Remember Game of Thrones‘ infamous Red Wedding? Well, this is her now. It’s best not to claim any favorite programs because their survival is uncertain. HGTV continues to reshape its lineup through bloodshed. After dividing fans over the shock cancellation of four major series, another renovation show has received the axe. Unlike the four before it, this one was a competition series. Battle on the Beach, co-hosted by Ty Pennington, Alison Victoria, and Taniya Nayak, was not given the go-ahead for a fifth season.
Announced on her podcast, Pap Smear Podcast, Victoria was devastated about the lack of renewal. Telling her Ugliest House in America collaborator Retta,“[The show] was like my adult spring break and that got canceled.” Unlike her peers, Victoria has other shows in the can for the network, including Scariest House in America and the upcoming Sin City Rehab. But the cancellation of Battle on the Beach gives fair warning that no one is safe. Even its biggest names. And the purge is likely to continue.
Was HGTV’s Purge of Shows Like ‘Battle on the Beach’ a Financial Necessity?
Amid the controversy, the Daily Mail reported through a network insider that, allegedly, more changes are coming. Basing on the decision on underperforming revenue, the Daily Mail’s unnamed senior source claimed, “We were hemorrhaging money. So in order to stop the bleeding, we had to have a bloodbath. It was calculated cuts to make things make sense, financially.” The bloodbath included hit shows Bargain Block, Farmhouse Fixer, Izzy Does It, and Married to Real Estate. Noting cable networks struggling and the hardship of the television business, the source ensured that shows and hosts that are the “face” of the network are safe, specifically mentioning Home Town and Ben and Erin Napier. Home Town is scheduled to return to HGTV later this year. Collider reached out to HGTV for a comment.
According to the Daily Mail’s reporting, programs such as Luxe for Less and Unsellable Houses are currently in a potential greenlight limbo. Though competing on or winning Rock the Block has little determining factor, it just so happens that both series feature hosts who have competed on the flagship competition series. Luxe for Less hosts Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle won Rock the Block, with the former returning and winning the competition this past season alongside Victoria. Twin sisters hosts of Unsellable Houses, Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb, competed twice, winning Season 5.
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HGTV Stars Are the Ones Breaking the Shocking News About Show Cancellations
Because of how HGTV rolls out its programming, fans often only learn the fate of certain shows through the stars themselves—unless an official renewal is announced. Of the four canceled shows in the initial purge, the stars took to their social media to share the unfortunate news with their fans. Jonathan Knight wrote on Instagram, “I am sad to say HGTV has decided not to move forward with another season. While I’m still processing the reasons that led to their decision.” Meanwhile, Keith Bynum stated in his post, “Everyone always told us TV is a fickle world, and they are very right. TV is full of a lot of great people, but it’s also full of some of the worst people I’ve ever encountered.” Egypt Sherrod‘s Instagram post included, “While the chain of events leading up to this is disheartening, we are deeply grateful.”
The fickle business side of entertainment can be hard for some designers, as there is no certainty. For Bynum and Evan Thomas, they’ve shared that they continue to take clients off camera. The same goes for Sherrod and Mike Jackson. In the case of Knight, well, his fallback is sticking with New Kids on the Block for a Vegas residency. It’s the closing of a crucial chapter, but not nearly a career death sentence. As the network insider told the Daily Mail, “There are so many opportunities in home renovation media, whether it’s on a network like HGTV or something online or something totally different. I am pretty sure everyone will land on their feet.’ It’s a valid and accurate statement. Fans are still uneasy with the purge and how unfair it is to keep churning out new shows by the same individuals, namely, the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott. But this is a business. Money talks. Numbers don’t lie. We may not agree, but that’s the reality of reality television.
Battle on the Beach is available to stream on Max.