Heavy HGTV will soon premiere the new show "Zillow Gone Wild"
Taking a page from its successful series “Ugliest House in America” — soon to air its fifth season with comedic actress Retta touring hideous homes across the U.S. — HGTV has a new show on tap featuring another popular comedian.
The network announced on April 5, 2024, that “30 Rock” alum Jack McBrayer will star in the new show “Zillow Gone Wild,” premiering on May 3. Known for his southern twang and aloof brand of sarcasm, McBrayer’s new show will be “a celebration of America’s weirdest, wildest and wackiest home,” HGTV said.
But an added twist will give viewers the chance to win $25,000 by “correctly guessing which home will be crowned the ‘Wildest House,'” per a press release on the first season, which aims to build on the massive success of the Zillow Gone Wild brand.
Jack McBrayer Says He Loves Meeting People Who Own Zany, Wild Homes
During the nine-episode first season of “Zillow Gone Wild,” McBrayer will meet “characters who have embraced non-traditional homes with their distinctive décor and imaginative architecture.”
The Emmy-nominated actor will tour especially unusual homes that have been posted for sale on the popular real estate site Zillow, and HGTV will rank each one on “attributes such as creativity, commitment to the theme and unique qualities,” the network said.
“Everyone loves to scroll endlessly, looking at all the pretty houses for sale online,” McBrayer said in a statement. “But I’m on a mission to find out the story behind America’s strangest and most extraordinary homes. I want to meet the owners and, most importantly, see for myself what’s inside.”
On the episode that airs on June 21, “Zillow Gone Wild” will review all eight homes that the “Wreck-It Ralph” star has toured, giving viewers the chance to vote online for which home they think tops them all. The next week, McBrayer will crown the winner on the season finale and anyone who voted for the winning house will be entered into HGTV’s Wild and Win Contest, with one lucky winner receiving $25,000.
Zillow Gone Wild Brand Was Started by Tech-Savvy Entrepreneur During the Pandemic
The new HGTV show is based on the hugely successful social media brand Zillow Gone Wild, started by tech-savvy entrepreneur Samir Mezrahi during the pandemic in 2020. Stuck at home and bored, he started scrolling through Zillow, searching for the most absurd homes for sale he could find, according to Architectural Digest, and began a social media account to share them with others.
In addition to the multiple castles Mezrahi was surprised to find across the U.S., the magazine said that one of his most viral posts was a home in Gilbert, Arizona, that included “a built-in aquarium, go-cart track, pool, spa, a hot tub, cold plunge, and more.”
Mezrahi’s social media accounts have attracted millions of followers, a newsletter subscription list of 168,000, and brand partnerships with Hulu, Netflix, ABC’s “The Bachelor,” and Bud Light Seltzer, he told Creator’s Spotlight in December.
And some people with quirky tastes have even found their dream homes through Zillow Gone Wild, Mezrahi told Reader’s Digest in May 2023.
To be featured, he told Architectural Digest, “The house’s got to be nuts, but in a good way.”
“Zillow Gone Wild” premieres on HGTV on May 3 at 10:30 p.m. Eastern.