Teamwork = Savings, Profit, & Ratings - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 60

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 1 - January 23, 2026

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 59 - June 8, 2026

At the end of 2015, I was directed by my main contact at the network to buy three houses for the next year. The program namers had chosen to insert Charleston into the show title, and since the house was in Summerville, thirty miles from the Holy City, this was a precarious move. Far from a widely applicable name, it felt as if the city had been incorporated for reasons mentioned in a previous post.

This possibility added even more to the excitement I’d been through. However, in order for this renewed chance to really pan out, as best as possible for everyone, a collection of key details needed to be tackled while I house hunted.

Now, before I go on, it needs to be made as clear as possible, that I don’t believe I have all the answers. I’m merely giving myself a little credit for picking some things up in 2014 and ’15. When I started all of this in 2013, I knew nothing about TV. This experience was like a big pot of soup with all types of ingredients being dumped in over twenty-four months. My bowl left me with an impression, certain opinions, and basically some rather strong feelings of the most productive way to buy, rehab for producers, and then sell three pig’s ears in Charleston in 2016. I wouldn’t then or now claim to know more than the producers. I’m only writing at this point in time, that based on what I knew then, it would be best for lead players to genuinely consider what I was laying out and then move forward collaboratively.   

Beyond a simple to-do list, we needed an understanding amongst the networks, production companies, and me, as a coalesced unit, so everyone could maximize compensation and high ratings that equated to revenue for Scripps. We all had a ripe opportunity for continued support from network decision makers but had to work together and then deliver. And we needed to act quickly in separate yet concerted ways.

First, appropriate insurance coverage was a must. If something unfortunate happened, responsibility should be spread out, rather than risk assumed and potential damages absorbed by my family and I.

Secondly, the networks and editors would need to clean up American Rehab Charleston and scrub the parts in the six episodes that were short sided or inadequate.

The third detail was bigger. As I saw it, producers needed to also do whatever was necessary to air the series on HGTV, so many more of the people of Berchador could have a look. The Holy City was wildly popular and highly regarded. And to many in and around Charleston, relegation to DIY in lieu of the more prestigious HGTV seemed disrespectful. Many felt that a show commandeering the city’s name deserved better.

In this same bucket was the fact that for two years, 2014 and ’15, producers had told folks across the three counties how episodes would air on HGTV. Technically, producers had made good. We had logged time on the four-letter channel. But it was minimal compared to lesser-known DIY and for these reasons, a lot of people, way too many, felt as if folks here had been duped. This didn’t just reflect poorly on me, but the networks and producers coming back to town to continue on.   

Berchadorians would be more ready and willing to be part of the upcoming projects if the shows were on HGTV as local folks had been told when we were making ARC. Beyond the prestige, for some reason, DIY was not as accessible or even known about in our area, and this relegation impacted necessary trust, understanding, and enthusiasm that prospective tradespeople and contractors would logically have had if they, their families, and/or neighbors had opportunities to enjoy at least one episode or more on HGTV without upgrading to a more expensive TV provider package that included the DIY network.

Unless anticipated or needed reparation measures were taken and implemented, this DIY vs. HGTV slight would cost us in 2016. I was certain that airtime on the more well-known channel would be critical, going a long way to restore eroded faith. And with this, the number of people interested in coming on board would beef back up, and this would ripple to help keep renovation costs in check. In addition, I held hopes that these amends might carry over to my efforts to take ownership of three houses down in Charleston.

A fourth point was about the production company’s need to oversee the budget. In order for this to work out better for them, and also my assumed plans for these houses, they’d have to improve at managing the renovations. They’d need producers on staff with construction management backgrounds, people who knew how to read the contract documents coupled with a solid understanding of building codes and standards. Apathy concerning important things would no longer fly. I wouldn’t have the time nor money to make post-production corrections on three different properties downtown. And each of the chosen homes would need to be completed before producers left town, nothing short of three certificates of occupancy.

Plus, the production company would need to be mindful of safety measures which are non-negotiables in the building industry. Regardless of whether it was for TV or not, producers must commit to safety as top priority for everyone on site, and that completing the work had to be understood as a close second. Finishing on time and without overspending were also paramount, yet not over and above safety and quality work.

Fifth, I would need to do my part. I had to carry out orders to secure the acceptable properties. Then I’d naturally have to continue to be available for the producers, willing and capable of accommodating their schedules over the next twelve months to film and complete any pickups or voiceover work. I’d need to be able to deliver on camera, discuss the work and histories of three houses throughout the film days, keeping them straight in my head, bringing energy and enthusiasm every day.

Sixth, to maximize profit for the investment, not only would the shows need to be fast-tracked, produced and be put on HGTV quickly, but I’d need to maintain patience. Hopefully not two years again, but I had to be prepared to wait until potential buyers had time to see some of the fresh episodes since the shows would not just promote Berchador and Charleston, they’d be showcasing the renovated homes. If the projects were completed properly, then ratings would lead to profit that could be poured back into more properties. And perhaps, if all went well, this would mean more rehabs to be featured the following year.    

And finally, the skilled trades and vendors on site, needed more credit for their efforts, over and beyond contracted compensation. Rather than me getting recognition because I was the homeowner talking on camera, the men and women putting in long hours, sacrificing time from their families, coming in early and working late, deserved more airtime so their talents would be recognized within the episodes. That’s how it had been in the Rehab Addict samples I’d been sent back in 2013, and as I saw it, it was another ingredient for the secret sauce that had been left out of Amer. Rehab Chas. We needed that put back in. And this commitment should be understood fully, documented, and signed off on. This was not just the right thing to do; it was smart business that would make the shows even better while paying dividends in the form of lower renovation costs.

All of these things needed to happen so everyone was able to make the most of the opportunity. But once again, it came down to me. Even though it was the holidays, I needed to motivate producers to take their needed steps. There were limits to what I could do. And as I saw it, if I was going to be shopping for three houses, those in New York, Minnesota, and eventually Los Angeles as well, could designate some human resources to get started on what was needed. It was too late to put first things first, but we were getting another opportunity to get on track, and I was hoping we’d grab it with three hands.

Just like 2013, there was much that needed done and after I laid out my determined considerations to producers, I turned my attention to my part: finding three houses down on the historic Charleston Peninsula. Not closing just yet. Only house shopping.

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 58 - Coming Soon