HGTV Renews ‘Restored by the Fords’

HGTV has renewed two of its top series, Restored by the Fords and Home Town, the network said Tuesday.

Restored by the Fords, which stars Pittsburgh-based sibling home renovators Leanne and Steve Ford, will return for a 14-episode second season, while Home Town, which stars Ben and Erin Napier who renovate homes in Laurel, Mississippi, has been picked up for 13-episode third season, according to HGTV.

The network has also commissioned several new series in the home renovation arena, including Hidden Potential, Almost Home, Saving Galveston, Philly Revival and Best House on the Block.

“We’re keeping our focus squarely on developing the kind of content that attracts new viewers and encourages them to sample the programming on our networks,” said John Feld, senior vice president, programming, HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country in a statement. “Even as consumers opt to view content on non-linear platforms, Restored by the Fords and Home Town are hitting the mark as HGTV’s newest ratings successes. The HGTV pipeline is solid as we move into the next quarter and beyond with dozens more new pilots and talent in development.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.