Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 1 - January 23, 2026
Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 47 - May 12, 2026
To viewers
far away, or people who’ve never visited this area, Charleston being in both
show titles doesn’t raise eyebrows. Or at least none of these folks have ever
asked me about it. However, people who live here or who’ve been to this
tri-county region of the Palmetto State, those who know the geography, have
opinions more than any questions for me regarding the loose use of Charleston,
not just in the show titles, but also as I’m referencing the historic city as I
talk throughout the series. And for the most part, I understand and agree with
where they are. There was a lot of misuse of the name. And I get why some see
it as disrespectful from many angles.
Before
getting into that, I think I should point out, that although I have owned
property in Charleston, I’ve never lived there, and not really even spent a lot
of nights in Charleston County. I’ve lived in Berkeley or Dorchester Counties
since moving down here for a new job in 1999. And although I’ve written about
the Charleston projects and worked down there, I’ve not claimed to know that
city all too well. I have some knowledge and appreciate being called an amateur
historian. And when I was asked to speak about Charleston and some of its
history on camera, I was happy to comment and share opinions—like how saving
old houses and buildings isn’t easy, but it’s worth it, especially when the end
result preserves the historic charm of a city like Charleston, somewhere that’s
adored and appreciated, equating to recoupment for the effort from things like
tourism dollars.
In
addition, I made a remark about earning a living working in Charleston when it
would have been better to say Berchador.
But the thing is, the three-county composite is not used by nearly anyone, so
that would have been wacky. They needed me to say it in a particular way, for
specific reasons, and I repeated it as asked. I was being agreeable,
accommodating those thinking they were doing what was best for me and us.
That’s on me. I shouldn’t have gone along because it’s misleading and I’m
sorry. I have been a licensed general contractor since 2001, renovating my own
project houses in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties. That’s a
mouthful, but absolutely, inarguably accurate.
Using
Charleston in the titles created a need to tie what we were doing in Dorchester
County back to the city throughout both series. That’s the most unfortunate
part. I was driving a point home in a way that most here find objectionable.
When I
started my blog in 2011, I was knee deep in my Charleston projects. So, I
blogged about being down there quite a bit. Perhaps, this gave the impression
that I was more imbedded than I was. Candidly writing, I was not trying to do
that. Some good things happened as a result of those rehabs/rebuilds and I
enjoyed writing about those circumstances. Maybe enthusiasm about Charleston
and its Board of Architectural Review added to this confusion and I apologize
for that too.
There was
some talk in 2013 and ‘14 about the abundance of Canadian hosts dominating HGTV
and DIY. And at that time, it seemed as if there was consideration to showcase
Americans to balance things out a bit. I’m not sure it this is why the American
Rehab shows were named like they were or not. I’m just saying that for
some people this title was locked down and happened without and away from me.
To be
honest, I didn’t think too much about the title of the first show. When I heard
it, I was still hoping to just get on TV, even if it was once, for half an
hour. If calling the first show American Rehab Charleston or
the second Restoring Charleston had been my ideas, and I heard
from someone who was unhappy with these names, I could and would apologize.
However, I was not involved, so I can’t take blame or credit.
However, I
don’t have my head in the clouds, unaware of what people in the area think and
say and write online. And, at the risk of seeming critical of or ungrateful
toward network producers, I can’t say I disagree with those who have stated
emphatically how Summerville and St. George are not Charleston. I’ve been here
for twenty-seven years. I get it. The Holy City, Flower Town, and the small
village of St. George are special in their own unique ways. It was hurtful to
the people of the Dorchester towns to have me rambling on about the
gloriousness of Charleston rather than Summerville and St. George. Those people
are right to be disappointed and displeased. I do understand. I wish we’d named
both shows differently and celebrated where we actually were even more instead
of where producers wanted us to be working and filming.
Now, in
defense of the network, Charleston being a historic city, well known for
tourism, reaches a lot further than the lesser-known places. But still, they
named one of the seasons American Rehab Virginia, so I can see why
some might question why our season wasn’t American Rehab South Carolina.
And I would have been down to name Summerville, St. George, or even the region
of Berchador. Those other options may have made a better impression locally,
but American Rehab Charleston grabs the eyes of a wider, even
international audience. So bigger picture, even though a different title may
have been better for my reputation and how I’d be considered in this part of
the state, the use of Charleston was certainly best for HGTV and DIY at the
beginning, and then eventually Discovery, Magnolia, and HBO Max.
In
considering the network’s position even further, Dorchester and Charleston
Counties do form what is called the Historic Charleston and Resort
Islands region. Plus, when we all travel to another state or farther
away, we keep it simple, saying, “We’re from Charleston,” or “from outside of
Charleston.” So perhaps, American Rehab Historic Charleston and Resort
Islands or Restoring Outside of Charleston may have
been more accurate, but producers tightened it up, rather than some
alternative.
I
understand what they were trying to do but also still got caught between that
and what I knew made sense to those of us living here. How things played out,
this casual use of the Charleston name, inadvertently eroded credibility the
network was trying to establish. But it’s just an unanticipated cost that's
part of me agreeing to do the shows. However, regardless of this price, I’m
still honored to have been able to brag publicly about this cool place I’ve
lived near and worked in and around for a large chunk of my life.
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