Fans were definitely rejoicing and celebrating whenever Chip and Joanna Gaines went public with the news that they're reviving their beloved home renovation series Fixer Upper for their upcoming TV venture dubbed Magnolia Network. Not a lot of details were revealed during that initial announcement, but a casting call went out recently that seemed to indicate how the show's pre-production process is changing up for Season 6.
To be sure, Fixer Upper's homeowner casting call is basically laying out the same kind of stipulations that past notices brought up during the show's run on HGTV. However, it appears Chip and Joanna Gaines (along with other producers) are looking for Waco residents (or those within 30 miles) who have a little more money to put into the renovation process. Now, homeowners will need to have a budget of at least $50,000 that they're willing to put up for whatever redesigns and upgrades Chip and Joanna cook up, according to TMZ.
That uptick in the budget should help make any and all new household additions that much more impressive in comparison with past seasons. For the Season 5 production that took place in 2017, Fixer Upper was only asking applicants to have a $30,000 budgetary baseline for renovations. Inflation likely helped to knock that price up a couple of notches, but let's not forget that Magnolia Network is Chip and Joanna Gaines' brainchild, so there probably isn't as much free-flowing money as there was on an already established channel like HGTV. Plus, they want to make these projects pop as much as possible for the first new episodes in over two years.
Another interesting detail embedded in the Season 6 casting call is that the show is now only considering homeowners who recently closed on buying a new house, or are otherwise already settled into the home they're looking to fix up. Granted, past seasons' casting notices recommended that applicants already be in that finalization process for their homes, but still managed to allow enough wiggle room to play up the legitimacy of the house-hunting portion of episodes.
At this point, it's not clear if Fixer Upper will continue to film the three-house decision process to start up each episode, or if Chip and Joanna Gaines will be eschewing the past format in order to focus more on the renovation than the hunt. Of course, considering house-hunting shows are known to fudge reality in certain ways to keep things interesting for TV, the show might very well stick with its roots despite making certain behind-the-scenes changes.
Beyond all that, applicants also have to agree to give Chip and Joanna Gaines, and the show's production crew, full authority when it comes to making design and renovation decisions. Sure, homeowners can obviously share their opinions and tastes, but the Gaines will have the final say. As well, those who apply are also agreeing to figure out their own alt-housing situation during the renovation process, which can last anywhere from 30-35 weeks.
Will Chip and Joanna Gaines be able to survive the fandom's embrace after Fixer Upper returns to TV via Magnolia Network at some point in the near-ish future? The application process is expected to be completed by September 2020, and you can bet we'll be tuning in to see how the revival looks and feels in its own new home in 2021.
Stay tuned for more premiere details for both Fixer Upper Season 6 and for Joanna Gaines' new cooking show. While waiting, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are locked in for the coming months.
