A cracked marriage of house and homeowner, and one contractor sent to fix it
HGTV’s newest series doesn’t open with a blank slate and a dream board. It opens with a disaster already in progress: a kitchen with no hot water and exposed electrical wiring, a black-and-white checkerboard bathroom with no mirror or storage, a home overrun with mold and rats and missing a front door entirely. That’s the premise of “Botched Homes,” which premiered Wednesday, September 2, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the network, according to HGTV’s own announcement of the series.
The show follows general contractor Charlie Kawas as he and his crew are called in after other renovations have already gone wrong, rescuing South Florida homeowners left with unfinished projects, unsafe conditions, and a badly broken trust in the contracting industry itself.
What the network says the show is actually about
“Every home tells a story, and unfortunately many of these families were left with unfinished projects, unsafe conditions and broken trust after hiring the wrong contractor,” the network said in its announcement. “Our job is to restore more than just the house.” Kawas is described in HGTV’s own materials as a general contractor and master craftsman who leads a five-star crew, joined on the series by designer Courtney Ibars, according to HGTV’s announcement covered by Just Jared.
Entertainment built on a very real problem
The premiere episode features a kitchen renovation left without hot water and with exposed wiring still live behind the walls, plus a bathroom finished in a striking but nonfunctional checkerboard pattern. New episodes are also available to stream on HBO Max the day after they broadcast.
Why the format works as television
Nearly every other show in the genre assumes competent contractors and cooperative timelines. “Botched Homes” assumes the opposite, and builds its entire appeal around what happens when the system that’s supposed to protect homeowners fails them first.
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