Tag Archives: HGTV Canada

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: HGTV’s Hot Market showcases the GTA’s loftiest properties

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Back in 2016, I did a write up on Buying the View, W Network’s documentary peek into high-end homes being purchased in the Toronto area and across Canada.

Now Corus Entertainment is back with a new series along the same vein. Debuting Monday at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, Hot Market spotlights buying and selling expensive abodes in Southern Ontario. What sets Hot Market apart from its fellow Corus creation?

The cast. Whereas Buying the View featured more buttoned-down agents letting the properties be the star, Hot Market—from Architect Films, the folks behind Custom Built, Fire Masters and Home to Win—celebrates the agent as much as it does the properties. Rana, for instance, has become a successful real estate agent as her second career. Rizwan, meanwhile, is the youngest senior vice-president of sales at his luxury real estate company. And Odeen is a real estate agent and real estate developer.

After driving home that the Greater Toronto Area is chockfull of buyers and a dearth of sellers, we follow Odeen as she shows off a 2,000 square foot home in the Roncesvalles area. It’s unique, modern, sun-drenched … and $3 million. She meets up with Brittney and Luke, a young couple with a $3.5 million budget. A hideaway kitchen and 23-foot ceilings appear to have hooked the pair, but will a skinny lot size scare them off?

Listen, Hot Market isn’t for everyone. I’m moving out of the city because, among other reasons, it’s getting too expensive to live here. And seeing people swan around a place I’ll never be invited to for dinner, let alone own, can be a put-off. But if you like seeing how the other half lives and want to plan ahead for that dream home when your lottery numbers come up, give Hot Market a shot.

Hot Market airs Mondays at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

HGTV Canada’s Island of Bryan returns for a hotly anticipated second season

From a media release:

After breaking HGTV Canada ratings records this past Spring to become the network’s most watched series of the past 10 years*, the #1 Specialty Canadian Original Program** Island of Bryan (8×60) returns for its second season on Sunday, February 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The new season will continue Bryan and Sarah Baeumler’s family adventure in the Bahamas, as they race to put the finishing touches on their beach front resort, after a roller coaster year of construction. Viewers can catch up with a Season 1 marathon on HGTV Canada in the lead up to the premiere, beginning at 12 p.m. ET/PT on February 23.

Season 1 captivated viewers generating a 9% increase in audience growth from the premiere episode to the finale.*** The success has continued online, with a show reveal gallery receiving more than 3.2 million page views to date, while the Top 15 most-viewed videos on HGTV.ca belong to the series.****

With the budget maxed out and more at stake than ever, Season 2 will see Bryan and Sarah tackle the seemingly impossible task of transforming the Caerula Mar Club into their spectacular vision. It’s a race against time to complete the clubhouse, spa, and hotel block with the grand opening date set – but when tragedy strikes the Bahamas impacting the progress, Bryan and Sarah launch a fundraising effort to support the communities affected by Hurricane Dorian. Giving viewers an all-access pass to step-by-step renovations and designs, this season will see big reveals, behind-the-scenes chaos as they hire and train their large hospitality team, and capture memorable family moments when it comes to crunch time for the resort’s opening day.

Island of Bryan is produced by Si Entertainment in association with Corus Entertainment’s HGTV Canada.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Kortney and Dave pay it forward in Making it Home

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I can’t help but like Kortney and Dave Wilson. They’re fun, don’t take things too seriously and they know their stuff. It’s served them well through shows like Masters of Flip and Music City Fix.

Now the duo is back with a brand-new program. Debuting Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on HGTV Canada, the exceptionally long-titled Making it Home with Kortney & Dave finds the pair in the Greater Toronto Area, helping families upgrade while keeping within tight budgets. It’s all about paying it forward and these two are ready to do it.

In the debut, Kortney and Dave are tasked with helping Michael and Elizabeth work on their home, which just happens to be Michael’s childhood house. That means plenty of 80s styles that have to go out the window in favour of an open, bright concept. Add in a mother-in-law, kids and oft-visiting in-laws … the house needs some major space re-jigging. And, with just over $100,000 budget, Kortney and Dave can’t do a full-on makeover.

In no time at all sledgehammers are swinging, dust is puffing about and the seven-week renovations are underway. The results are, as usual, stunning. But they’re also entirely within reach for a typical homeowner. In Making it Home, Dave and Kortney are eschewing the extravagance for the practical, the outlandish for the informative. And it’s just as entertaining as anything other series they’ve done.

Making it Home with Kortney & Dave airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

‘Tis the season for renovation with Home to Win: For the Holidays on HGTV Canada

From a media release:

HGTV Canada’s top-ranked* Canadian-original series Home to Win returns with a festive twist – Home To Win: For the Holidays (8×60) celebrates the season by awarding a fully renovated home to one deserving fan. Premiering Sunday, October 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Season 4 reunites the networks’ top builders, designers, and real estate experts who use their expertise to redesign an aging Victorian property into a wish-list worthy home, just in time for the holidays.

HomeToWin.ca is now taking submissions to compete to win the holiday home until Sunday, November 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Season 4 begins with Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray kicking off their holiday shopping by searching for this year’s perfect home. Designers Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe stop by to declare “Victorian new and now!” as the interior design focus of the century-old family home. Then, host Sangita Patel gathers HGTV Canada’s best-known builders and designers for a joyful reunion as they begin the exterior restoration.

Returning to Home To Win to lend their creative touch are HGTV Canada designers Jo Alcorn, Sarah Baeumler, Sarah Keenleyside, Mia Parres, Tiffany Pratt, Samantha Pynn, and Sabrina Smelko. Meanwhile, HGTV Canada builders handle the heavy lifting, including Carson Arthur, Sebastian Clovis, Rob Evans, Joey Fletcher, Sherry and Michael Holmes, Colin Hunter, David Kenney, Paul Lafrance, and Brian McCourt. Bryan Baeumler, Mike Holmes Sr., Scott McGillivray, Sarah Richardson, Drew and Jonathan Scott, Tommy Smythe, and Kortney and Dave Wilson join in on the fun, making surprise visits throughout the season. As the countdown to the holidays begins, this all-star cast keeps spirits high with friendly reindeer games that challenge their DIY skills and teamwork.

Home To Win: For the Holidays sponsors include prizing providers Sonnet Home + Auto Insurance and Rakuten.ca; official quartz surface provider Caesarstone; official paint provider Para Paints; official cabinetry supplier Casey’s Creative Kitchens; official window provider Gentek; and official smart home lighting supplier Philips Hue. Full details about series sponsors can be found here.

Home To Win is produced by Architect Films in association with Corus Studios for HGTV Canada. For exclusive content, including full episodes available to stream, please visit HGTV.ca. HGTV Canada is available through all major TV distributors, including: Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink, SaskTel and the new STACKTV, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video Channels.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Property Brothers: Forever Home debuts on HGTV Canada

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Is there anything Drew and Jonathan Scott can’t do when it comes to renovation projects and television shows? From the original Property Brothers series, now in Season 13, to spinoffs like Property Brothers at Home: Drew’s Honeymoon House, the Scott brand means education, information and a healthy dose of humour.

Now the pair is back with another new series in Property Brothers: Forever Home. Bowing on Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV, the duo help couples who are settled into their existing home but seek a makeover to make it their forever property.

In the first of seven episodes, the lanky lads are in Las Vegas to meet Susan and Troy, who love their neighbourhood, the backyard and the home overall. But, with a third child in their midst, it’s time to update and upgrade, especially some needless ups and downs because of small steps on the main floor, a double island in the kitchen and a tiny laundry room.

The solution? Raise the entire main floor, nix the double islands for one big area and create a multi-purpose room.

While Drew focuses on manual labour, Jonathan shows Susan and Troy interior design options and inspirations. With a few swings of the sledgehammer, the job is underway. The results are, of course, stunning.

My only quibble with Property Brothers: Forever Home might be the locations they film in. I say “might” because I’ve only seen the first instalment, in Las Vegas, but I worry all of the homes featured are in the U.S. Call me a homer, but I really like to see Canadian locations featured, mainly so I can try and figure out how much it might cost to renovate my home. As I said, Episode 2 could very well be in Vancouver, Calgary or Halifax, rendering this whole paragraph pointless.

If you’re any kind of a fan of the Scotts, you’re doing to enjoy their latest creation.

Property Brothers: Forever Home airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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