House Hunters
| House Hunters | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Real estate |
| Narrated by | Suzanne Whang (2003–2007) Colette Whitaker (2008–2009) Andromeda Dunker (2009–present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 13 |
| No. of episodes | 332 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | HGTV |
| Original run | October 7, 1999 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | House Hunters International |
House Hunters is an American reality series that airs on HGTV. Having originally premiered in 1999, there have been three spin-off series that follow a similar format as the original show.
Contents |
[edit] Format
House Hunters was originally hosted/narrated by Suzanne Whang. In 2008, the show was narrated by Colette Whitaker. The current narrator, Andromeda Dunker, began voicing the show in 2009. The program follows individuals, couples, or families searching for a new home with the assistance of a realtor. Each broadcast features three properties, one of which is selected by the prospective buyer, whose offer generally is accepted by the seller. In the final moments of the show, the new owner provides a tour of the house, revealing what changes and/or improvements if any were made after moving in.
Although billed as a reality show, producers may recruit buyers who are already in escrow with the house of their choice.[1] One participant in the show stated, "The show is not really a reality show. You have to already own the house that gets picked at the end of the show. But the other houses in the show are actually the other houses we considered buying."[2]
In early seasons of the series, prices and locations never were mentioned. The viewing audience is now privy to where each property is located along with the amount being asked and paid for each property. Frequently an entire week will be devoted to properties in one city, or a particular urban area, such as Chicago, Atlanta or Dallas.
[edit] Other Versions
[edit] House Hunters International
House Hunters International is the first House Hunters spin-off series. It features the same narrators and format as its preceding series. However, rather than searching for properties in the United States and Canada, this show focuses on properties around the world, particularly in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, Japan and South America.
[edit] House Hunters on Vacation
House Hunters on Vacation is the second House Hunters spin-off series. Rather than featuring the same narrators as the other two series, this show is hosted by Taniya Nayak. Families have the opportunity to stay in a vacation home for one week. Each episode will see homebuyers choose which of three properties they would most like to stay in for their week-long vacation (which is paid for by HGTV.)
[edit] House Hunters: Living the Dream
House Hunters: Living the Dream is the third House Hunters spin-off series, premiering in late October 2011.
[edit] Car Hunters
The House Hunters format was also used in Car Hunters, a series of commercials in Fall 2010 for Chevrolet in which a prospective buyer test drives a Chevrolet Cruze or Chevrolet Traverse and two other cars, always choosing the Chevrolet vehicle. Conducted by an independent research firm, the shopper was not informed until the end that Car Hunters was actually a commercial for Chevrolet. The series of ads, which carried the same look as House Hunters (apart from using a blue color scheme instead of yellow), debuted on HGTV in September 2010 as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by HGTV and Chevrolet. [3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ Elizabeth Weintraub. "Doing the Final Home Inspection Walk-Through: What's a Final Walk-Through?" at About.com.
- ^ Interview with Ted Prosser, Owner of Into The Mystic, Coral Bay at On-StJohn.com.
- ^ HGTV: Car Hunters
- ^ Autoblog: "Video: Chevrolet sweeps HGTV Car Hunters Challenge", September 15, 2010.
