Is HGTV running out of ideas for new programming, or have they tapped into a formula that personifies genius? Whatever the case, the cable network’s new “Flip the Strip” premiered on July 10 with the unlikeliest stars in the spotlight.
The headliners for the Las Vegas-based “Flip the Strip” are no strangers to show business: Ben Cleary, Dan Paterson, Liam Black and Malik Wills-Martin appear in the Las Vegas production of the male strip show “Australia’s Thunder from Down Under.” When they are not taking off their clothing on stage, the quartet work in home construction and renovation, and the new show teams them with interior designer Kelly Stone to add Vegas-style razzmatazz to dreary residences.
“The six, hour-long episodes will feature over-the-top casino-inspired style, including decadent chandeliers, imaginative bar setups, custom statement balustrades and one abstract art piece involving paint and a shirtless dancer that must be seen to be believed,” said the HGTV press release announcing the series. “Along the way, the guys will drop some ‘Aussie-isms’ into their vernacular that will illustrate the ups and downs of each renovation.”
Whether this type of programming will start a new trend in home renovation television series remains to be seen – at last report, the guys at “This Old House” were keeping their clothes on while going about their work.
Photo (from left): Liam Black, Dan Paterson, Ben Cleary and Malik Wills-Martin; photo provided courtesy of HGTV.
