Home Town Takeover, which sees Ben and Erin Napier make over the town of Wetumpka, Alabama, premieres on HGTV and Discovery Plus May 2. The Napiers also host Home Town on HGTV, which sees them redoing homes and businesses in Laurel, Mississippi. That series has had five seasons.
There are six episodes of Home Town Takeover. The series will showcase 12 major renovations all over Wetumpka, including restaurants, shops, historic homes, public spaces, a new farmers’ market and an entire downtown street, “with the goal that the impact will ripple through the community for generations to come,” said HGTV.
“Home Town Takeover will inspire small towns across America because it will show them the impact that neighbors, local leaders and a few friends working together can have on their community,” said Jane Latman, president, HGTV. “We’ve seen the power of that in Laurel and we want to spark that same change in more small towns.”
Guest stars on Home Town Takeover include Sheryl Crow, Food Network host Eddie Jackson, Rock the Block host Ty Pennington, Fixer to Fabulous hosts Dave and Jenny Marrs and Good Bones host Mina Starsiak Hawk. The second episode will also be available on Discovery Plus May 2, with subsequent episodes available on Fridays.
“It’s too bad that small towns are so often undervalued because you can live a beautiful life in them,” said Erin. “People really want to believe in a bright future in the place where they live, but rebuilding a town is no small feat. It takes every member of that community using their gifts and skills coming together to make a difference.”
Some 2,600 towns were suggested to be the focus of the season, and HGTV selected Wetumpka because, “despite hardships, natural disasters and unexpected setbacks, the community’s undying spirit and resilience showed that they were ready to kickstart a comeback with HGTV’s help,” it said.
During the premiere, the Napier and Marrs pairs will complete a home renovation for a foster family while the owner of a struggling fashion boutique gets a fresh design.
“That’s what we’re here to do with every project,” said Ben. “It is a massive task and we’re so thankful our HGTV and Discovery family were so inspired by Wetumpka’s story that they wanted to come and be a part of this enormous undertaking. It’s going to be awesome.”
