When U.S.-based HGTV debuted All American Handyman Sunday night (Sept. 5), some familiar Canadian faces judged who was the best man or woman stateside with building tools – Mike Holmes (Holmes on Holmes) and Scott McGillivray (Income Property).

That’s no coincidence.

Canadian indie producer Firvalley Productions produced four episodes of the competition reality show for Knoxville-based HGTV based on the format for the popular HGTV Canada series Handyman Superstar Challenge.

The Canadian competition series to find this country’s best handyman is judged by Mike Holmes and Jim Caruk (Real Renos).

“The participants are regular people who believe they have the construction prowess to impress HGTV’s super-contractors Mike Holmes and Scott McGillivray,” Freddy James, the New York City-based senior vice president, program development and production at HGTV, said of the Canadian judges for the American show.

The U.S. competition series will feature 15 men and five women competing to win, among other prizes, a show development deal with HGTV.

The Firvalley Productions production deal stateside is part of a wider output deal between the U.S. HGTV service and its sister HGTV Canada.

But it also comes as the two HGTV channels step up their cross-border cooperation on new series concepts and costs.