People can’t get enough of TV shows about house flipping, renovations and design. While many are glued to HGTV these days, it all started back in 1979 when This Old House debuted on PBS. That home improvement show paved the way for today’s hits like Property Brothers and Fixer Upper, but have you ever wondered how these shows, that we binge-watch, became so popular?
Part of it comes from the formula of the show. Viewers know what to expect from Chip & Joanna or Drew & Jonathan. But most of the time, there’s a problem that unexpectedly pops up and that’s what feeds our curiosity. Dr. Gail Saltz, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine, explains that watching home renovations satisfies normal curiosity about watching others and their desires and tastes as well as enhancing people’s own fantasy life about their own homes.
Experts say viewers relate to the problem-solving element and watching the makeovers and dramatic transformations unfold right before our eyes in 60 minutes or less is oh-so satisfying. They make it look so easy on TV and we get to sit back and watch them start a project and finish it all up, which isn’t the way it always works out in real life.
Source: Apartment Therapy