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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Home Network’s fall blueprint delivers signature originals and internationally acclaimed hits

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From a media release:

Home Network, Canada’s #1 destination for lifestyle content*, is ready for a new season with a dynamic lineup of hit series debuting this fall. Featuring signature originals and internationally acclaimed titles, Home Network’s fall lineup is anchored by two returning Canadian Original hits with Season 4 of Rock Solid Builds (8×60 – Cineflix), hosted by third-generation builder and proud Newfoundlander Randy Spracklin, and the sophomore season of House of Ali (8×60 – Nikki Ray Media), helmed by award-winning interior designer Ali Budd. The lifestyle lineup continues with the return of fan-favourites Interior Design Masters, Renovation Rescue, and Million Dollar Dream Home.

Home Network opens its fall lineup with Season 4 of Rock Solid Builds, premiering Sunday, September 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Viewers will get an intimate snapshot of Spracklin’s home life as he and his partner Melissa undertake a massive project of their own. Now the proud owners of her grandparents’ property in Brigus, the two are determined to transform its tired interior into an East Coast showpiece that blends cherished memories with a refreshing modern update. Randy and his talented team are continuing to tackle a load of big projects, such as restoring the historic Ferryland lighthouse, turning a neglected backyard into an all-season sanctuary, and many more. These proud islanders deliver ‘catty’ builds and elite craftsmanship all while showcasing the windswept charm of rugged Newfoundland. A new roster of sponsors are also breaking ground with integrated content from Home Hardware, Kohltech, Dildo Brewing Co., and Charm Diamond Centre.

Up next for Canadian originals is Season 2 of House of Ali, premiering Thursday, September 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. From a private villa in Costa Rica to a designer dream home in Connecticut, Budd and her team are making global moves in a style that is completely their own. The show’s unscripted lens gives viewers a look into the reality of high-end interior design, million-dollar reveals, and the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Meticulous down to the final detail, Budd showcases her unfiltered honesty and one-of-a-kind creativity to the pickiest of clients. Audiences can look forward to spectacular, custom transformations that inspire them to tap into their inner designer. One of the sales partnerships for the show’s sophomore season is with Knix, where the brand is featured through seamless in-show story integrations.

Home Network sets the blueprint with additional fall programming, highlighting an exciting schedule of new and returning shows, starting off with the series premiere of The Mother Flip on Wednesday, September 2 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. Following are several international series that appeal to at-home design enthusiasts, including Renovation Rescue, which returns for its second season on Monday, September 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and Season 7 of Interior Design Masters on Thursday, September 10 at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT. Outdoorsman Hal Shaffer is back with Season 4 of Renovation Hunters on Monday, September 7 at 9/9:30 p.m. ET/PT, along with host Viviana Vigil, who returns to connect affluent house hunters with luxurious multi-million-dollar properties in Season 8 of Million Dollar Dream Home, premiering Monday, October 26 at 10/10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Viewers can continue to watch new episodes of Love It or List It Season 12 on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and Season 8 of Sun, Sea, and Selling Houses on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. The programming slate continues with new episodes of:

  • The Block, Season 20 on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT
  • Help! We Bought a Village, Season 4 on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • The Bidding Room, Season 7 on Saturdays 9 p.m. ET/PT
  • A Place in The Sun, Season 16 on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT

Viewers can stream Home Network’s hit lineup, including prior seasons of Rock Solid Builds and House of Ali, anytime on STACKTV.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Corus Entertainment is Canada’s entertainment specialty programming leader with 2026/2027 slate of Canadian originals

From a media release:

With more top 20 networks than any other broadcaster and owning 100 per cent of the top 10 most watched entertainment specialty programs this past fall3, Corus Entertainment dominates Canada’s entertainment specialty programming landscape1. With a powerhouse slate of star-studded dramas and comedies, premium lifestyle and factual storytelling, and family fun entertainment premiering across its networks and streaming on STACKTV, Corus’ 2026/27 lineup solidifies its position as the leader in Canada’s entertainment specialty programming space1. Reinforcing its commitment to Canadian storytelling, Corus will also deliver an upcoming slate of 11 Canadian Original titles spanning lifestyle, factual, and entertainment programming.

Corus Entertainment presents its 2026/27 roster of new and returning series across its specialty networks below. For more details on all specialty programming, please click here.

SCRIPTED DRAMAS & COMEDIES

W Network

Hit holiday whodunnit series Mistletoe Murders3 (6×60) returns for Season 3 with more mystery and intrigue unfolding in Fletcher’s Grove. From Lionsgate Canada and Headspinner Productions, the Canadian-created, written and produced series by Ken Cuperus stars Sarah Drew as Emily Lane, a small-town shop owner with a secret past, alongside Peter Mooney as local detective Sam Wilner. Executive producers include Jocelyn Hamilton (Lionsgate Canada) Michelle Melanson (Headspinner Productions) and Sarah Drew.

LIFESTYLE AND FACTUAL

Home Network

Home Network, Canada’s #1 Lifestyle Network2, announces a sizzling slate of five new and returning Canadian Original series.  

The network announces the greenlight of Love It or List It West (8×60), bringing one of the world’s longest-running and most popular television franchises to Calgary.  Set against a distinctly Western backdrop – from modern urban skylines and vibrant cityscapes to expansive prairies, dramatic badlands, and the breathtaking Rocky Mountains – the series blends aspirational real estate with stunning landscapes and unique homes, giving the franchise a bold new visual identity. Introducing new hosts, interior designer Amanda Hamilton and real estate agent Robbie Kamaleddine, the duo helps a fresh batch of homeowners decide whether to renovate the house they have or sell and move to a new dream home. Love It or List It West is produced by Big Coat Media for Home Network.

Brand-new series Property Pursuit (18×60) sees designer Debra Salmoni helping ambitious homeowners level up, with episodes debuting this winter. From cramped condos to starter homes, Debra guides determined buyers through the emotional journey of climbing the property ladder in search of more space, more function, and a home that fits their next chapter. Property Pursuit is produced by MEM in association with Corus Studios for Home Network.

Beer Budget Reno (10×60) returns for a second season this winter, with Kristen Coutts delivering more transformational renovations for homeowners who have been told their dream home is out of reach. Beer Budget Reno is produced by Blue Ant Studios for Home Network and A+E Global Media.

Rock Solid Builds, a top 20 specialty entertainment series during its third season11, returns for Season 4 (8×60) this fall, following Randy Spracklin and his team who bring heart, community, and tough renovations in Newfoundland’s notoriously harsh weather and rugged terrain. Rock Solid Builds is produced by Cineflix in association with Corus Studios for Home Network.

House of Ali returns for a second season (8×60) this fall, as luxury designer Ali Budd and her team take on more epic builds and big-budget renovations across North America. House of Ali is produced by Nikki Ray Media Agency in association with Corus Studios for Home Network.

Flavour Network

Flavour Network, Canada’s #2 lifestyle network2, announces a mouthwatering lineup of new and returning Canadian Original series and upcoming acquisition titles.

Top Chef Canada: The Dessert Table (6×60), a new spinoff of the esteemed, long-running hit series Top Chef Canada, will bring together Canada’s best professional pastry chefs to compete in the country’s most prestigious dessert competition. Hosted by Eden Grinshpan, who is joined by two revered judges, each episode will spotlight sweets through culinary excellence and artistry in a showdown that will push the pastry chefs to create never before seen desserts. Top Chef Canada: The Dessert Table is produced by Insight Productions (A Blue Ant Studios Company) in association with Flavour Network. The Top Chef format is licensed globally by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Top Chef Canada, last fall’s #1 Lifestyle specialty program3, returns for a landmark 13th season (8×60) this fall. Hosted by Eden Grinshpan, the nation’s most prestigious culinary competition will see 10 of the best up-and-coming professional chefs from coast-to-coast fight for the title of Canada’s Top Chef. Top Chef Canada is produced by Insight Productions (A Blue Ant Studios Company) in association with Flavour Network. The Top Chef format is licensed globally by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group.

As previously announced, the second season of the Canadian original series Halloween Bakeshop (7×60) – last fall’s #1 new lifestyle series3 – and Holiday Bakeshop (7×60) premiere this fall. Hosted by Lauren Ash, who is joined on the judging panel by Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman and Colin Asuncion, these seasonal baking battles bring fun, festive flair and fierce competition, with eight talented bakers competing for sweet victory and a $25,000 prize. Halloween Bakeshop and Holiday Bakeshop are produced by Nikki Ray Media Agency in association with Corus Studios for Flavour Network.

The HISTORY® Channel

The HISTORY® Channel, Canada’s #1 factual network2, has two upcoming Canadian Original series as well as new and returning acquisition titles that include proven ratings hits, premium factual storytelling, and star power.

Brand new co-production Mountain Men: Wild North (10×60) brings the long-running franchise to Canada’s vast and unforgiving terrain. This new series follows a rugged cast of individuals who have chosen to live entirely off the land – on remote traplines in the boreal forest, along frozen Yukon rivers, and deep in the wilderness where the nearest help can be hundreds of miles away. Mountain Men: Wild North is produced by Blue Ant Studios Company for The HISTORY® Channel and A+E Global Media.

Countdown to Disaster (8×60) will premiere this winter, unraveling the sequence of events that transforms ordinary days into catastrophes, both natural and man-made. Each episode plunges viewers into the heart of the calamity: volcanic eruptions, nuclear meltdowns, plane crashes, bridge failures, floods, infernos and earthquakes that devastated cities and stunned people everywhere. Countdown to Disaster is produced by Cream Productions for The HISTORY® Channel and A+E Global Media.  

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Featured, Industry News

Corus announces a slate of premium Canadian original programming debuting next year on Home Network and Flavour Network

From a media release:

Following the recent announcement of Corus Entertainment’s two new lifestyle brands launching December 30, 2024, the company shares further details on Home Network and Flavour Network’s upcoming originals slate. With 14 new and returning Canadian original titles, audiences can look forward to schedules packed with premium content and big-name talent, including series starring Pamela Anderson, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, Scott McGillivray, Anna Olson, Andrew Phung, Eden Grinshpan and more. Viewers can learn more about these new brands by visiting HomeNetwork.ca and FlavourNetwork.ca.

Home Network

Home Network brings viewers the very best in renovation and home design with nine new and returning Canadian original titles. Audiences will feel at home with the familiar faces of Canada’s favourite and established home renovation stars, plus the introduction of talented new personalities ready to make their mark.

Three brand-new series are currently in production. In Beer Budget Reno (10×60 – Proper Television), lifestyle expert Kristen Coutts delivers life-changing renos for people who are told they can’t afford them, transforming tired outdated spaces into something fresh and functional. For Rentovation (13×30 – Nikki Ray Media Agency), designer Natalie Chong helps renters transform transient spaces with nonpermanent solutions that give forever-home vibes without forever-living commitments. Then, Building Baeumler (10×60 – Si Entertainment) sees fan-favourites Bryan and Sarah Baeumler give viewers an inside look at their lives as they tackle a resort renovation in the Florida Keys, expand their Bahamas property and invest in a new project in the area, and tackle a personal renovation back home in Canada.

Additionally, three returning titles have wrapped production and are expected to premiere in Winter/Spring 2025. This includes Renovation Resort, Season 2 (8×60 – MEM) with Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray, Scott’s Vacation House Rules, Season 6 (8×60 – MEM) with Scott and co-host Debra Salmoni, and Season 2 of Pamela Anderson’s home-renovation show Pamela’s Garden of Eden (8×60 – Fireworks Media Group).

Come 2025, three additional series will be in pre-production or development. The all-new Life is Messy (8×60 – Scott Brothers Entertainment) with Kortney Wilson and Kenny Brain follows the duo as they work with families facing unique life changes that have put a strain on both their relationships and their homes. Titles in development include new seasons of Rock Solid Builds (8×60 – Cineflix Productions), and House of Ali (8×60 – Nikki Ray Media Agency).

Flavour Network

Flavour Network turns up the heat in the food space, with three returning hits and three upcoming new Canadian originals packed full of flavour, fresh perspective and star power.

Winter 2025 will see the premiere of Pamela’s Cooking with Love (8×60 – Fireworks Media Group) hosted by Hollywood icon Pamela Anderson as she welcomes world-renowned chefs to Vancouver Island, creating beautiful plant-based meals for family and friends. Next year will also see the premiere of new seasons of Great Chocolate Showdown (8×60 – Nikki Ray Media Agency) with Anna Olson, Cynthia Tooley and Steve Hodge putting 10 home bakers to the ultimate test in the indulgent world of chocolate for a grand prize, and Carnival Eats (13×30 – Alibi Entertainment), where Noah Cappe brings viewers along on a food-frenzied roller coaster of culinary delights.

Meanwhile, comedian Andrew Phung heads into production this fall on Big Burger Battle (6×60 – Nikki Ray Media Agency). With judges George Motz and Connie DeSousa, the newly greenlit series will see seven burger-obsessed cooks and chefs come together to crown the world’s best Burger Master. Then, with a fresh season of Top Chef Canada on air now with Season 11, the most prestigious culinary competition in the country will return for Season 12 (8×60 – Insight Productions Ltd.), heading into production next year.

Currently at MIPCOM, Corus Studios is proudly presenting many of these titles for international distribution including Big Burger Battle, Building Baeumler, Life is Messy, Rentovation, Great Chocolate Showdown, House of Ali, Pamela’s Cooking with Love, Pamela’s Garden of Eden, Renovation Resort, Rock Solid Builds, and Scott’s Vacation House Rules.

Additional details on Home Network and Flavour Network’s programming will be unveiled in the coming weeks, along with the launch of the brands’ supporting social channels.

The new HomeNetwork.ca offers a fresh take on real estate, DIY projects, home decor and more, delivering inspiring articles, expert tips and the latest decor trends to help audiences create beautiful, functional living spaces. The new FlavourNetwork.ca will be a reflection of Canada’s vibrant food culture, from honest reviews to delicious recipes, ranging from comforting classics to quick and easy meals and international cuisines, all tailored to the tastes and trends Canadians are searching for.

Flavour Network and Home Network will replace the current channel position of Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada on December 30, 2024. Customers can contact their service provider for more details. Flavour Network and Home Network will be available for free preview for two months, from January 3 – February 28, 2025. Viewers will also be able to stream full episodes from both networks on STACKTV.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Randy Spracklin and his team are rockin’ it in Rock Solid Builds

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One of the most creative and entertaining home renovation shows on the air right now is Rock Solid Builds.

Airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, Rock Solid Builds is a flurry of construction, music, practical jokes and unique terminology all set in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and its surrounding communities. At the heart of the whirlwind is Randy Spracklin.

Spracklin is a third-generation builder and co-owner of Newfound Builders, based out of Brigus, Nfld., who reveals that despite wanting to grow his family-run business via additional staff—like his dad Scott, and team members Nikki, Paul and Josh, who appear on-camera—television wasn’t in his plans. In fact, if it wasn’t for checking his email’s junk folder and seeing one from production company Cineflix one day, Rock Solid Builds never would have happened.

“I got an email from Cineflix looking for an east coast TV show,” Spracklin remembers. “I looked at it and thought, ‘Is this real? Is this something?'” He responded to the email, did some Zoom calls, created a sizzle reel for Cineflix and things went from there.

“We’ve joked about TV over the years, but little did we think that we would be on it,” he says. “I guess the universe was saying, ‘You thought about it… here it is.”

Spracklin is Rock Solid Builds‘ jovial host, serving as the viewers’ guide to countless projects, from new builds to additions, kitchen and bathroom renovations and even the odd root cellar needing an update. A dramatic storytelling point in shows like these is when things go wrong, like a septic line being cracked or a floor suddenly needing to be re-supported. But where most hosts roll their eyes and worry for a segment or two, Spracklin takes it all in stride, usually with a joke and a crooked smile while wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word Mint. What you see on camera is exactly what Newfound Builders tackle every day from sun-up to sun-down, including weather that can suddenly turn nasty, to supply chain issues that can occur when you live and work on an island.

“We’re looking for specialty items and they can be manufactured all over the world and sometimes the only way to get here is by boat or by plane,” Spracklin says. “And, what we’ve faced in the past year are even more shortages so, yeah, there are cases where we can’t move forward and finish the plumbing or close in the ceilings. You have to be creative and try to work around that.”

Some of those items are simply stunning, serving as showcases to the magnificent work unveiled at the end of each instalment of Rock Solid Builds. Those reveals are immediately followed by the obligatory feast in the homeowners’ kitchen, a legit part of Newfoundland life.

“If you can’t have a drink with the homeowners, then you didn’t do a good job,” Spracklin says. “To be able to sit around a table with them and the team—because everyone puts a lot of work into it—and have a cheers about it… cameras or no cameras, we would be doing it.”

Rock Solid Builds airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Images courtesy of Cineflix.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Rock Solid Builds returns for more jobs in Season 2

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Last year at around this time, I previewed Season 1 of Rock Solid Builds. I praised the storytelling, setting and projects featured. I wasn’t alone in liking it. Rock Solid Builds was second only to Murdoch Mysteries for the positive comments it received here at TV, Eh?

Season 2—kicking off Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada—sticks with its winning formula of spotlighting Randy Spracklin of Newfound Builders and his team of equally entertaining folks renovating and building homes on The Rock. Supported by a sprightly soundtrack, Randy, Scott, Nikki, Paul and Josh jump between jobs in the spring, juggling projects in St. John’s and their homeport of Brigus, working on old and new homes, with a few quirky projects thrown in. Aside from new additions to the Newfound Builders family in the form of canines, there are new responsibilities too as Nikki wants to add more to her plate.

The first project to visit is in St. John’s, where homeowners Ros and Katie want to make changes to their 100-year-old abode. The plan? To demo the existing kitchen and turn it into a music room while moving the existing music room in favour of a massive kitchen. Also on tap are updating two bathrooms. It’s a big job, but Randy is confident it will all look great in the end.

Meanwhile, across Conception Bay in Carbonear is a 19th-century root cellar that needs attention. The owners want theirs repaired and Randy is happy to oblige, first doing some demolition and then, alongside his father Scott, showing the traditional way of building a rock wall.

And, aside from the work, there is plenty of play … and laughs. Rock Solid Builds showcases the beauty of Newfoundland and its people with episode-ending opportunities to step ‘er down and reinforce that feeling of family Randy has instilled in the company.

Rock Solid Builds airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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