As HGTV fans continue to mourn the loss of several home renovation shows, a new report offers insight into why seven series were cut.
“Home reno shows are expensive because all of the materials are jacked up and on delay, the price of wood and marble and everything else is going up, so these shows don’t make as much sense anymore,” a source told Deadline in an article published on Monday, July 28. An anonymous producer agreed, adding, “Stuff wouldn’t arrive on time; we had wood floors, for instance, that would come in six weeks after we started production, and then we’re also depending on contractors.”
The producer continued, “Everyone knows if you’re doing construction on your home, you never come in on budget. So, try to apply that to a show that has really strict budgets. Some of our episodes took 16 weeks to shoot; it’s more labor-intensive than doing a real estate show.”
According to the outlet, the home renovation shows can cost around $500,000 per episode compared to the network’s real estate shows, which cost around $200,000 to $300,000 per episode and take less time to film.
HGTV
Another source noted that HGTV viewership has also declined, stating, “The viewers have just left the building and they’re not coming back.” Per Deadline, HGTV has lost nearly half of its total audience over the past eight years, and has reportedly lost 26 percent of its viewership in the 18-49 demographic last year.
“I don’t know if it’s a show thing as much of an audience thing where a lot of people are dropping cable,” another producer told Deadline. “There was a time when people would just put on HGTV when they were cleaning.”
In addition to renovation costs, the salaries of the network’s top stars may have played a role in the slew of cancellations, as some stars reportedly earned up to $100,000 per episode.
“All of these renegotiations are about how much of a reduction their marquee talent is taking going forward,” a third source claimed. “There’s no way that they’re getting the deals that they once got. They are no longer a talent-defining network.”
A separate producer added, “They allowed their talent to run amok. They gave them some form of creative control, and that’s harming their own shows. They were so afraid of talent, they never said no, and the shows aren’t delivering anymore. They kowtowed to talent and now they’re suffering the consequences.”
HGTV
A Deadline source added, much like Jonathan Knight recently suggested, that the network should “convert back to the HGTV of yesteryear, where maybe there’s a gardening show or a kitchen show.”
Knight, whose show Farmhouse Fixer was canceled after three seasons last month, said it would be “cool” to do a gardening show on HGTV. “I love TV shows where it’s not just drama and stupidity, but viewers come away having learned something,” he said.
Farmhouse Fixer was one of many HGTV shows to meet the chopping block in June, along with Bargain Block, Married to Real Estate, and Izzy Does It. More series met the cancellation lineup this month, including Battle on the Beach, Christina on the Coast, and The Flipping El Moussas.