If you were one of the millions of people saddened when DIY super couple Chip and Joanna Gaines announced they would be stepping away from television ending the run of their uber-successful television show Fixer Upper to spend more time focusing on other projects including a new baby, it's time to get happy again.
Today was a perfect day to stop and smell the roses with @joannagaines.
The couple recently announced they are returning to television in a big way, launching not only a new show but their own cable network that will sit under the umbrella of the HGTV parent company Discovery and replace the current DIY Network.
According to USA Today, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the talented duo back on the small screen. The Gaines' new network will launch in the summer of 2020 alongside a new website and streaming app. In addition to their own signature show on the network, they tell the newspaper there is also the potential for other shows outside of their DIY niche.
"The difference moving forward is Jo, and I are going to be able to tell more of our life stories," Chip explained. "And so, as opposed to it being a very narrow vein in our universe, which is obviously construction and design and the things we do for a living, for us we feel like there's a more holistic story to be told here, and that's what we're going to focus on."
While Chip explains that the couple simply "needed a break," especially with the arrival of their fifth child, Crew, when they decided to pull the plug on their wildly successful show Fixer Upper, the couple decided they were ready to return to the spotlight, and this new network seems like the perfect way for the couple to expand their brand.
"We loved this idea of connecting with people in a different way," Joanna says, "telling other people's stories, curating content. It felt to us a lot like what we do love with the magazine, but on a different playing field."
It seems that Discovery is behind Chip and Joanna every step of the way as well. "Chip and Joanna Gaines have become trusted, household names since the debut of Fixer Upper and through this joint venture, Discovery is proud to extend our relationship with them," David Zaslav, CEO, of Discovery, said in a statement. "They've got authenticity and relatability, that special something that is so difficult in our business to find. People love them, their taste, their businesses—they've built an ecosystem that aligns perfectly with our vision at Discovery for fueling people's passions."
Fans of the DIY Network and their stable of shows like Rehab Addict and Holmes on Homes are being told there will be more quality programming to look forward to when the Gaines' take over as Chief Creative Officers of the newly designed network.
"What they do and know and love certainly incorporates home and design and construction, but that's just a piece of it," current HGTV president Allison Page said. "We'll have stories about family and community, food, garden, of course, design, wellness, entrepreneurialism. There are so many facets, at least in television, that people have not seen from them."
Look for the newly rebranded DIY Network in the summer of 2020.