Lifestyle channels are countering the economic downturn by designing new programs and revising continuing series that talk Canadians through the financial crunch.

HGTV Canada has undergone the most dramatic makeover, while channels like Food Network, W Network and VIVA are opting for subtler changes.

Over a year ago – when the sub-prime housing crisis hit the U.S. – HGTV began to shift its programming strategy. Viewer feedback and focus tests showed that audiences were less interested in aspirational shows and programs that treat real estate as a commodity.

‘People are more concerned with maintaining and adding value to their house in a difficult market,’ says Anna Gecan, VP, content, HGTV. ‘In harder times, people cocoon and want shows about enjoying the home they are in.’

As a result, many big-budget luxury renovations and property-flipping shows were bulldozed, and HGTV began building series that offer practical, do-it-yourself, budget-conscious tips. The focus is on making one’s nest more comfortable and improving its worth despite the devalued real estate market.

For example, The Big Flip – a high-stakes series which followed entrepreneurs fixing up and selling as many houses as they could in a year – has been put on hold. In its place, HGTV just launched Income Property (RTR Media), which helps first-time homeowners reduce their high mortgage payments by finding cost-effective ways to construct rental suites in their house.

The channel is also airing two Cineflix series: For Rent, offering advice for those who can’t afford to buy and are seeking a great apartment, and The Unsellables, where inexpensive makeovers help entice buyers to a hard-to-sell home. A new Frantic Films series, House Poor, debuts in fall 2009, with solutions for people who have overextended themselves financially.

Food Network Canada is developing new programs that reflect a more budget-conscious approach to cooking, says Emily Morgan VP of content for the Canwest channel.

‘Viewer feedback shows that people feel they are spending more money than they want to buying prepared and take-out food, so helping them plan meals and find more cost-effective ways to prepare foods is something we are looking at,’ says Morgan.

For example, Food is working with Sandi Richard, host of Fixing Dinner, to develop a call-in show responding to meal-planning questions from viewers. The specialty is also considering a series that analyzes family grocery bills and offers ways to reduce costs without scrimping on nutrition or food variety.

Over at Corus Entertainment’s W and VIVA, a viewer call-in show is also in the works. Dollars and Sense, hosted by Alison Griffiths (Maxed Out) launches early February, with each episode themed around a specific financial issue, with input from expert guests.

‘This is a show we are launching in response to the economic situation,’ says Vibika Bianchi, director of original productions for Corus’ W, CosmoTV and VIVA.

Bianchi also notes that the W series Love It or List It, which helps homeowners decide when to sell and when to renovate, is scaling back its makeover budgets to reflect current realities.

But overall, Bianchi says there is no major programming shift at these Corus channels, as they already run numerous penny-pinching shows, such as Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag, Maxed Out and Smart Cookies.

‘We want our audiences to relate to our programming, but at the same time we don’t want our programming to be too time-specific as we hope the economic downturn doesn’t last that long,’ says Bianchi. ‘And ultimately our channels are all about kicking off your shoes at the end of the day and being entertained.’

For producers, cashing in on the credit crunch necessitated that they picked up on the economic downturn early.

Both For Rent and The Unsellables were developed by Montreal- and Toronto-based Cineflix Productions 18 months ago, when the housing problems began in the U.S.

‘You have to be ahead of the curve because of the time it takes to get through development and production,’ says Cineflix president of programming Simon Lloyd.

Many broadcasters are saying they have already developed or commissioned their fill of shows catering to the economic crisis, he notes.

‘If you are just starting to develop a credit-crunch show now, you may have missed the boat,’ says Lloyd.

Frantic CEO Jamie Brown initiated discussions with HGTV about House Poor over a year ago when he noticed many homeowners were dealing with the effects of buying homes in a boom market.

‘At that time, HGTV Canada realized that the economy was beginning to change direction, but no one had any idea of the extent of the downturn,’ he says. ‘Now as we gear up for production [beginning late winter], the angle of the series isn’t just that people are over-stretched from buying in a hot real estate market, but there is the added issue of the current economic times and the need to be more frugal.’

The time lag between events and getting a show produced is a dilemma for producers.

That is why it is important that these series are created in such a way that they are relevant in good and bad times, points out Lloyd. The Unsellables, for example, offers tips on how to increase buyer interest in your home, which is useful for homeowners in hot or soft real estate markets.

‘Our series are designed to run four to eight seasons, so while you want to acknowledge what is happening right now, you also have to ensure the program has resonance in good times,’ says Lloyd.

Many long-running lifestyle series are also getting a fresh face to take into account that viewers may have less money to work with or may be worried that investing too much in their home doesn’t make sense in this economic climate.

For example, HGTV is going ahead with a second season of Home to Flip, a series hosted by Peter Fallico (This Small Space). The broadcaster produced the first season in-house, but WestWind Pictures has been tapped to produce the second installment.

Whereas in season one Fallico had a huge budget for renovations, in season two (in production this spring), he has a far more limited budget and must live in the house while construction takes place to reduce costs.

‘We re-jigged the show to make it more believable to viewers, because making a profit on flipping houses in this economy may not be realistic. You can’t put in a top-of-the-line kitchen when you aren’t sure of your return at the end,’ says executive producer Mary Darling. ‘The stakes will be high. At the end of the series, he may not flip the house. Fallico may decide it is a better investment to wait a year.’

Other lifestyle producers, such as Heather Hawthorn-Doyle of Vancouver’s Omni Film Productions, are also ensuring that the latest episodes of their series ring true with viewers. For example, in developing the third season of Word Travels for OLN, the decision was made to include not just awe-inspiring exotic locales, but also to focus on great travel deals for the budget-conscious tourist.

Frantic’s financial management series Til Debt Do Us Part is shooting its eighth season for Slice, and current economic woes will be front and center, says Brown.

But while many lifestyle series are dealing with the doom-and-gloom realities of the current situation, lifestyle broadcasters are also quick to point out that fun, lighthearted, guilty-pleasure programs are still important.

‘A bit of fantasy is important in a downturn,’ says Gecan. ‘Viewers need some escapism.’