Christmas is still many weeks away, but HGTV is delivering a major gift to fans.With more than 50 episodes from new series and 400 episodes of fan favorite juggernaut House Hunters and House Hunters International coming by the end of 2025, HGTV continues to maintain a consistent advantage over its competitors. In light of the summer’s bloodbath, HGTV is showing no signs of slowing down. However, it comes with a stipulation: out with the Instagram homes, in with the controlled mess.
As HGTV recalibrates and shifts its focus, the once-home for aspirational domestic calm has given way to programming based solely on entertainment. With the latest announcement of new series, including Botched Home and Hoarding for the Holidays, it’s clear that just as much as viewers are eager to see the latest renovations from Dave and Jenny Marrs on Fixer to Fabulous, they want to escape to a place that might actually look more like their home. For a network that once celebrated the aspirational domestic calm that became its own Pinterest board, they’d much prefer to seize the moment and monetize the chaos inside your home.
The Era of ‘Comfort Chaos’
Earlier this year, HGTV dropped a bomb as many of its biggest personalities revealed that their shows had been axed, making way for a new batch of programming. A new era was ushered in with the announcement of titles like Cheap A$$ Beach Houses, Tropic Like It’s Hot, and Hoarding for the Holidays. Now, joining the lineup are Botched Homes and Neighborhood Watch. On Botched Homes, even the most jaw-dropping, head-scratching failed renovations won’t deter New York City turned Florida contractor Charlie Kawas and his expert crew, as he makes it his mission to fix what others got horribly wrong. If it’s inferior craftsmanship, wonky layouts, or mind-boggling finishes, Charlie and his team will right the wrongs of shoddy contractors and DIY projects gone awry.
On Neighborhood Watch, the series will reveal the raw, unfiltered, and sometimes shocking footage straight from security cameras, smart doorbells, nanny cams, and baby monitors across America. Think of it as America’s Funniest Home Videos with surveillance cameras. What’s clear about these new titles coming in the first quarter is that they maintain the integrity of the network while shifting focus to shocking entertainment. By honoring imperfections and schadenfreude, the new entertainment is meant to remind viewers that maybe your life isn’t as bad as it seems.
These new shows are holding up a mirror to the world. There is chaos, and it’s not pretty, but if HGTV can control it and find a way to ease your mind about the surrounding disorder, maybe it’s not all that bad. It’s a big risk, but one that the network is unabashedly unafraid to take. As Howard Lee, Chief Creative Officer, US Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery put it, they are marrying their tried-and-true formats while taking a chance on new talent and concepts “to engage our devoted fans and attract different audiences.” Lee is fully aware that his viewers aren’t departing, but they’re seeking something different. They want a new perspective. A cookie-cutter show that makes you feel good is simply not cutting it. Modern comfort TV has become cathartic chaos. If others’ lives look worse than yours, then it can’t all be that bad, right?
HGTV Has Become Self-Aware (And It’s Better For It)
HGTV has tried desperately to appeal to a younger demographic. They’ve been doing this by catching attention with celebrities like Retta or pulling in titles inspired by social media, like Zillow Gone Wild. Based on the ratings, these time-based formats are working, so when you look at new titles arriving soon, like Cheap A$$ Beach Houses and Botched Homes, they’re leaning into the latest trends and fads. Yes, the former sounds exactly like a show you might find on MTV in the early aughts. Just as MTV wiped out its music channels, it’s a signal of the changing times. Acknowledging the campy nature of their titles allows viewers to lean into the joke as well. It’s meta and fun!
Social media have become the be-all and end-all of our lives. Short clips that find viral attention have become the way to consume content. So, for HGTV to keep up the desire to be looped into that universe, they’re doing everything they can to become meme-able. Just look at the viral cougar episode of House Hunters. When was the last time House Hunters made headlines? Because the couple at the center of the episode was such a baffling source of entertainment, it gave HGTV a reason to post it on every platform to earn likes and comments. The reason why the episode worked? It was a controlled mess. HGTV is self-aware and leaning into what’s trending.
The Anti-Netflix Strategy
How media is consumed has drastically changed over the years. With the rise of streamers, the way television watchers consume their TV has changed, becoming the more successful format. If it’s bingeable, they’re in. While we might not have an entire day to watch a full season in a sitting, the ability to start and stop on a whim has hooked audiences into a new way of viewing. Many streamers have given the axe to reality shows after one season, but what’s evident is that devoted fans are willing to come in droves to watch their programs. They’ll wait week after week for a new episode. Knowing they’re ultimately not going to lose a fan base, HGTV has the ability to order 450 new and current programs because the built-in audience is guaranteed.
It all stems back to consistency. No offense to those couples who may bicker while touring their three homes on House Hunters, the stakes are much lower, allowing the viewing to be comfort entertainment. Even though those bickering couples are presenting drama, it doesn’t resonate in the same way as the bickering one might consume from The Real Housewives. Placing a high-volume order for episodes demonstrates the network’s loyalty to its fans and vice versa. That being said, loyalty has been tested with the summer backlash. There are still fans who have expressed their outrage at losing their favorites, but the reality is, they’re not leaving—because they know something new will always be waiting. On streaming services like Netflix, you binge your show and then have to wait to find out if a second season will be ordered. And if it’s canceled, well, it feels as if you just wasted eight-plus hours you’ll never get back. The shock of losing content can lead to burnout, but having a catalog at the ready can alleviate the pain.
HGTV’s Pivot Mirrors 2025 Economics
Now, let’s get to the unfortunate reality of our world. Life is expensive. The cost of living has skyrocketed. No longer do we live in a time when we have the excess funds to renovate our dream home or flip a property for fun. With the changing trends, it made little sense for HGTV to maintain a lineup of titles that fit those profiles. HGTV is bringing back Fixer to Fabulous and Home Town, and yet another brand-new Property Brothers show, but they are gifts to devoted fans, not a reflection of all viewers’ reality.
The fantasy of finding your million-dollar dream home has become a thing of the past. Instead, we have the new show World’s Bargain Dream Home. This new title follows brave individuals who are willing to purchase the world’s most affordable properties, which also happen to be stunning, turnkey, and in desirable locations around the globe, many of which offer incredible cost-saving incentives. Those are the tricks and tips viewers are seeking. They want a future that is affordable. The fantasy is over. Practicality has arrived. HGTV may look like a newfound mess, but it’s a mess that reflects our reality. We’re hunting for a new type of house.
House Hunters airs every night at 10:00pm on HGTV. All episodes are available to stream on HBO Max.
- Release Date
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September 30, 1999
- Network
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HGTV
