I am completely addicted to craft shows on the DIY Network and HGTV. They inspire me. They entertain. They speak to my thirty-something mentality.
Thus, over the last few months as both stations upped their house related shows and removed most of their craft programming, I became concerned. First, I thought it was due to the writer's strike and was convinced that they'd be getting new episodes of Knitty Gritty, Creative Juice, Uncommon Threads, Style-icious, Crafters Coast to Coast and other such eye candy for modern-day artisans back soon. However, then they took off the reruns and began showing just a few random repeats in the middle of the night. Literally. I happen to have a DVR so while I could (and did) record these previously watched ditties, I was now beginning to panic in earnest and wondering what wrong turn the programmers took at their respective stations. Had they lost their collective minds? Perhaps they hadn't noticed the enormous popularity of indie style, handmade crafts? Was it possible they hadn't been informed there was a housing crisis and people weren't buying, selling, or flipping in the same manner? What version of reality were they living in, anyway? It certainly wasn't meshing with mine.
So I started reading the blogs frantically. What I was hearing was not good. People were saying that according to Nielsen ratings more men watched the DIY channel during the day (while us working gals were Tivo'ing everything) so the cable channels were putting on more "man" shows. Okay, fine. But where are my new craft shows, even if they're on late? Then the rumor started becoming that the shows in question were cancelled. Needless to say, at about this point I'm completely freaking out. I'm soooo tired of watching reruns of past Knitty Gritty's for like the fourth time, but I'm an addict...I can't help myself...I need new shows and now it looks like they may not be coming.
So when tonight -- just moments ago, in fact -- I came across the glorious news on Allison Whitlock's site (she host's DIY's Uncommon Threads) that new UT shows are coming in the second quarter of the year...well, words cannot describe my joy. Even just one of my favorites coming back with new content is thrilling. I'm ecstatic, in fact. And I had to share.
Fingers crossed there is more good news coming from the other programs, too...!
I'm off to celebrate.