It's quite lucky that fans of the HGTV hit Home Town didn't have that long to wait between seasons. The series, which follows Laurel, Mississippi residents Ben and Erin Napier as they spruce up old homes around their city for buyers, just premiered Season 5 on Sunday night, meaning that audiences only had to wait since the end of July to set their eyes on a brand new set of home renovation success stories. And, star Ben Napier is now talking about how Home Town has changed for Season 5.
Those who've been keeping up with Home Town know that the couple at the center of all the renovations, Ben and Erin Napier, go through a lot to present potential buyers with the best homes which can then be updated to fit their specific needs. They've managed some magnificent feats over the past four seasons, and Ben Napier is opening up about how the show will be different in Season 5. As he told Country Living:
The show has changed so much. Season one, you're trying to figure out the blueprint, and figure out what's boring or unnecessary. [HGTV] gave us the opportunity to figure out the mold and break it every episode. You're going to see a home tour, and a big reveal, but the stuff in between we have more freedom with now.
I wouldn't say that Home Town has ever been boring, especially if you enjoy a healthy dose of home renovation porn in your day, but I can see where Ben Napier, his wife Erin, and the entire crew behind the series would have had to work out some kinks and figure out what made the best episodes. The show started in January 2016, and they've clearly found what works, with each season becoming more popular and Season 4 offering fans a whopping 20 episodes to enjoy.
As Napier said, each episode features the couple as they show two or three homes to a prospective buyer, describing how they plan to update the property and what they believe the reno will cost. After the buyer has made their choice and bought one of the homes, they get to work with their team to turn the house into a one of a kind treasure that can be cherished for many years to come, despite whatever challenges are thrown in their way.
The Season 5 premiere saw them update a home for a friend of theirs who lost her husband a few years ago, and is now starting a new chapter in life, and while all of the familiar beats where there (Ben and Erin were really excited about painting that dining room black!), it did seem like there was an even bigger focus on Ben using some found elements related to the house, or the family who'd be living in it now, and creating new design pieces for their home.
Plus, it's rare that the duo are shown making over a home for someone who's so close to them, so that added an even more personal touch to the episode than usual.
Seems to me that the freedom they've been afforded by HGTV has really paid off! You can see how Home Town has changed for the better as Season 5 continues, every Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST. For more to watch in the coming weeks, check out our guide to winter / spring TV premieres!
