Reality TV stars flip real estate in ‘Bettheny & Fredrik’
TV’s newest odd couple: With stunning makeovers and remarkable profits, shows about flipping houses are quickly becoming a national obsession. Prime time is prime real estate for such programs, and a new series is about to offer viewers even more excitement.
Two of Bravo’s most popular reality TV personalities have teamed up to buy, renovate and sell high-end homes in “Bethenny & Fredrik,” airing Tuesday, Feb. 13. Entrepreneur and “The Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel works with real estate mogul Fredrik Eklund (“Million Dollar Listing New York”) to find, buy and renovate promising properties in the hopes of selling them for a tidy profit.
The dynamic duo have been friends for years, and they proved their onscreen chemistry is undeniable when they appeared in “Million Dollar Listing New York.” However, as viewers of “Bethenny & Fredrik” will soon find out, sometimes chemicals are volatile. While there’s no doubt the friends know how to have fun, there are plenty of tense moments as they struggle to maximize profit on their projects. The stakes are high as both of the reality TV stars invest millions of dollars of their own money in properties in the hopes of coming out on top.
Cameras capture their antics as Frankel tries to keep Eklund on budget, despite his penchant for expensive things. Her business savvy helped her build her successful Skinnygirl brand, which includes cocktails, books and even a line of preservative-free deli meats. She’s also a multimedia star with a workout DVD and several television series, including her original claim to fame, “The Real Housewives of New York City.” She also starred in Bravo’s “Bethenny Getting Married?” in 2010 and landed her own talk show entitled “Bethenny,” which aired from June 2012 to July 2014.
Eklund may not have as much onscreen experience as Frankel, but he’s no rookie, either. He’s been a mainstay in “Million Dollar Listing New York” since it premiered in 2012, and is still going strong six seasons later. If there’s someone who understands New York City real estate, it’s Eklund. The entrepreneur has more than $5 billion in residential sales over the course of the past 11 years. He and Frankel should make a formidable team in the Big Apple’s cutthroat real estate market.
Together, the friends learn just how challenging it is to scout out, buy and design multimillion-dollar homes. While they face plenty of bumps in the road, Frankel and Eklund have lots of fun along the way, and viewers can tag along for the ride with a new episode of “Bethenny & Fredrik,” airing Tuesday, Feb. 13, on Bravo.
Lights, cameras, canines: Ask any dog owner and they’ll likely tell you there’s nothing quite like the love of a dog. Big or small, fluffy or curly, there’s a dog for just about every human, and a human for every dog — at least that’s what the folks at Hallmark are hoping.
Devoted to saving the lives of shelter pets, the broadcaster has come up with a unique event to raise awareness about pet homelessness with the 2018 American Rescue Dog Show, premiering Monday, Feb. 12, on Hallmark. The lighthearted competition will feature a wide variety of shelter dogs, from rescued purebreds to mixed breeds, who’ll vie for the Top Dog title.
Actress Rebecca Romijn (“The Librarians”) and sportscaster Rich Eisen (“NFL Total Access”) co-host the inaugural competition, which aims to inspire viewers to adopt a pet of their own.
“There are beautiful animals available at local shelters, and we encourage our viewers to choose adoption through our pet programming, which is at the heart of our brand,” said Crown Media Family Networks executive Bill Abbott.
Larissa Wohl (“Home & Family”) is set to cover the action from ringside, while Carrie Ann Inaba (“Dancing With the Stars”), Linda Blair (“The Exorcist,” 1973), Rick Springfield (“High Tide”), Brandon McMillan (“Lucky Dog”) and Ross Matthews (“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”) serve as judges.
With a focus on the winning personalities of the dogs, the competition features a number of tongue-in-cheek categories. The canine competitors go head to head in such categories as Best in Couch Potato, Best in Wiggle Butt, Best in Underbite, Best in Talking, Best in Snoring, Best in Senior Dog, Best in Fetcher, Best in Kissing, Best in Special Needs and Best in Listener. Then, the top 10 dogs move on to the finals in the hopes of being crowned Best in Rescue.
In addition to the competition, the 2018 American Rescue Dog Show will also feature stories about courageous dogs that have beaten the odds and found forever homes. The network’s own adopted pet, Happy the Rescue Dog, serves as the show’s official mascot. A certified therapy dog and emotional support animal, Happy also stars in movies and specials.
AdoptAPet.com will be showcased throughout the show as a resource for viewers thinking about pet adoption, and the Petco Foundation will provide $75,000 in non-profit grants to the winners.
Check out the adorable action as dogs compete in the 2018 American Rescue Dog Show, airing Monday, Feb. 12, on Hallmark.