5 New Shows We're Binging on Magnolia Network
It’s been three years, three months, and 12 days since Texas’s (and the country’s) beloved Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Fixer Upper aired its series finale on HGTV.
But if the June 15 debut of their long-awaited Magnolia Network tells us anything, it’s that the star couple has stayed busy. And we’re grateful.
In addition to Chip running a marathon (watch The Courage To Run series on Magnolia to learn more about it), the Gaines have partnered with Discovery+ to release more than two dozen new unscripted series that center around home, design, family, food, and “heroic pursuits.” In other words, it’s more than 150 hours of binge-able content that’ll set your soul at ease.
Long-time fans of the couple will be more than pleased with the lineup of programs. Re-runs of the original Fixer Upper, which put Chip and Jo on the the map, are included with the subscription ($4.99 a month), as is the revamped version of the smash hit Fixer Upper: Welcome Home and Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, in which the design icon doubles as impeccable cooking show host. Even their buddy and wood-working expert Clint Hart has his own spinoff on the network dubbed Restoration Road.
But the 20-plus new series sans Gaines family cameos and familiar Fixer Upper faces are well worth a watch, too, as they explore a surprisingly diverse set of stories, characters, and design styles. Yes, believe it or not, one could watch hours of programming on Magnolia Network without hearing the word "shiplap."
Here’s what we’re most excited to keep watching. Happy binging!
1. Van Go
If you’re not fascinated with the growing “van life” trend, then you’ve never fully considered what it means to live in a van full time. Austinite Brett Lewis has considered every aspect of auto-bound living, because, well, he’s done it. Nowadays he helps others live out their nomadic dreams by transforming vans into living, sleeping, and cooking spaces with tasteful, smart design to fit each client’s lifestyle through his company Chewy Design Co. We love the sliding car door reveal at the end of each episode—a quirky play on Chip and Jo’s signature reveal method. And Lewis’s burly beard is pretty rad too.
2. Home Grown
Watch as Jamila Norman transforms sad attempts at a home garden into a full-fledged urban oasis. Norman, who started farming to grow healthy foods for her sons, operates Patchwork City Farms in the middle of Atlanta and teaches others (viewers included) about things like that basil and tomatoes grow great together, how to house your flock of backyard chickens, and more. We wouldn't be surprised if Heights homeowners are trying to convince her to open an outpost in H-Town already.
3. (Re)Motel
These super short episodes fuel our collective travel bug as they look into motels around the country where the owners have taken drab properties with shag carpet and florescent lighting and transformed them into sometimes kitschy, sometimes glam, and other times architecturally profound accommodations. At only about 10 minutes each, this dreamy series is highly binge-able and makes scooping up a run-down motel seem like a great idea.
4. HomeWork
Candis and Andy Meredith have a lot going on. The Utah-based couple renovates historic homes for clients and is transforming a massive turn-of-the-century school house into a home. Oh, and they are raising seven children in a blended family. This hour-long show chronicles the enthusiastic couple as they tackle it all—and are somehow saved by an act of the design gods when their gorgeous hardwood floors withstand a major roof leak. Gasp! We love how they repurpose period materials and how they embrace both moody colors and stock cabinets.
5. Family Dinner
Why this concept hasn't made its way into the wide world of reality TV before, we'll never know. But we're sure glad it's here now. Andrew Zimmerman, "culinary multi-hyphenate," simply cooks with families around the country and then eats it with them. Simple as that. And yet, he uncovers so much about their traditions, cultures, and recipes. From Mexican cuisine in Queens to Austrian food in Vermont, we're ready to eat up all 10 episodes.
