TV power couple

Texas' famed Joanna and Chip Gaines unveil first 10 shows on new Magnolia Network

Chip and Joanna are taking over the old DIY Network.

Photo courtesy of HGTV

Chip and Joanna Gaines have the guts to take on a Fixer Upper-free future. And fans finally get to see what it looks like.

Two years after saying goodbye to the HGTV show that became a worldwide phenomenon, the Texas TV power couple is ready to unveil their cable channel, Magnolia Network. The official launch of Magnolia Network — which will take over DIY Network — has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, they announced recently.

But in an April 26 special called Magnolia Network: A Look Ahead, the couple gave viewers a sneak peek of 10 shows coming to their network, plus a few teases about how the Gaines family will be featured, too.

"The aim of our network will be to tell good stories — stories that unite instead of divide; stories that serve to inspire and uphold beauty; stories that entertain and draw out curiosities; stories that feel like home in all the ways a home should feel," they say on the network's website.

Readers of their Magnolia Journal will recognize the same kinds of inspiring stories now coming to life as series on TV. They'll focus on people who are living life passionately and authentically, the Gaineses say. They will cover topics the couple themselves are passionate about: home design, restoration, and renovation (of course!), as well as gardening, cooking, wellness, business, family, and traditions.

"We knew we wanted this to be a very well-rounded place where you could come, you feel like it's time well spent," Joanna says in the preview. "And we wanted to make sure that families found this as a time when they could come together and enjoy programming that left them feeling encouraged and inspired."

Here's a quick look at the first 10 shows they've slated:

Home on the Road
The show follows musicians Abner and Amanda Ramirez, better known together as Johnnyswim, as they navigate life on tour with their two young children and one on the way. The Ramirezes are good friends of the Gaineses (their song "Home" was the Fixer Upper theme song) and reportedly were the first to be approached about a show on the network.

Restoration Road
Fixer Upper favorite, carpenter Clint Harp, travels around the United States to help chronicle restoration of significant structures. In the preview, he visits the Philadelphia area to check out a 270-year-old inn where George Washington once stayed. He'll follow it as it's deconstructed, moved to Texas, and restored to operate as an inn once again.

Family Dinner
Celebrity chef and veteran TV host Andrew Zimmern explores life, love, relationships, and family traditions around the dinner table. "Family dinners are like church and group therapy and game night combined into one," Zimmern says. He'll engage with families about heirloom recipes, cooking through the generations, and more.

Growing Floret
Erin Benzakein, the founder of Floret Flower Farm in Washington state, embarks on a major expansion, growing her family-run, sustainable flower farm from two acres to 20. Not everything comes up roses along the way.

The Fieldhouse
Justin Bane, a former Baylor University football player whose NFL dreams got dashed due to injury, helps people navigate their own wellness journeys at his 20,000-square-foot gym called The Fieldhouse in Abilene.

Inn the Works
Lindsey Kurowski and her three siblings head up a team taking on the restoration of the 1920s-era Oak Knoll Lodge in Big Bear, California — without closing it to occupants while they do the work.

deVOL Kitchens
The design show goes inside the work of England-based deVOL — headed by Paul O'Leary and Helen Parker — as they create and build dream kitchens for clients. "I always want somebody to walk into their kitchen and feel that it's their favorite room in the house," Parker says in the preview.

The Lost Kitchen
Maine restaurateur Erin French runs her farm-to-table eatery The Lost Kitchen with a unique reservation system: potential diners must mail a postcard and be selected by French and her all-female staff. She's not attempting to serve the best meal in the world, but "I'm trying to make you feel the best feeling in the world, and there's food involved," she says.

Super Dad
Taylor Calmus, an actor-comedian and DIY guy known as "Dude Dad," guides intimidated dads through kids' projects (think backyard playgrounds) so they can "bring their kids' dreams to life and become their heroes in a whole new way," he says.

Home Work
Married couple Candis and Andy Meredith, who once starred in the HGTV series Old Home Love, take on their biggest project yet: converting a three-story, 20,000-square-foot abandoned schoolhouse into a home for their own family of nine.

The network also promises plenty of Gaines family footage. On the heels of her second cookbook release, Joanna will be cooking with friends. And Chip will get plenty more "demo day" action as they continue to take on big renovation projects around Waco.

"We're excited about what's next," Chip says in the preview. "And honestly we're excited to introduce you to more shows and more people that I hope you'll engage with just like you engaged with us in Fixer Upper."

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Movie Review

Highly anticipated Wicked movie adaptation deserves to be popular

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera in Wicked.

The musical Wicked is indisputably the biggest Broadway smash of the 21st century, having grossed more $1.6 billion in New York alone and achieving the rare feat of running for over 20 years. All of which is to say that the long-awaited movie adaptation of The Wizard of Oz prequel will most likely be a massive success whether it lives up to what longtime fans envisioned or not.

Part one — yes, this 2 hour and 40 minute film is merely the first act of the musical; part two arrives a year from now — introduces Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned witch who goes on to become Dorothy’s nemesis, and G(a)linda (Ariana Grande-Butera), the pink-garbed “good” witch, as they meet at Shiz University in Oz. Glinda is the ultra-popular one with sycophantic hangers-on, while Elphaba is shunned by almost everyone, sometimes including her disabled sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who’s desperate to make her own space away from Elphaba.

Her mistreatment by others leads Elphaba to get angry, which manifests itself in uncontrollable magic. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) notices this and takes a personal interest in her, giving her one-on-one instruction in hopes of harnessing her power. In the meantime, Elphaba and Glinda attempt to go from forced roommates to actual friends, although Glinda’s entitled personality is more of an obstacle than anything else they encounter.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by original book writer Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, the film does a great job of distinguishing itself from the stage version while still remaining true to what made it so beloved. As Chu showed in his last film, In the Heights, he has an innate feel for how to tap into the essence of the source material while expanding it into something befitting the scope of a blockbuster movie.

In this case, he finds a way to give even greater emphasis to the bigotry that Elphaba faces simply because of her green skin; the fact that she is being played by a Black woman drives home the point even more. The story remains light and fluffy for the most part, but the ostracization/otherness that Elphaba feels is delivered in a powerful way, as is her empathy for talking animals like Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), who are facing their own persecution.

Of course, the highlight of the film is Stephen Schwartz’s music, and while not all of the songs are equal in impact, they still make for a cohesive whole. The number of songs and order they appear in the first act is identical to the stage musical, with the standouts remaining “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Defying Gravity.” While there is some superfluous action and cutaways added to certain numbers, it’s not enough to distract from what makes the songs effective.

Oddly, the progression of the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda works better on stage when the timeline is accelerated, but Erivo and Grande-Butera make up for this slight lack with their fantastic performances. The emotion each brings to their characters fits them almost perfectly, and there’s simply no denying the strength of each of their voices. Bode, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more make for a solid supporting cast.

The well-known ending of the first act of Wicked is a huge high point that is so good that it almost makes up for the fact that audiences won’t see the second film for a long time. But if part one is any indication, part two should turn out to be another great musical theater adaptation in a decade that has already seen its fair share.

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Wicked opens in theaters on November 22.

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