R77, last year''s winner of that humongous house outside Albuquerque (the lady with the tragic Katrina story) was dressed, coiffed and made up quite professionally when she opened her door to be "surprised". I''m guessing you''re correct about them knowing in advance that something is happening at a certain time.
R77/R78--you are correct. %0D\ %0D\ Usually, they''re told that they''re a finalist, and that all of the finalists have to be home at a specified time in order to be notified it they are, in fact, the Grand Prize Winner.
Sorry---typed too fast at R79---should say, "notified iF they are..."
[quote] Was HGTV the channel with the re-decorate-with-flea-market-and-yard-sale finds?\ \ I think you might be thinking of Jennifer Convy''s show that was on A&E: Find & Design.\ \ Apparently it''s back, with a new host.
http://www.aetv.com/findanddesign/fd_about.jsp
I love Sofie as well.
I still love HH and HHI. I don''t care how many tract houses in the suburbs of Memphis they look at. It''s like muzak, it just calms me down. It upsets me that Suzanne Wang seems to be no longer associated with it, but they just use her voice from old shows to narrate the new ones.%0D\ %0D\ I also love the show about the NYC brokers. It''s like a Real Housewives show about selling real estate. Also love peeking at the NYC apts.%0D\ %0D\ Also love anything that has Sandra whatshername on property virgins. %0D\ %0D\ And I don''t miss Joan Steffend at all but I miss the Joan Steffend troll like nobody''s business.
Suzanne''s Wang
My two favorite shows don''t seem to be on anymore. "What you get for the Money" and "National Open House". Anyone know what happened to them?
Ahem...r63 and his partner seem to have green eyes.%0D\ %0D\ Scottie is beautiful; anyone can see that.
Scott M.
The best thing about HGTV is that they probably have the highest visibility of gay people, including couples, of any network on American television.
That''s probably true, r86.%0D\ %0D
HGTV is not anything like it use to be. I miss all the old shows like Room by Room, Decorating%0D\ Cents. Too many Canadian shows. Not enough affordable decorating. %0D\ House Hunters is so fake. HGTV use to be entertaining and informative. Not anymore. I''s a waist of time.
Find & Design went off the air for good a few years ago. The one show I used to like on HGTV with Jennifer Convy called "Awesome Interiors." What did you think of the show, anybody?
What happened to Tatiana with the big curly hair, boobs out to there and short dresses? It was a hoot running from place to place in super high heels.. And, all the female real estate "haters" she encountered when she tried to do things behind their backs. Wait, there''s more... her associate/BFF who quit the show and Tatiana with no explanation (at least not on camera)..\ Good times!
Anonymously writing about Canadian shows
^^Ooops, meant: *It was a hoot watching her running from place to place...*
Correction..
R39, how much does the typical Ikea kitchen cost with installation?
"I''s a waist of time."\ \ You can mistype that again, Mary.
Bump.
Yeah, what happened to HGTV? Obviously sold out to the realtors...boring, boring, boring...I'm so done with it...miss the design shows...maybe some other network will pick them up.
I miss Rick Spence from Curb Appeal.
Really miss the gardening, landscaping, carpentry shows. I cannot tolerate the constant real estate shopping drama! Also, and no offence to Canadians but seriously!!!! I estimate that a-boat 85% of the hosts and/or locations are Canadian! And is anyone else completely repulsed by that over-all wearing, whining vortex of negativity known as Mike Holmes?! My wife and I still have HGTV on our "favorites" but only rarely sneak a peek any more. Over the past year or so, each time we've tuned in for some home/garden entertainment, we've been disappointed to find some crap real estate B.S or worse, Mike Holmes and his spew of blither. Oh well, there's always 600+ other options. We really do miss the old HGTV.
MissYaHGTV
There are no "garden" shows that actually have to do with plants anymore. It's all landscaping makeovers.
PBS still shows Victory Garden
[quote]it still showcases property virgins who have half a million to spend fresh out of community college. Ridiculous and part of the problem. All of the shows are like that. It's popular on DataLounge to criticize House Hunters type shows that feature people with a few bucks to spend. The alternative, however, is beyond despair: watching people with no money look at crap $117,000 houses and bitch because they want all the features of a $750K house.
I want to tie Scott McGillivray down, strip him naked...and give him a decent haircut. (The naked part is just a bonus.)
I miss Paul James and Gardening by the Yard. Also, Rebecca whatshername and her garden show. I think HGTV also featured Gardens of the World at one time. There was another garden show that was more like meditation than anything. It was slow and serene very relaxing and made you want to go out and create a garden. There isn't any show on now that features gardening topics, help, etc. Same thing with Food Network. I had a hard time finding a cooking show today (looking for Easter dessert ideas) and all I could find was Ina Garten and Giada. Everything else was that competition crap.
There was an Income Property on last night where Scott McGillivray introduced his wife. She is pretty
I miss Small Spaces, Big Style. I loved seeing how people lived in under 1000sf - sometimes way under - and usually had clever space-saving solutions. I'd probably be much happier in a smaller space...less to clean.
I miss the originl Curb Appeal. They took it off for Curb Appeal The Block. I HATE that show and it's host. He may be fine eye candy but he has no talent. All his makeovers are the same design. I also loved Divine Design but they cancelled it for Candace's new show. Hate it.
is anyone else but me struck by how AWFUL the music is for all the shows on HGTV?
This thread is two years old.
Why did that Canadian lady leave Property Virgins? I hate that new host. And Holmes on Holmes is shit on shit.
[quote] Why did that Canadian lady leave Property Virgins? I hate that new host. Bus stop rat bag, ha ha, SHERROD you are
Sandra%20Rhino-Tatas
I cannot stand David and Color Splash. He has no talent as a painter or as an interior designer. He's a total amateur who has not improved with time. I agree John has had some real misses on Curb Appeal recently. Most projects are great but he can create real nightmares as well. The old Victory Garden was wonderful - a fantastic show. Morash (This Old House) sold it to a young and hip production team who tried to modernize it. It sorta worked with its gay host for a while (but it was dull and phoney), but then they dumped the gay guy for a former male stripper from Australia. That was a complete disaster and meltdown. The show ended a few years ago and PBS keeps repeating the last two disaster years over and over again. I wish they would bring back the original. What the new producers did to the show was unforgivable. They destroyed something wonderful.
Haven't watched in ages. Of course I don't have cable anymore either. I sometimes catch Yard Crashers at a friends but I think that's on DIY. HHI was enjoyable but I do wonder how young twenty-something couples can afford beach front property in some of those locales. They must have a rich daddy. I miss the Joan Steffend troll too.
[quote] Why did that Canadian lady leave Property Virgins? She has a new show now called "Buy Herself" starting April 16th, airing only on HGTV Canada but I'm sure that it will soon air on HGTV in the US as well.
http%3A//www.hgtv.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx%3Ftitleid%3D277004%26Category%3DAF
It's ironic that they show wall-to-wall real estate shows now when the housing market is in the crapper.
I really want some popcorn counters, granite toilets, and a garden tub in my mancave. And stainless steel floors.
I still wished that Awesome Interiors was still on. I loved Jennifer Convy. She seemed to be a doll.
lots and lots of Canadians.
Miss%20the%20SoCal%20shows
Somebody should have a channel devoted to landscaping/gardening, realistic and affordable home decorating and dyi tips. I would watch that channel. I won't watch an unrealistic real estate channel.
The gardening shows are awful. Let's dig up your perfectly fine garden, put some huge rocks in there and scatter some dirt. Hope you like it!
I was never into the Gardening shows but I did like Paul James. WEHT Designing for the Sexes? Income Property is a little over the top, but Scott is SO easy on the eyes and I do like seeing the transformations. Love it or list it is new to my radar. I like the concept, but the fake drama and attempts to create suspense are pretty laughable. I miss Divine Design. Holmes on Homes has some nice eye candy (not Holmes - but his son his hot (mike Holmes, J), and the second in command guy, Damon. At the link, Damon is back row left, Mike Jr is back row, right.
http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/holmes-inspection/photo-gallery-detail/EP01171695/340897
I like the show where Genevieve sets up a room with designer furnishings, then gets the real budget and redoes it for that amount of money. It just goes to show you how much of that shit is ridiculously overpriced. I love the show though. I've gotten some good ideas from it.
I can't even remember the last time I watched HGTV, and it used to be the channel I turned on and left it there. Gardening shows, and not just Paul James, who I loved. Project shows, like Kitty Bartholomew's program, decorating shows where the host actually talked about design principles and how to solve problems in a room or create a room to function well. The adorable hunk and baseball player, Rick Spence. The show about copying a really expensive room, where they would spend about $2,000 to copy a high-end $100K room. They always showed why some pieces were a good substitute, and other pieces that looked similar didn't work. Again, it was about design principles, like scale, balance, harmony and contrast. The most recent show I can think of that actually shared useful information was the one five or six or more years ago where they let the homeowners choose colors based on what they wanted the room to feel like. And for every color choice, they would have several options and the host would discuss what each color would do to the room and its atmosphere. Whenever I have tried to watch in the last few years, it seems like all House Hunters all the time, and I'm just not interested. I have a little frame house that's almost 100 years old, and I'm always working on some upgrade or change, and I used to love getting ideas from HGTV. In New Orleans or Key West, my house would be a little jewel-box bungalow, and there used to be lots of programs that featured houses similar enough to mine I could get ideas or see what could be done with it if I wanted to take it in a particular direction. But the real estate shows I've seen the past few times I've checked in are mostly new construction, or the buyers sneer at a 25-year-old house and call it dated, or they take one look at a 10-year-old kitchen I would kill for and say, "The kitchen has to go." I'm not looking for Joan Steffend's $500 artsy-craftsy room makeovers, but even that was more useful than what I've seen recently, as they at least always showed what a huge difference you can make with a gallon of paint.
Met Lisa LaPorta in Trader Joes's and she was delightful. Told her how great she was and she loved it- she even called my partner on the phone and said hi. I said we wanted her to do a show where they helped homebuyers fix up their new purchase before they move in- showing how to use their old furniture, etc. She said Clive had tried to sell that exact show to HGTV, called "Designed to Dwell" and it was turned down. Not enough expensive stuff to be sold during the episode.
Fav show on HGTV - KITCHEN COUSINS! Now, if they could only do a topless show every once in a while. Super-hawt Anthony Carrino doens't take a great picture, but to me he looks like George Clooney's hotter younger brother
http%3A//www.babson.edu/news-events/babson-magazine/winter-2012/PublishingImages/carrino-anthony.jpg
Amen too that
Oh, dear.
all you naysayers need to take a look at Kitchen Cousins (Kissing Cousins?) hot guys, and Jon for sure has to be gay... and i'm tempted to believe he and Anthony are veryclose (if you get my drift).
Good Grief ladies, it's not hot hawt the hosts are. It's how the show can help normal folks improve their homes/gardens. About 75% of this thread is about eye candy.
I believe that as well, R125. As was mentioned in another thread, they have a couple-vibe to them.
Come back to the DL Joan Steffand Troll, Joan Steffand Troll!
The%20ONLY%20thing%20I%20miss
For me, the best design show, hands down, is Sarah's House on Style. Great design, great taste, and no eye candy. Luv me some Kitchen Cousins, too. While he is gorgeous to look at, I despise most of David Bromstead's (sp?) work - cheap looking design and hideous wall "art".
[quote]and i'm tempted to believe he and Anthony are veryclose (if you get my drift). The drift you're a perv, and that you think two good looking cousins, even if one is straight will fool around? Yeah, we get it.
R130 most states make marrying cousins legal.... so to imply that these hot men having sex is in no way pervy! just so you know. if you get MY drift.
Thanks to HGTV it became almost impossible to find an older house with its original fixtures - nearly every charming cottage was tarted up with replacement granite countertops and one of those fucking apron-front sinks. We found our 1920s house in the nick of time, just before the seller was about to rip out the kitchen and put in IKEA everything. And he laughed when we told him to not touch the black and pink tiled bathroom. Some houses should just continue to be what they are.
I always wondered what would happen in the event that someone let one of these shows do some kind of makeover on their home, and the owner(s) ended up really hating it.
R133, I remember one of the designers once being really cunty to a homeowner and saying, "Remember, you signed a contract. You have to let us do what we want." So I assume that means they have to let the show crew finish it however they like until the taping is done, and then if the homeowner wants to change it, they can. But I assume they have to do the work and pay for it themselves. I've posted upthread somewhere that I stopped watching HGTV years ago, but now I'm trying to start again, because I recently decided to add a room on to my house and enclose a covered porch for a sunroom/greenhouse room, and I want to see what they are showing now. Though what I've seen over this weekend has not encouraged me. I'm searching online and at magazines for photos of the kind of look I want, but I have seen nothing on HGTV that interested me at all. I haven't checked out their website yet, though, and I know they used to have that Rate My Room feature that was a good place to get ideas.
Joan Steffand is an old lady now. I saw her on TV last week doing commercials for some retractable awning company. Her glory days are over.
Give it up R131, you freak. As for HGTV, I hate when they just destroy something that could be recycled or donated. Take a show like Kitchen Crashers, que bad fake Eddie Van Halen guitar solo, and they proceed to put a sledgehammer through some perfectly good door or cabinet. Assholes! Habitat for Humanity would love that stuff. Ditto for the appliances they throw in the dumpster. Someone should really do something about that.
I still miss Joan Steffend's show too. I miss the old Design On A Dime, as tacky and gimmicky as it usually was, too. The new one is horrible.
I can't believe no one's mentioned that former CK model Joel West - who has aged EXTREMELY well - is the lead carpenter dude on the new incarnation of Design on a Dime. And they photograph him lovingly, way more carpenter time than usual.
http%3A//www.hgtv.com/on-tv/joel-west/index.html
Barbara%20Please
Joan Steffend's show was really the "Chopped" of HGTV. In your basket, Joan, you have: An screen door. A box of pasta shells Christmas Wrap and a futon You have 20 minutes to create a new kitchen, your time starts now!
Wow R138 I had no idea Joel West was on HGTV. I was a huge fan of his back in the day. What a hunk - and as you say, he's aged well.
That's obviously a toupee Joel West is wearing. he's been losing his hair since he was in his 20s.
R86: I agree completely. My favorite thing about HGTV is that, rightly or wrongly, it is the only place on TV to see real same-sex couples of all kinds. R136: Agreed about the wasting of perfectly good stuff. I enjoy HH and HHI, but I do miss Lisa LaPorta and Clive Davis and Suzanne Whang, and besides that, I'm a fairly recent comer to HGTV, but I wish I'd seen some of these shows you're talking about. I would definitely love to know how to re-do some of my rooms and my yard on my budget. The shows on now aren't all that helpful for that.
katy
What's obviously fake is that House Hunters International show. Anyone else think it strange that on many of the shows from strange out of the way countries the so-called real estate agent is obviously an American? Most likely just some channel staffer posing, especially since the buyers already purchased the residence before they even went on the show. Just more fake "reality" TV.
I hate all the "crashers" shows. They make me uncomfortable. Even though it is all staged, the thought of some douche nearly assaulting people in stores to allow him to come to their homes, a total STRANGER, and re-do their houses or landscaping is, well, just kind of creepy. Who would DO that? The people weren't ASKING for help (although probably were picked before the show, obviously) And HOW FUCKING PUSHY! Just not a good concept.
I've rarely seen an American real estate agent on HHI.
Last night I was watching ome sort of garbage called "Flea Market Flip" and, damn-whoever the carpenter they have on that show (his name is either Josh or Justin) has GOT to be my new husband. I couldn't find any info on him, but, once I find out where he lives, we will be so involved.
Too many House Hunter shows on now...and most of them have budgets beyond what the average person can spend on a house. I watched Flea Market Flip on Friday---LOVED it! Great to see creativity and something all budgets can participate in. I hope the show continues.
Does anyone remember the Joe Ruggiero Show with co-host Leslie Uggams? It aired during the early years of HGTV. Leslie didn't really do anything, except every once in awhile she would say something like, "Oh, I really like that chair!" What was the name of that old show with the homely couple who would re-design a room on a VERY small budget?
I used to love Designer's Challenge. I would pick the designer correctly about half the time.
I enjoy House Hunters International. But they've really dumbed it down this season. They show too much preview of the next segment before the commercials. And they show too much review of the previous segments after the commercial. And I don't need to see constant close-ups of the buyers. Just take more time showing the house with voiceover, instead of fast blurry pans and MTV-style editing. Oh, and I don't need to see the same clip more than once during the episode (ie. "Shawwwks? SHAAAWWWKS?!!! Shaaaaaaaaawwwwwwks???!!!!!")
The whole channel seems dumbed down and bland. I don't care if someone wants to move to Thailand and buy a house. And good God, get rid of David Bromstad. God. He's awful and his interiors suck.
i so hoped that Carter Oosterhouse was gay. and even still wanted to believe he was when his marriage was announced. but then i saw the promo for his million $ show. seeing him "dance" in the disco room dashed all hopes of him being even bi!
i%27d%20still%20do%20him
I really miss the mother/daughter realtor team on the show where they tried to tell homeowners why their dumps weren't selling. I can't remember their names, or the name of the show, but those two heiffers could cut a bitch with their caustic remarks.
Awesome Interiors?
A new season of Design Star starts this month. It always has a couple of hottie designers to drool over. David Bromstadt and that gross biker guy are the only winners who went on to become HGTV stars.
I have in the past been an HGTV fanatic but my love has cooled. There's nothing even interesting anymore and saying that kills me. I have read some of your comments, personally I'm fed up with Gorder, Olson and Soto... I still love Verne, Steve Watson, John Giddings, Clive and Carter... and I do agree, Carter can't dance but he's still pretty...
Bump.
I hate the eps where trashy Brits buy in Turkey. You've seen one Turkish house, you've seen them all.
WHAT , HAPPEN TO (ALL)THE GOOD HGTV SHOW,S.THEY DONT HAVE ANYTHNG ON NOW? THE SHOW,S ARE VERY VERY SAD! WHAT IS GOING ON!
I love Sarah's House with Tommy, her pocket gay assistant.
HGTV needs to broaden their audience to compete with the other networks, as every single network is now doing reality-type programming. So either they compete or fall by the wayside.
I think Sarah's house is a total bore. I watched one episode. Her taste is boring and frauish. How far along is she now because I can't imagine it taking that long to get the house completely done.
I'd much rather watch Joan Steffend than the superboring Mike Holmes or yet another version of House Hunters. I miss Clive and Lisa, too.
I wish they'd bring back gardening shows that are actually informative and instructional in a larger sense, rather than only as it relates to curb appeal.
I liked While You Were Out and the Painted House I think it was called--with the fun Brit.
I like Sara's House too - but only because I enjoy watching Sara and her assistant. Whenever they get to the room reveal I'm always stunned by how awful it looks. I'm also very curious about the logistics of the show. The ones I'm watching now she's doing a new-build suburban tract house but does whoever buys it get all the furniture and decorations too? And, if not, what happens to them? But, other than that, I agree, the network has gone from my "must watch" to my "almost never watch."
R166 The last two series that she did - a renovation of a townhouse in downtown Toronto and a renovation of a ranch-type house (Canadian back-split) in suburban Toronto - were both sold furnished.
I miss Dream House which was on in the early 2000s. The show followed a family through the construction of their dream house from the planning stages to completion. The show presented a much more realistic portrayal of the home construction process (i.e. pitfalls, mistakes, cost overruns). Virtually every dream house ended up costing way more then the homeowners envisioned. The last season I remember watching they featured this trust fund bachelor who was building this 1 bedroom home on a steep hillside. A small project that was supposed to cost a couple hundred thousand ended up being well over a million dollars by the end of the series.
[quote] I liked While You Were Out and the Painted House I think it was called--with the fun Brit. I think you're talking about Debbie Travis and her shows. I miss her, and those shows.
http%3A//www.debbietravis.com/debbies-tv-shows/painted-house
Yes! Thank you, R169.
r165
HGTV became more concerned with being very PC instead of focusing on decorating. The word "expert" became used instead of people with credentials. And every show seems to have an interracial couple way out of proportion to their actual numbers in society as if they are pushing that everyone hook up with a ethnicity other than their own.
WHET Trading Spaces? I like Genevieve but her show is so damn boring. Vern has turned into a bitchy old queen. Page Davis ruined that show with her Home Shopping Network style hosting. She was so fucking obnoxious. Hildy was awesome.
Thank you very much R167!
In regards to R172, Trading Spaces was ended in 2008 after a run of 8 seasons according to the IMBD website. My recollection was that it suffered from overexposure. All of the 'good' talent i.e. Hildi, Doug, Ty had left the show for other projects and the show was left with the second or third tier designers. They also created a spin-off show Trading Spaces Family which only lasted about a season which further contributed to its overexposure. The final death nail was TLC's decision to move the show's time slot around so much that no one watched it at the end. TLC's While You Were Out suffered the same fate. I have a question for any New Yorkers, what is the deal with the Novagratzs and how the hell did they get their own show on HGTV? Are they really well-known in NYC? And how can you afford to raise 5+ kids (who probably all attend private prep schools in the city)unless you are independently wealthy doing small peanuts renovation projects. (They also appear to do none of the actual work themselves.) Neither the husband or wife has any formal design credentials, and this is in a city with more licensed architects than anywhere else in the USA. Who would willingly give their business to people whose only skill seems to be sourcing items at overpriced NYC boutiques.
Anonymous
You want to know how to bring the magic back, baby? ME. And not with some fucking $20 budget to redo a "great room." Twenty bucks. To do a great room. I'm not kidding. You think I wanted to make a Kicky Cantina-Style Homework Nook in there? Hell, no. I had 24 hours, some scrap plywood and an old plastic booth I found behind a Taco Bell. That's what I fucking had. And I made it WORK. What would you do with a bunch of rusted drawer pulls you found in a Dumpster? Not so easy, is it? Well, I'll tell you what I did. I fucking hot-glued them to some rocks I found in the garden and made Rustic Paperweights. What the fuck? I mean, if you've got a better idea, bring it on. Move over, Genevieve Gorder. And don't get me started on Decorating With No Budget. How many fucking times can I pull a couch out from the wall and put it on an angle? HOW MANY TIMES? What the fuck else am I supposed to do? Grab a table from the bedroom and put it in the living room? Yeah, I've already done that. They can put their bedroom lamps on the floor. I really don't give a shit. Seriously. Candice Olson would get something like $50,000, CANADIAN, to do a 10x10 spare room. AND a carpenter. AND an electrician. I was stuck begging for leftover tempera paints from elementary schools. BUT I MADE IT WORK. I MADE IT FUCKING WORK. Fuck HGTV. Just...FUCK it.
Joan%20Steffend%2C%20on%20her%20sixth%20glass%20of%20Yellow%20Tail
I love the Joan Steffend troll.
Oh, Joan, glorious Joan. I have missed you. And you made me practically snort my own wine through my nose.
Keep%20on%20truckin%27%20Joan%20troll
Brava, Joan. Brava.
Why is HGTV having so much trouble keeping hosts and good shows? First they got rid of 'Room by Room'. Then 'Extreme Homes,' which evidently after a six year hiatus is now called 'You Live Where?' ' Curb Appeal' has gone through what 4 or 5 hosts? They got rid of Chris, Susan Wong, Clive, Joan and now Sandra. I miss Paul the gardening guy. Grant Goodeve from 'If Walls Could Talk. I like Mike Holmes. Not happy that they keep getting rid of hosts or as they keep saying " did not renew their contract'. If they want to only show real estate shows then call it RETV. Show us a Design Star that has actual everyday people and not all these stuck up designers. David was the first but Miami ain't for me and I'm IN Florida!!
Mimi
HGTV is out of touch with the majority of Americans. The budgets for renovations is not unreasonable but who has any money anymore? Get real. Renovate for less than a $1000 per room, repurpose, recycle and do not buy $1500 kitchen faucets.
Bump.
HGTV use to be my favorite show because of the variety. Now it is just House Hunters or House Hunters International..Oh ya,throw in a few of the real estate shows.What ever happened to the designing shows and decorating shows??? So, so boring...they might as well take it off the air.
R180 is spot on! I'm renovating my kitchen and the money these people spend on one room is the amount I would spend to fix my whole house!
Broke on a Budget
The problem is that to finance these shows, the sponsors want their products showcased. They don't want HGTV to show you how to redecorate or overhaul a kitchen on a budget. The homeowners on the show are not paying for the Aladdin 8 burner range with grill, salamander and double oven. Short sighted, since very few of the viewers can either.
Folks, folks. HGTV in America is pay-to-play. That means ALL the shows are bought as ads for realtors, contractors, designers, or landscaping companies. The Property Brothers are only brothers, were never a realtor or a contractor. Underwear model? Magician? Mime? Yep. In Canada, the shows are paid for by the Canadian gov to subsidize Canadian content, an ancient silly useless law that tried to keep Canadian TV mostly Canadian before every Canadian had satellite watching mostly US channels. Holmes doesn't work in the US because the Canadian gov subsidizes HIS shows 100%. In Canada your favorite "stars" work for the Canadian gov; in the US they are buying advertisements they hope you will mistake for TV shows. AS IF ANYONE watches the wax creeps of "Selling _____". HGTV sells TV time; they don't "produce" a bit of TV. Every HGTV star has a sugar daddy or sugar mama (sometimes BOTH) paying for their fame. Now you know why Clive is gone, replaced by Jonathan and Drew. Underwear model. We've been had.
Anonymous
I stopped watching HGTV when shows like Room by Room (cheesy but entertaining), Rebecca's Garden, and Paul James Gardening by the Yard were cancelled. I remember thinking how cool it was to watch a network that had gardening and decorating tips for the average person. Now I search PBS or local stations for programming like HGTV used to be. I remember when HGTV aired Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn on Sunday afternoon. Heaven.
What was that British show that featured the red-headed, big titted woman that was on constantly? God, did I get burned out on her. Was that HGTV? They would show it non-stop. Does A&E still have the home staging show with Roger the Bear?
i can not stand those damn house hunter shows. and they seem to show them ALL THE TIME! now that high/low show, and when (if) they come back -- the kitchen (kissing) cousins show is all that's left to watch.
R57 Some "honky"? Are you living in the 70s? Wouldn't like it if someone called you a racial name but you think it's okay for you to spew your ignorance??
I am so disappointed in HGTV. That used to be the first channel I would go to. Not any more. I absolutely HATE "Love It or List It" It's like watching the movie Ground Hog Day...the same stuff over and over. There are NO design shows at all. Only house hunters, and the like. And in our economy "Million dollar rooms" is almost offensive. I miss "Design On a Dime" The show that they redid a room for under $500, and another show where items were moved from other rooms in the house to make a statement in another room. (I use that technique all the time and it is quite effective). I also liked "deserving design" and I hated Dear Genevieve. I don't even watch anymore.
anonymous
I used to love HGTV. I thought I was missing something, like did all the designing shows go to another channel?? I started searching around and didn't find any, so i guess their all just canceled.. booo you HGTV!
Kitchen Cousins, MMMMMMMMMMM
http%3A//www.poptower.com/john-colaneri-picture-84179.htm
Except for Candice Olsen, most of those design shows really sucked balls. Most of them were not even real designers. Mostly Frous with a pantsuit. Design on a dime? Trading Space with foil on the ceiling as a sub for silver leaf? Really? That crap had to go. Their strategy now is to pretend the show is doing one thing, like remodeling a house, while their real secret sexy male hunks posing as contractors. No one over 40. Right out of the Hollywood rule book. Wished my plumber looked like that.
Sorry but the younger guy on Kitchen Cousins lately is really annoying! He is so high strung that I want to bang him over the head with a frying pan. Yes, I am aware the guy is extremely happy he is getting married ,but he really needs to calm down, good grief! Their designs are not very good at all in their previous show and their new show as well.BTW, the buffer of the two cousins is really hoter!! Is he gay? Man! Those Italians!Hello! OP said what happened to HGTV? Well, the major issue is 99% of the so called designers do the same dam minimalist thing!There used to be individualism on HGTV now if you have seen one show you have seen them all. They are a major joke!They had a show on how to have a minimalist Christmas show! Who wants a minimalist bland Christmas? When people decorate for Christmas, everyone self expresses themselves in all out fun! They usually do their own thing with no rules! They are hypocritical as well because they talk about the ecology often ,yet they don't use antiques, and re salvaged architectural pieces. I do love Rehab Addiction and I think the lady on that show is amazing and I give her a lot of credit for being really tough and a survivor.But unfortunately HGTV stated her show is mainly on the DIY Channel ,and I don't get that channel. Salvage Dawgs is really fantastic and fun! If you haven't watched that show, please do so because its great! I love, Love It or List, yes I know its a set up but its still fun. House Hunters and House Hunters International. Flea Market Finds is fantastic too! I really highly miss If These Walls Could Talk. The host on that show was hot! Now they just have reruns of the show because I guess its no longer on.
God, reading this thread made me remember all those people from HGTV's glory days who I had forgotten about Joan and her daughter, Clive and Lisa LaPorta, Suzanne Whang...so many people we've lost. I'm crying.
R194, your are such an old queen, I can tell by you love of antiques and flea markets. Gay men stopped doing that back in the 70's. You have got to be pushing 50 or almost 60.
What do you all think about a show for hgtv where the host is a designer with over 20 years experience and is older than the typical 30-40 year old host. Does age matter if the content of the show is fun and you actually learn something about design? What do people say.....does age matter in a host? Let's say the host is 50, but very entertaining and brings a wealth of design know how....I would much rather have HGTV put shows on with people who really know what they are doing and actually show people how to do their houses.
Designer extradonaire
Food Network is almost as bad. No more variety of different cooking shows - instead they show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with the repugnant Guy Fieri over and over and over again. Why? Is there anyone out there that is sitting down in front of their tv at night and watching a three hour block of this twaddle? It doesn't make any sense. They do the same thing with Chopped sometimes, but at least it's cooking and the regulars aren't repellent personalities.
Oh, God--Trading Spaces with Hildi the bitch! She is SO lucky someone didn't shoot/slap her ass...
No mention of Love it or List it? I kind of like that show. It's very formulaic and they keep showing the same B roll of the guy frantically "looking" for listings in his car like he's hunting free WiFi off unsuspecting suburban cul de sacs. Then there's the woman designer who always hits a huge snag and can't give the homeowners any of their "must-haves". They need to ramp this up somehow before it gets too boring but I think it's one of the better concepts in house hunting. Fwiw
Wow, I had forgotten about many of the great, quality shows that used to make HGTV...you are all reminding me of them. Decorating Cents with Joan Steffend...my mom and I would snark on that all the time, it was awesomely horrendous. But, Joan was a great host, so nice and down to earth. I loved Kitty Bartholomew and her striking gray streaks. Room by Room...so corny and every kitchen had to have trailing ivy above the cabinets. But, Matt and Shari did give great practical advice. Now, HGTV is just a frenetic mess, as is Food Network. Candice Olson and Ina Garten are my saving graces on those networks.
Do you want to love it? Or liss tit?
That's how he says it.
hardwood floors, open floor plan, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, ensuite bathroom, jacuzzi tub, walk in closet, dual sinks zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Haha R202, isn't he a dweeb?
But whoever does the make-overs for the houses is a genius. I could really use their help.
I love the Property Brothers....fake or not. They are sweet. I could watch them all day.
I agree with you R206. Those poor guys on Property Brothers seem so nice, and they do all of this renovation work and you hear these spoiled American couples bitch about things like they had to use a microwave for one week and sleep in the garage. Which they consider to be hell on earth. I cringe when I watch the way people act because 9 out of 10 the complainers are Americans, and I think these two Canadian hotties must think we are so spoiled, LOL! BTW, David on Love It Or List It is married. Before I found out he is married, I got a strong vibe the guy is gay big time? oh well! I think he is handsome in an average way. BTW, is it just me or is anyone ever annoyed at these spoiled young couples who look at these houses and complain on House Hunters as well? They bitch if a house is older than 5 years! Their taste is hideous and boring like Lazy Boyish, Ikeaish, run of the mill cookie cutter! Yet they can look at gorgeous chandeliers in a dining room and CALL THEM HIDEOUS AND UGLY?!! WHAAAA? There are many things they look at that are beautiful and exquisite, and they bitch and whine being obnoxious saying this or that looks like their grandmother's place?! What the hell?! I hate it when these losers use that term. My mother gets pissed off when they say that because she says, I would never decorate my home like that what is their problem? What is wrong with these younger spoiled jerks! There was one episode , which this couple who were around their late 40's, not the usual young newlywed couple that they have looking at homes on this show, were looking at these gorgeous mansions. The laddie's husband walked into this one mansion which had two extremely beautiful original columns, and he says in a whiny way, oh we we would have to rip these out because they look like grandma's house. And then next he walks into this gorgeous dining room with a breath taking chandelier, and the realtor said the crystals were Austrian hand cut crystals. The guy says to the realtor, oh my gosh that is hideously ugly! It looks like my grandma's house. The realtor just kind of looked at the guy like, is he serious? These couples are the epitome of dumb and dumber!
The House Hunters couples are usually pretty dense. They'll say they want an old house with charm... and then bitch because the rooms aren't big enough. Well, most older homes have smaller floor plans. Or they'll say they want a home right by the water... and then cry about the price. Any homes on the water are going to be 25-50% more, at least. They will constantly contradict their own wish list.
I miss the gardening shows also, but love Cousins on call.
I'm disappointed that House Hunters International now features mostly rental apartments. Who cares about some nondescript rental apartment in Berlin?
The couples on House Hunters with the most limited budgets are the first to complain that a house doesn't have all high-end finishings and isn't in a planned community (yuck!)
I don't even watch it anymore. I find it to be too irritating.
I used to watch HGTV every day, but I dropped it several years ago and replaced it with the Food channel. Now that the Food channel has gone downhill with that hideous Guy Fieri, I've started watching the Cooking channel, which is much better.
Why do they all want open concept everything? Why do the Property Brothers promise these great renovations before they know what they have a clear idea of what they're deal with. "Oh we're going to knock down all the walls" "Oh I'm sorry, these are all load baring walls and can't be removed"
For some reason, it's like all the channels that started out with a focused theme are hardly even about their theme anymore. MTV is no longer about music (hasn't been for a few decades), The Travel Channel isn't about travel much anymore, HGTV has gone from being about decorating and gardening to being basically a real estate show with endless "House Hunters", LOGO is no longer about gays...all these channels don't know what the fuck they're doing anymore. I'm glad I got rid of my extended cable. Don't miss it at all.
After watching all these Canadian based shows on HGTV, I have learned this about Canada and Canadians... Sometime 60 years ago ALL housing was built in Canada. They were all exactly the same house and all of them were brick duplexes. Whoever built them were determined to make them as unattractive as possible. Canadians have simple needs. All they want is an Open plan and an ensuite. If they have those two things, then they stop complaining. They also must have a finished basement so they have a place for their children's toys. They whine even more than Americans
Suzanne%27s%20Whang
The Canadian shows are strange to me because they all have row house looking homes or, as R216 stated, old houses and the weather is always gray and dreary looking as if they only film in winter.
I immensely love old homes because they have unique individual character. However, what is with Canadian homes because most of them are attached and linear.They no charter and old charm? What the hell? All they are, are hundreds of townhouses.
Yes, R216, and as we've learned from "Love It or List It," the plumbing and the wiring in the moldy basements always need to be completely ripped out and the concrete needs to be re-poured, preventing the whiny couple from getting two of their must-haves.
Is an "en suite" some big deal in other countries? It's standard here for masters.
R219,I know in the Untied States we have house issues ,but most of these shows that do renovations in Canada always come across dangerous issues. Do they not build homes that well in Canada? Also, do they try to cut costs and government regulations when people install wiring and other things in their homes? because it seems like there is always a constant issue in Canada?
[quote] I'm disappointed that House Hunters International now features mostly rental apartments. Who cares about some nondescript rental apartment in Berlin? Agreed. And since when did someone's rental accommodation become a point of great interest? I think they've killed it now, but at the depths of the financial crisis they had a House Hunters equivalent for apartment hunters in suburban St. Louis with a $450/month budget and a long list of demands. No, the landlord is not going to switch out the black appliances for stainless steel -- it's a cheap fucking rental. Ridiculous. Back to House Hunters International, there's little point in securing camera crews in far-flung locations unless the properties have some interest. That rules out a lot of rental properties, and also the lowest priced end of the housing stock nearly everywhere. The least expensive houses and apartments are not going to exhibit any interesting qualities of Edinburgh or Paris of Stockholm or Prague or Lima. (And who cares about executive rentals in Singapore, or a golf community time-share condo in Belize, or some daft British chick who wants to reinvent herself and open a dingy B&B in a cinderblock hovel 20 minutes by taxi from Bondi Beach?) Show decent properties and let the properties do the work - not all of the personal backstory and constant reiteration.
Now they have House Hunters renovation which I think is fantastic and a great change.
It's too bad that all of the shows made in the US are faked. They don't have to be, in Canada they can't legally do it and the shows that are produced and shot there are just as good. I think it's simply about money. The fake shows are easier to produce - like fast food burgers - and taste good to the public. Plus, you can show them over and over again and people don't get tired of them. They become cash cows for the production company that makes them. All decisions are made for money. The public is completely duped - they want to be - and the producers just laugh at them as they calculate their profits. I miss the old shows as well - the garden shows have completely vanished - nothing is left but these silly renovation shows. That's were the advertising bucks are - Home Depot, Loews and Sherwin-Williams. There are no dollars these days in nursery plant companies like Proven Winners. What would I do without the BBC online - the best gardening shows are there. PBS just runs ancient reruns of Victory Garden.
I used to like that decorating show with some older, obviously gay man decorating for a couple. Kind of like a his/hers combined into one.
R225 Yes, Designing for the Sexes, Michael Payne was the designer and was pretentious as hell, but he did strike a nice balance. That too was seemed staged as they always seemed to go to a pick out furniture at a place that had her extreme taste, his extreme taste and Michael Payne's "oh, I think I know exactly what you want right over there!"
I also liked Decorators/Landscapers Challenge, a show where a couple was looking for either a home or lawn redo and had to choose between 3 designers and then they would show the finished product. Sigh...the early days of HGTV. Whatever became of that chubby, curly haired girl who won Design Challenge, got a show and then it was cancelled. I think she won the one after David Bromstad.
I love Canadian designer Sarah Richardson. Does HGTV still produce new shows with her? They aired her old Xmas special on HGTV last month.
R228, as I recall, her last few shows involved buying and flipping houses.