Will the New "Flip" Be a Hit, or Will "Flip" Flop? (A&E's "Flip This House"

Houston Real News ^ | 6/28/2006 | N/A

[MizSterious]

Trademark Properties Heads to TLC/Discovery, and Court?

For now, the relationship between A &E and the real estate teams seems positive and productive.

But tensions between the network and former Flip This House team leader, Richard C. Davis, led the Trademark Properties real estate guru to take his team to TLC (The Learning Channel), who showed him a little more "tender loving care" than A & E.

An article in Charleston's March 31 The Post and Courier mentions "creative differences" between A & E and Mr. Davis.

"Most importantly, he (Billy Campbell, Discovery Communications President) is not going to script my life," Davis said, referring to his creative differences with A&E and its production crew. In contrast, "the broadcasting company (Discovery) 'rolled out the red carpet'; treated me like royalty," he (Davis) said.

Escalating legal tension between Mr. Davis and A & E is further exemplified in Mr. Davis' e-mail to HoustonRealNews:

"They [A & E] did a casting call after I moved networks; they are trying to 'act' like my real company. I can't comment much further but I will tell you this, they will not steal my show:) you can't do my show without my team, you can try and copy but I still own the show, read the credits 'created by Richard C Davis.' I took it to them, they owe me many dollars, the rest will come out in court."

Will the New "Flip" Be a Hit, or Will "Flip" Flop?

Undoubtedly, loyal viewers who loved the original Flip This House team will follow Trademark Properties to TLC.

How that will affect A & E ratings is yet to be determined.

Flip This House has stayed in the South, geographically, to highlight two new exciting teams. The question is, will ratings head that direction also?

[MizSterious]

This is a somewhat longish (14 words over the limit) excerpt--more on this topic at Houston Real News' site. I've been a fan of this show (Flip That House) for awhile now, and I was really dismayed when the group of what looked like narco-thugs and their bimbos showed up and pretended to be in the real estate business. A&E has finally become one of the most irrelevant channels on cable. What was once a wholesome, enjoyable show is now pure sleaze.

[Armedanddangerous]

I am a GINGER fan too...glad I am not the only one.

[El Laton Caliente]

I seen reports lately that 1 of 52 people in Kali have Real-estate Licenses and as much as 20% of house sales in 'Vegas are out of state investors. Seems like the flippers are selling to flippers out west these days... How long can that continue?

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Watched the "new" show last night, and to put it as kindly as possible, I was not impressed.
Looks like the Mrs and I will be moving to TLC as well.

[MizSterious]

The gay landscaper ep was hilarious.

The date I'm reading on various sites is December or January for the first TLC showing. However, I did go to TLC's website, and they made no mention of it. I hope they haven't changed their minds!

[StrictTime]

There have been times when I watched the A & E "Flip This House" and thought that some of the stuff was set up (Richard's brother getting his car smashed by the downhill dumpster and the Glade air fresheners used in close-ups). Maybe that was what Richard meant in the above article when he said, "Most importantly, he (Billy Campbell, Discovery Communications President) is not going to script my life."

I hope TLC lets him "keep it real" (well, as 'real' as reality shows can be). I'll be switching.

[Toby06]

Ginger ping

[Mike Darancette]

How long can that continue?

Soon to be named "Lose Your Shorts"

[Xenalyte]

Wow, she's astonishingly average.

[L.N. Smithee]

I've been a fan of this show (Flip That House) for awhile now, and I was really dismayed when the group of what looked like narco-thugs and their bimbos showed up and pretended to be in the real estate business.

It sounds to me what is happening is similar to what happened with the archetypal sports mascot The San Diego Chicken back in the seventies. Stay with me, it makes sense.

The S.D. radio station (KGB-AM) that created the chicken suit as a publicity stunt fired Ted Giannoulas, the guy who made the suit world famous, figuring that the suit was the reason for the stunt's success. The station also barred him from performing in a chicken costume in the future, claiming ownership of the concept.

When word got out that the original Chicken wasn't in the costume, San Diego fans revolted, and chased the new guy in the KGB suit out of San Diego Stadium.

Giannoulas insisted he may have not created the suit, but he did create the character, and had the right to perform as that character in a different suit. The California Supreme Court agreed, and the rest is history.

If what you say about the new version of the old show is true, it will just be a matter of time before A&E's 'new guy in the old suit' gets chased off the air.

[Kaylee Frye]

This is my favorite "flipping" show and I watch a lot of them. I haven't seen the new season, but I will definitely follow Richard and his gang over to TLC. And, on a side note, I would kill to work for him at his company.

[Toby06]

But she has bewbs and isn't afraid to use them!

[MizSterious]

My husband tells me it isn't so much how she looks, but her whole personality. She's good on the show, a part of the whole group--and I really do think it's the entire group that makes the show so watchable.

[MizSterious]

This might be how this one turns out, plus the story above suggests that since Davis created and produced the show, A&E has no right to it.

Seems A&E could have gotten around that by just naming it something else--what it looks like to many people, though, is that A&E was pulling a bait and switch, gambling that if people tuned into a show with a familiar name and watched it, they'd come back and watch it again. Not sure, but they might have lost that gamble.

[MizSterious]

Perusing several boards devoted to FTH, there are rumors that this is indeed the case for at least the car episode. And, if you watch that particular ep, you'll notice that the car that crashed into the dumpster is not the same car his brother drove up there. Definitely staged.

[MizSterious]

You and the missus will have a lot of company. Someone on the A&E message board suggested they change the name of this new one to FLOP this house, LOL!

[weegee]

Well Sneak Previews begat At the Movies which begat Siskel & Ebert and then it floundered with some other title for awhile when there were assorted guest filling Siskel's chair) and now I think it is called something like Ebert & Roeper And The Movies.

Sneak Previews and At The Movies both continued for years with other hosts (Rex Reed, Michael Medved, and others sat in the chairs).