Television series
Bargain Block
- Light-hearted
Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas rescue Detroit's forgotten blocks, buying multiple distressed houses on single streets and renovating them into livable homes for local buyers. It's a show about genuine community investment rather than flipping for profit—patient, unglamorous, and deeply rooted. For viewers who love renovation but want purpose alongside the transformation.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like renovation shows where the appeal is watching a whole street slowly come back to life, house by house, with a real sense of neighborhood stakes behind the paint and drywall.
Skip it if you want fast, flashy design makeovers or big dramatic reveals; this one moves at a steady, practical pace and spends much of its time on the unglamorous work of buying and fixing.
What it asks of you: Each episode runs about an hour and the season stretches over several years of listings, so it rewards patience and a willingness to follow one block across many weeks.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Fixer Upper2014
Chip and Joanna Gaines transform tired houses into dream homes with infectious enthusiasm and real warmth. Their design sensibility is accessible, their chemistry is genuine, and each reveal genuinely satisfies.
But The aspirational budget, endless open-concept kitchens, and sheer volume of similar episodes can feel repetitive after a few seasons.
Get Organized with The Home Edit2020
Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin organize chaotic spaces into beautiful order with surprising emotional intelligence. Watching disorder become system is meditative and oddly joyful, even if you don't care about labels.
But Some find the design aesthetic relentlessly neutral and calming to the point of blandness. The scope is small—this is tidying, not transformation.
Queer Eye2018
The Fab Five renovate not just houses but lives and towns, meeting people where they are with genuine care and no mockery. The makeovers matter less than the connection and community healing.
But The emotional arc is heavy and sometimes manipulative. If you're here only for design, you'll be wading through a lot of earnestness.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Bargain Block
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Profit2013
Both shows are about recognizing hidden value in overlooked assets and investing in communities through practical restoration, not speculation. The goal is sustainability, not a quick flip.
Marcus Lemonis invests in struggling small businesses with the same eye for potential Bynum and Thomas bring to houses—seeing the skeleton beneath the mess and demanding accountability. The renovation is structural and human, not cosmetic.
But It's less about transformation and more about tough love. Marcus can be abrasive, and not every business story resolves neatly or happily.
More like this (5)
Property Brothers2011
Jonathan and Drew Scott find hidden potential in overlooked homes, combining real estate smarts with design flair. Quick, efficient episodes with clear before-and-after payoff and actual personality clash between the brothers.
But The formula is rigid: find, demolish, design, reveal, repeat. After several seasons, it becomes paint-by-numbers.
Tiny House Nation2014
John Weisartel and Zooey Ziegfeld design clever, functional homes in minimal square footage. It reframes what's possible within constraint rather than endless expansion, with genuine creativity and heart.
But The lifestyle philosophy can feel preachy, and not every small space actually solves anyone's real housing problems. Some episodes veer into precious.
Love It or List It2008
Hilary Swank and David Visentin make the case for renovation versus selling with real tension and humour. The show hinges on a genuine philosophical disagreement that keeps stakes high throughout.
But The format gets exhausting—couple is always torn right down the middle until the last five minutes. You'll predict the outcome early and often.
Dream Home Makeover2020
Shea McGee and Syd McGee design high-end homes with sophisticated style and clear creative vision. The aesthetic is confident and the transformations are visually striking.
But The budget and clientele are so far removed from most viewers' reality that it feels more fantasy than instruction. The show leans aspirational rather than accessible.
Rehab Addict2010
Nicole Curtis saves historic homes with architectural respect and genuine passion, treating older houses as characters rather than blank canvases. Her knowledge is real and her values are clear.
But The pacing is deliberate and sometimes slow. Her personal life drama occasionally crowds the renovation focus.
