Tag Archives: Mike Holmes

Poll results: Your three favourite new Canadian TV series of the fall

The results are in and Canada’s newest satire series, The Beaverton, is your No. 1 favourite television series of the fall. With just over 6,500 votes cast, The Comedy Network series captured 37 per cent of the vote.

In second place is HGTV’s Bryan Inc., starring Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, followed by Holmes + Holmes and Moving the McGillivrays. Rounding out the Top 5 was CBC’s Kim’s Convenience.

The Bachelorette Canada, Frontier, Airport: Below Zero, Shoot the Messenger and Travelers fill out the Top 10.

You can find out how your favourites placed in the poll here; thanks to everyone who participated.

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Holmes + Holmes teams father and son for personal project

I’ve been a fan of Mike Holmes since the first episode of Holmes on Homes aired way back in … well, it was a long time ago. Holmes Inspection, Holmes Makes It Right, I’ve seen them all at least once and often several times over. The guy has an infectious personality, unmatched knowledge of right and wrong when it comes to home building and an urge to educate and inspire others. Those traits have been carried down to his kids Amanda, Sherry and Mike Jr., who have all appeared on his series.

After renovating his father’s garage—documented for the network with a short-run series—Mike Sr. and Jr. return to HGTV Canada with Holmes + Holmes, where they turn the latter’s bachelor abode into a great place for he and his girlfriend, Lisa. Debuting Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Holmes + Holmes is as much a renovation program as it is a spotlight on the evolution of Mike Jr. as a person while in the shadow of his superstar father. Footage of Jr. back in 2004 shows a skinny teen who is more interested in playing video games than he is hefting a hammer, but he’s learned a lot in the 12 years since.

He’s learned so much so that he’s able to challenge his dad, and has the know-how to back it up, on certain things. With $50,000 devoted to the renovation, Jr. plans to spend $30,000 on rebuilding inside with the remainder spent on outside issues. But as folks who watch these programs can attest, budgets go out the window once work commences and awful secrets are revealed as walls come down. And while Jr. is thinking of a mere facelift for his place, Sr. is leaning towards a complete gutting and rebuild of the bungalow.

There is a marked change in the tone of many DIY and renovation programming from straight hands-on, nuts and bolts stuff to a lighter, character-driven model and Holmes + Holmes is certainly that. Both men have spent hundreds of hours working in TV and know their stuff when it comes to the mechanics of a job. What viewers want now is to see folks like the Holmes’ interact and show a more personal side. You certainly get that with this; much time is spent in Episode 1 as Jr. states he’s got the knowledge to complete the job on his own without help from dad, and there is plenty of good-natured ribbing between them and a barbecue challenge. And though she’s a rookie to the TV thing, Lisa has got it together, both serving as a grounding influence for Jr. and a set of fresh eyes taking in the Holmes’ renovation process for the first time.

It’s going to be a fun ride.

Holmes + Holmes airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus.

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HGTV Canada breaks ground on Season 2 of Home to Win

From a media release:

HGTV Canada and Architect Films announced today that production has begun on the second season of the successful Canadian original series Home to Win, which ranked as the #1 specialty competition series (A25-54) in its first season.* This season, HGTV Canada is bringing together 30 of the best-known celebrity builders, designers and real estate experts to pool their extraordinary expertise, creativity and reno know-how. Joined by host ET Canada’s Sangita Patel, they will completely transform an average house into a dream waterfront property. Home-winning hopefuls from across the country will vie to compete for this spectacular house in the dramatic series finale. The new season is currently slated to premiere on HGTV Canada in Spring 2017.

This season’s team of 30 celebrity builder, designer and real estate expert all-stars includes:

  • Jo Alcorn (Critical Listing)
  • Carson Arthur (Critical Listing)
  • Bryan Baeumler (House of Bryan, Bryan Inc.)
  • Sarah Baeumler (House of Bryan, Bryan Inc.)
  • Danielle Bryk (A Bryk at a Time)
  • Kate Campbell (Disaster Decks, Custom Built)
  • André Chevigny (Carver Kings, Timber Kings)
  • Sebastian Clovis ($ave My Reno)
  • Rob Evans (The Expandables)
  • Joey Fletcher (Disaster Decks, Custom Built)
  • Jillian Harris (Love It or List It Vancouver)
  • Mike Holmes (Holmes Makes It Right, Holmes and Holmes)
  • Mike Holmes Jr. (Holmes Makes It Right, Holmes and Holmes)
  • Colin Hunter (Open House Overhaul)
  • Sarah Keenleyside (Backyard Builds)
  • Dave Kenney (Disaster Decks, Custom Built)
  • Paul Lafrance (Disaster Decks, Custom Built)
  • Brian McCourt (Backyard Builds)
  • Scott McGillivray (Income Property, Moving the McGillivrays)
  • Mia Parres (The Expandables)
  • Tiffany Pratt (Buy It, Fix It, Sell It)
  • Samantha Pynn (Open House Overhaul)
  • Sarah Richardson (Sarah’s House, Sarah’s Rental Cottage)
  • Drew Scott (Property Brothers: Buying and Selling, Property Brothers)
  • Jonathan Scott (Property Brothers: Buying and Selling, Property Brothers)
  • Sabrina Smelko ($ave My Reno)
  • Tommy Smythe (Sarah’s House, Sarah’s Rental Cottage)
  • Todd Talbot (Love It or List It Vancouver)
  • Dave Wilson (Masters of Flip)
  • Kortney Wilson (Masters of Flip)
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HGTV Canada hits close to home in new original series Holmes + Holmes

From a media release:

This fall, HGTV Canada is putting two Holmes under one roof as Canada’s most trusted contractor, Mike Holmes, and his son, Mike Holmes Jr. (MJ), team up in Holmes + Holmes premiering November 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The brand-new, Canadian original series follows the father-son duo as they work together to renovate MJ’s modest bungalow into the perfect first home for MJ and his girlfriend, Lisa. Complementary digital content at HGTV.ca offers fans some of the Holmes’ top tips for renovating and a further glimpse into their relationship in several digital short series.

Mike Holmes has helped hundreds of homeowners over the years, but now the homeowner who needs his help is his son, MJ. In Holmes + Holmes, viewers learn more about the personal lives of the Holmes men as they experience the ups and downs of their most personal renovation challenge to date. While Mike and MJ share a last name, a strong work ethic, and a desire to help others, they don’t always see eye to eye. Their different approaches provide the foundation for unexpected moments of humour and drama – though they always vow to build it right.

HGTV.ca further enriches the Holmes experience for fans with three new digital short series featuring Mike Holmes, MJ and his girlfriend, Lisa. The first digital short series includes construction and how-to tips allowing fans to learn from the pros themselves. Lisa stars in her own digital short series, Lisa’s Healing Herbs, a garden and wellness series where she explores the benefits of herbs – garlic, ginger and mint. Additional rapid-fire questions between Mike, MJ and Lisa result in hilarious, candid responses in several short-form videos. Full episodes of Holmes + Holmes will also be available at HGTV.ca after each episode airs.

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HGTV Canada’s superstars team to create the ultimate Home to Win

Superstars assemble! Take 20 HGTV Canada contractors and designers, drop them onto a property in dire need of renovation and what do you get? Home to Win, the network’s biggest giveaway ever, and a showcase for homegrown talent.

Hosted by ET Canada‘s Sangita Patel and debuting Sunday at 10 p.m. ET, Home to Win is a who’s who of demolition and design talent, including Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, Sarah Richardson, Scott McGillivray, Mike Holmes, Tiffany Pratt, Samantha Pynn, Paul Lafrance, Kate Campbell, Sebastian Clovis and Danielle Bryk. Basically, if they appear on an HGTV Canada series, they’re participating in Home to Win. It’s a smart move: it’s all hands on deck in the first episode as the participants search Canada for the ideal property to make over. But can so many artistic people with differing style ideas all get along?

“Bryan and I had a lot of questions,” Baeumler says during a press junket at Corus headquarters alongside Pratt and Pynn. “How do we get these 20 people together, align the schedule, make sure we all work well together … it just seemed like a huge feat. It took about an hour of thinking about it, and Bryan said, ‘This will work.'” It certainly does. It’s easy to assume these folks all get together on a regular basis to quaff and beer and talk shop, but that’s not the case. With busy production and business schedules to juggle, pros like Pynn and Lafrance would never have met and collaborated, let alone be featured in a series together.

Home_to_Win

“We all have our own different areas of expertise,” Pratt explains. “We all have our different arenas, so for all of us to come together and put it into one space, it’s really spectacular. It’s good times with everybody.” Unlike many renovation shows, there are no firm deadlines and no winner or loser. The group is working together over 10 episodes to create a beautiful space full of, as Baeumler says, stories, memories and connections.

“I knew that it would be a lot of fun,” Pynn says. “I knew there would be a lot of work, but it doesn’t feel like work. And the end reveal is just everything. It was an amazing experience.”

At the end of that experience, one Canadian will win the home and all of the furnishings. Auditions are open now and couldn’t be more simple: after giving the standard name and address information, you must record a one-minute video telling the casting team, “What makes a house a home?” Three contestants chosen will compete in Home to Win‘s finale.

“You have 20 people repeating the words ‘dream home,’ so you can’t not have a dream home, period,” Pratt says. “Everyone here and at home want to tune into that final episode and say, ‘Holy … Oh my God!'”

Home to Win airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

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