MIKE ON TV: Discussing the Honey Boo Boo Scandal on "Access Hollywood"

TLC quickly, and smartly, pulled the plug on "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" after it was revealed that the show's matriarch, "Mama June," was dating a convicted child molester (one who allegedly molested her own daughter). "Honey Boo Boo" had already been declining in the ratings, making TLC's decision even more of a no-brainer. I talked to "Access Hollywood" on Monday about TLC's actions and what it meant for the show.

Retro: When Bravo Meant the Arts, and TLC was The Learning Channel

Once upon a time, Bravo was a network devoted to the cultural arts, and TLC was "The Learning Channel," even airing some programs in French! Some late 1990s promos for Bravo (above), and a 1989 round up of some truly dry, early fare for The Learning Channel below. (And by the way, I don't mean this to judge these two channels, which are both tremendously more successful now than they ever were back in the day. And let's all be honest, we watch a lot more Bravo and TLC now compared to back then. These are businesses, people.)

Retro Friday: When Cable Was Young, and Channels Were What They Said They Were

From 1989, when TLC was truly "The Learning Channel"



From 1984, when A&E was truly "Arts & Entertainment"



From 1985, when VH-1 was truly "Video Hits One"



From 1985, when AMC was truly "American Movie Classics"



From 1987, when Bravo was truly "Bravo"



From 1989, when ABC Family was truly "The Family Channel"



From 1986, when HLN was truly "Headline News"

"Kate Plus Eight Minus Jon": The Aftermath

The Wrap's Joe Adalian, my former Variety colleague, asked a bunch of us on Tuesday for some (tongue-in-cheek) career advice for the Most Hated Dad In America, Jon Gosselin (who's just been axed from the now-retitled TLC series "Kate Plus Eight").

Here's what I sent him:

Attention, "The Biggest Loser" producers, it's spin-off time. Season one of "The Biggest Douche: Celebrity Edition" features Jon Gosselin, Tucker Max and Joe Francis as they struggle each week to shed as much douchiness as possible. In episode three, a tearful Jon is forced to set his Ed Hardy shirts on fire. Potential problem: Production is halted mid-way through when Francis is once again arrested and Gosselin's sister-in-law reveals her torrid affair with Jon to OK! Magazine. Producers pull the plug in disgust.

Sadly, I think this show would sell.

MEANWHILE, am I psychic, or what? Check out this June 18 tweet I wrote as a joke:

Jon and Kate Gosselin to make big announcement on their show Monday. My prediction -- Two new shows coming to TLC: "Kate Plus 8" and "Jon."

It came true, kinda.

"Property Ladder" Host Still Bullish on California -- Sort Of

Shaky market aside, TLC's "Property Ladder" host Kirsten Kemp -- a veteran real estate agent, developer and designer -- says she's still bullish on home flipping, even in California.

Kirsten is based in Santa Barbara, and the "Property Ladder" production team in Los Angeles -- which is why the majority of "Property Ladder" flips take place in our own backyard. The series focuses on first-time flippers, and has done a better job than others in illustrating how difficult and risky the world of home flips can be -- even though, given recent go-go housing market, most of the novices managed to screw up big time and still wind up pocketing a profit. (Maria and I dig the show, particularly when Kirsten raises her eyebrow at a naive flipper's unrealistic goals. We do hate when they still manage to sell the house in the end.)

That isn't going to be the case going forward. Flippers without experience are starting to lose their shirts, and the shows that document the world of real estate flips -- including "Property Ladder" -- are starting to reflect that change.

"It is going to make things more interesting," says Kirsten, who I spoke to last week for a Variety story. "This is what will separate the boys from the men. You have to educate yourself. ... It's not just paint and tile and fabric. It's a business and needs to be respected as such."

But Kirsten, who has been in real estate for 15 years, says a volatile marketplace like the one we've entered "presents an opportunity for the savvy investor. I'm still flipping. I'm just going to be a lot more careful where I'm flipping."

Kirsten is particularly big on Northern California, as well as Santa Barbara and Montecito, where "the high end is still moving like crazy."

"Anything on the market for $3 million, $4 million gets snapped up quickly," says Kirsten, who says she recently saw a home in Santa Barbara being sold for $5 million -- "totally overpriced" -- still get a quick sale.

But those big-ticket flips "are not something Middle America can relate to," she admits. That may be why "Property Ladder" is spending more time out of California now, in order to find more interesting stories in places where flipping is still viable. The show is also including more people who have already flipped a home or two (although that takes away from one of "Property Ladder's" big draws: Watching those newbies falling flat on their face).

Over at TLC, which runs "Property Ladder," execs aren't all that concerned about a bubble pop. Actually, Brant Pinvidic, TLC's senior VP of programming, believes it will make for good TV.

"From a TV perspective, it makes things much easier for me," he told me for the Variety story. "It increases the stakes. And I want people with real stakes."

Meanwhile, the Bravo network exec in charge of new flip show "Flipping Out" notes that her biggest problem with the show has to do with sticker price. L.A.'s inflated home costs confuse viewers in other parts of the country, who watch the show's stars buy a 2 bedroom, 1 bath small house for just under a $1 million. In most of the country, that will get you a small mansion. Here, not so much.

(Check out my Variety story here.)

Who Says Los Angeles Homes Are Overpriced?

A recent episode of TLC's "Flip That House" featured a home that sold for just $189,000! OK, granted, the home was 375 square feet... with no bedroom... and it was located in South Los Angeles.



Oh, and the house was scary. Real scary: Look at the bathroom above. The flipper completely gutted the place, redoing everything and adding two bedrooms (500 square feet, for a total of 875 square feet). He spent $90,000 on the flip, and put the house back on the market for around $385,000.

Makes our tiny Glendale house look a little more roomy. By the way, we were quite impressed by the speed with which the 500 square feet was added: By the end of two weeks, it was pretty much done! So why did it take nearly six months for our 400 square foot addition?