Why HGTV is once again a happy home, after a chaotic 2016


If you think your 2016 was rough, try being HGTV. As the network helped many shell-shocked viewers cope with reality, especially in the wake of the election, it also faced some troubles of its own: Tarek and Christina El Moussa, the central couple of Flip or Flop, separated following an alleged gun incident. And Chip and Joanna Gaines, whom viewers know from Fixer Upper, came under fire thanks to a BuzzFeed article about their church and its pastor's anti-gay stance. Now, however, it seems the network is ready to start fresh—by shoring up some of its seemingly shakier properties.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HGTV announced Wednesday at an upfront event that Fixer Upper—whose hosts asked for "slack" in the new year following their controversial autumn—is getting a half-hour spin-off. Perhaps more importantly, it confirmed that Flip or Flop is not over yet, despite its central couple's parting. Fans have been worried since December, when it was announced that the show would end in 2017. Instead, HGTV announced that the show will get five new versions—each set in a different city, and hosted by a new couple.

See photos of Chip and Joanna Gaines:

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As for the Fixer Upper spin-off, the half-hour program will follow Joanna Gaines, detailing her behind-the-scenes approach to each week's designs. Chaos first erupted around the show following a BuzzFeed post detailing the anti-gay stance taken by the Gaineses' pastor. (As with most pieces of this kind, there was no shortage of backlash defending the Gaineses.) At the time, HGTV responded to the controversy by saying, "We don't discriminate against members of the LGBT community in any of our shows. HGTV is proud to have a crystal clear, consistent record of including people from all walks of life in its series."

And indeed, Chip and Joanna's show has nothing to do with their religious background—which might make HGTV's decision to expand the franchise easier to swallow for the Gaineses' critics. Because in addition to giving Joanna Gaines a fresh venue, away from the show she was on when the controversy broke, the spin-off shows that HGTV is still truly behind the the Gaineses—and invested in their future at the network. Titled Behind the Design, the spin-off will reportedly air this year, with a preview set to air on March 28.

See photos of Christina and Tarek El Moussa:

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