Existing Interior Design TV Shows

As I am creating a TV show based on interior design/home improvements. I decided to look at existing shows for inspiration and ways I could make my show unique and stand out. By looking at these following shows I have developed my understanding of this kind TV genre and the requirements I need in order to make a show that my target audience will enjoy. 

The Great Interior Design Challenge - 

First airing in 2014, each series of ‘The Great Interior Design Challenge‘ aims to find “Britain’s best amateur interior designers.” It is effectively a competition to find unpolished design talent. In each episode, a new location is introduced and this location usually contains a distinctive form of architecture. It also focuses on a few participants at a time and follows them throughout the episode.

These participants, or contestants, have 2 different challenges. The main challenge is often to redesign a room in the style that the client has briefed them with. They are given £1,000 to do whatever they must with the area they have been allocated and must give it a make-over. They have 3 days. There is then usually an additional task that is smaller. This normally consists of the upscaling of an old item.

Amazing Spaces - 

Amazing Spaces‘ first aired in 2012 and is presented by George Clarke. It consists of Clarke visiting different places to meet new people. These people then turn unconventional things, such as old boats into incredible places to live! Clarke even tries making a few of his own amazing spaces.

The Home Game - 

Linda Barker presents “The Home Game” – a daytime series that sees homeowners renovating a property in order to make the most profit. This competitive TV show flips the classic makeover format on its head by fast forwarding to the bit people look forward to – the transformation and the price.

There are four stories per episode, with makeovers ranging from garden overhauls to high-end kitchen extensions. At the beginning an episode, viewers will see how much each house is worth. Also, what the teams budget is. as well as the reasons they’re overhauling their houses

At the end of each programme,  Linda will reveal how much they’ve spent and exactly how much their house is worth now. The competitor that has made the most profit will be crowned the winner too! 

Inside Out Homes - 

Inside out homes is also an interior design TV show. The traditional home is changing as the boundaries between house and garden blur. Now architect Zac Monro, engineer Monty Ravenscroft and gardener Rosie Bines use imagination, technology and ingenuity to tear down the walls of seven houses across Britain, creating homes and outside spaces that unlock the potential of living inside and out like never before

An example of some of the spectacular work that takes place on this programme is the radical makeover of this family’s bungalow in Newcastle. With a budget of just £180k, this family were inspired by open plan living and wanted to transform their outdoor area to be more liveable year-round. After more than a fair share of setbacks, the shows the team of architects, builders, engineers, and gardeners were able to pull the radical transformation off!

Grand Designs - 

Grand Designs is one of Channel 4’s biggest returnable factual series about home interiors. It has grown into a global phenomenon, selling in over 100 territories as well as selling books, a monthly magazine, architectural awards and a biannual exhibition, Grand Designs Live.

Episodes usually follow a certain format, with variations depending on the progress of the build. At the start of an episode, the presenter McCloud meets the clients who are partaking the project. They visit the site of the project and also discuss the plans for the building. A computer visualisation of the intended project is shown. Once the groundwork has begun, McCloud visits the site periodically, and they follow the build progress, noting any changes, delays or problems.

The presenter visits again once the architecture is made watertight, and the first and second fixes have commenced. After making a final visit to the site in its finished or near-finished state, a tour of the house is then given. McCloud also brings the episode to a close summarising the house, its construction, and his opinions.

Sometimes, a house is unfinished before filming is complete so it will often be revisited in a later episode. In more recent series, McCloud revisits past unfinished builds once they have been completed and may even stay overnight!

Help! My House Is Falling Down - 

Help! My House is Falling Down is a show on Channel hosted by Sarah Beeny. Sarah and a team of experts travel around Britain looking for homes that need to be repaired. The show gives advice on what constitutes a minor or major repair. 

DIY SOS - 

DIY SOS is a BBC DIY TV series presented by Nick Knowles, the show helps families who are in desperate need of an house fix after building has gone wrong or has been stopped for a long period of time.

There was a viewer call-in vote format in which viewers would vote for one of three families to be addressed in the following programme.

DIY SOS: The Big Build - 

In 2010, when the show was rebranded, it took the title of The Big Build. After this happened, the show became a one-hour programme. In which the team uses the help of the local community to help deserving families.

In October 2015, The Big Build‘s “Veterans Village” special achieved a 34% audience share (with viewing figures of 9.6 million). The biggest in the series’ history.