HGTV Canada hitmaker Sarah Richardson recalls the exact moment the specialty network turned the lights on in October 1997.

The kickoff series was Primevista Television’s Savoir Faire, with host Nik Manojlovich, and Richardson was there as a set decorator. A year later she pitched her own project to the prodco, Room Service, igniting a two-decade career spanning 350 episodes and eight hit series.

Today the Canadian personality is an integral part of what Daniel Eves, Corus Entertainment’s SVP of broadcast networks, calls the specialty station’s internal star system. Her peers include Scott McGillivray, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, Sebastian Clovis and — as of 2017, following Corus’s decision to retool the W Network — personalities like the Property Brothers and Kortney Wilson.

“Unlike a lot of other networks, Canadian content is what people were coming for and continue to come for even more so today,” says Eves (pictured right). “They’re the shows that ended up driving the network. Over the years we’ve introduced new talent while growing the old talent, ultimately building a star system.”

That star system has shone around the world. Corus says 379.5 hours of Corus Studios Originals for HGTV Canada programming have been sold to 16 territories. Each broadcast year sees 10 to 12 new shows or seasons launched, with an average of four brand new series. Biggest homegrown hits have included Masters of Flip, Island of Bryan (called Renovation Island on Discovery+ in the U.S.), Home To Win (pictured above) and Scott’s Vacation House Rules.

In addition to a solid international platform and content that travels well, Eves cites strong partnerships with founding partner Scripps Networks Interactive and current HGTV owner Warner Bros. Discovery as pillars to overall success.

“Canada has a real history here in producing lifestyle content and because we have those connections, they’re happy to pick up the content they know would work and drive their viewership,” he says. That has also proved beneficial given Discovery+’s recent entry to the Canadian streaming landscape and its strategic partnership with Corus.

The ability to adapt to current trends is another pillar of success. Lisa Godfrey (pictured left), SVP of original content and Corus Studios for Corus Entertainment, has been with HGTV Canada in various capacities since its conception and has seen the content shift from instructional to aspirational.

“It was always about the best talent in our three pillars: design, renovation and real estate,” she says. “Being able to take chances with our talent and getting more involved in their family lives is one way our brand has evolved from that episodic, traditional show to more of an experience.”

In recent years that has included following the Baeumlers (pictured right) as they renovated a Bahamas resort (Island of Bryan; Si Entertainment); the McGillivrays as they transformed a cottage complex in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes (Scott’s Own Vacation House; McGillivray Entertainment Media); and Richardson and her husband, Alexander Younger, as they renovate a bed-and-breakfast in Whistler, B.C., for the upcoming Sarah’s Mountain Escape (Insight Productions).

Some personalities are also producers. McGillivray, for instance, is CEO of McGillivray Entertainment, which is also behind the upcoming Renovation Resort; while Property Brothers stars Drew and Jonathan Scott run Scott Brothers Entertainment, which produced titles including Making It Home with Kortney and Kenny.

McGillivray (pictured left) says he’s always had a strong relationship with the network, with both sides often looking to build opportunities from what he’s up to in his own life and career, which was the case with Scott’s Own Vacation House.

“HGTV Canada allows its talent to be themselves,” he says. “There’s a lot of guidance from the network in terms of what’s working and how we can help the network and our own businesses thrive. But there’s also this authenticity that’s always been there. Nobody tells you what you have to say, there are no scripts.”

According to Richardson, that authenticity extends from show development all the way to key product integrations and sponsorships.

“I don’t collaborate with any company or any products I don’t believe in or that I don’t support or don’t use,” she says. “I’ve said no, a lot. It takes a special relationship to find that sweet spot where a business and a brand feel that they have a tremendous amount of overlap.”

HGTV Canada has also turned to collaborative formats to show new sides of established talent while bolstering new personalities, with series such as Home to Win (Nikki Ray Media Agency) and Family Home Overhaul (Proper Television). That continuous development is key, especially when a longstanding talent leaves, like in 2019 when Mike Holmes (pictured right) and his family exited the specialty station to star in and develop series with Bell Media.

“I’ll give Mike his credit, in the early years of HGTV, Holmes on Homes was a very successful show that helped to grow HGTV and introduced a lot of viewers to that brand,” Eves says. “But we can’t keep every talent forever. It’s just not part of any channel’s ability and that’s what the past 25 years have been about: who else on top of Mike can we make into stars?”

Godfrey reveals they’re keeping an eye on home and lifestyle trends on social media and exploring deals with younger talent (such as Alexandra Gater of Corus’ Kin Community creator agency), to potentially develop their content into linear programming.

Corus touts success on social media with short-form content that is relatable, accessible, and budget-friendly, such as sustainability, upcycling (i.e. furniture thrift
flips) and plant/garden. The broadcaster wants to reach millennials and Gen Z on social media, expand content on TikTok and Pinterest, and increase representation for
underrepresented groups in the home and garden space by diversifying and growing their roster on the social and digital agency so.da.

HGTV Canada also plans to continue to grow and foster more diversity and inclusion within their star system. Godfrey says the specialty station has always had a strong diversity and inclusion focus with the homeowners on their shows, but is committed to investing in front of and behind the camera on diverse talent going forward. Godfrey points to recently launched series like Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan (Scott Brothers Entertainment) and Styled (pictured left; Great Pacific Media), starring Nicole Babb and Caffery Vanhorne, as examples of those efforts.

“Our production company has to be hiring as much diverse talent as they can, in lead positions as well,” Godrey says. “Our producing partners know to come to us with new, amazing, diverse talent. We’ll develop talent or do a development deal without a show. Don’t bring us a show – bring us talent.”

This story originally appeared in Playback‘s Fall 2022 issue