HGTV out to prove it’s not just garden variety

Stop and smell the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day -- then stay tuned for HGTV’s procession of new shows and specials.

After six years of watching viewership increase for its nonexclusive parade telecast, Home & Garden Television realized it had a rosy opportunity to showcase itself.

This year, it’s taking full advantage.

HGTV plans a daylong lineup for Jan. 1 that highlights how the channel has evolved from its “how-to” beginning, said HGTV President Burton Jablin.

Besides introducing new series, including the landscaping competition “Ground Rules!” and the budget-conscious “Design on a Dime,” HGTV will kick off its annual “Dream Home” contest. The prize is a Florida house valued at $1.5 million.

“We want to let people know that HGTV has a tremendous amount of variety in its programming,” Jablin said. “A lot of people might think we’re all gardening shows, or all what we call ‘hammer-and-nails shows,’ but we really have so much more.”

Instead of “hard-core how-to,” the emphasis is on programs that encourage a connection with viewers, Jablin said.

“People are looking for more than step-by-step information; they want an emotional involvement with what’s going on,” he said. “There’s a kind of vicarious thrill in watching how other people create their living space and then use it.”

HGTV’s commercial-free coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade begins at 8 a.m.