The 'Property Brothers' want to know where they should eat when they come to Philly
"If people think it looks like we have a lot of fun, times that by a thousand, because this is a live variety show of all things 'Brothers,' " Jonathan Scott says.
Just call us the City of Property Brotherly love.
HGTV stars Drew and Jonathan Scott, a.k.a. the Property Brothers, will be in Philadelphia on Wednesday as part of their "House Party" tour. An 11-city run of dates, the tour will bring the Canadian-born twins to the Merriam in support of their latest literary effort, It Takes Two: Our Story, a memoir out Tuesday. (All attendees will go home with a copy of the book.)
Fans likely know the 39-year-old duo from their home-improvement show franchise that includes Property Brothers, Property Brothers: Buying & Selling, Brother vs. Brother, and Property Brothers at Home. The brothers' seventh season of Buying & Selling began on Wednesday.
But even juggling multiple shows and a live tour, the brothers are still adding projects to their plates. Drew, for example, will soon appear on ABC's Dancing with the Stars alongside partner Emma Slater, beginning Sept. 18. The pair will also launch a fifth HGTV series, dubbed Property Brothers at Home: Drew's Honeymoon House, about Drew and fiancée Linda Phan's first home together, in November.
We recently caught up with the brothers to talk about the forthcoming Philly show, Drew's Dancing with the Stars gig, and what fans can expect from the brothers' Honeymoon project. Mostly, though, they just want you to tell them what restaurants to eat at while they're in town.
What can Philly folks expect from the “House Party” tour?
Jonathan: If people think it looks like we have a lot of fun, times that by a thousand, because this is a live variety show of all things Brothers. It's got music. I'm a magician, so we're going to be performing magic. We're going to take fans up on stage and do a digital makeover of rooms in their houses so they can learn about design, too.
That’s a little more interactive than your typical book tour.
Jonathan: It's more about hanging out with 2,000 of our best friends in Philly. We want all our fans to come in. We're very active with them through social media, and this will be a chance to meet face to face. Plus, every person who comes to the "House Party" gets a copy of the book.
The new book also seems different from your previous effort, Dream Home. You’re letting people in with this a little more.
Jonathan: It's what our fans have been demanding for years. Our first book hit the New York Times best-seller list, but that was more about design and our process with clients. This is what they have been asking for: a memoir telling people our stories, where we came from, and who inspired us.
That personal element is a big part of the book and tour. Why is that?
Drew: This is as private and intimate as it gets. When we decided to do the memoir, we decided nothing would be omitted — the highs, the lows. We never have talked about our personal lives like now. If you're an HGTV junkie, this is exactly what you need.
Have you guys spent much time in Philly in the past?
Jonathan: We've spent a lot of time in the area. We have a massive QVC program with our Scott Living line, so we're always coming through Philadelphia to go to West Chester to do that. We want our fans to tell us what to do while we're there, because we're going to have a little more time than we usually do. So, what restaurants should we go to?
A new season of Property Brothers: Buying & Selling premiered this week, but you guys always have something going on.
Drew: We always have premieres for different shows because we shoot five series. Right now, we're filming in L.A. the renovation of my fiancée and I's first house together. Linda and I are ecstatic. This renovation will be done in about a month and a bit, and it's going to air in November. It's called Property Brothers at Home: Honeymoon House.
Where did the idea for that show come from?
Drew: Linda and I have always loved L.A. When I was a teenager, I would come to L.A., and as a young actor, it was inspiring for me. Now, we have the opportunity to buy a house here. We found a beautiful place, built in 1921. It has given us an opportunity to show the process. It's a big project, but it's a lot of fun.
With Property Brothers overall, what do you all think makes you guys so popular?
Jonathan: Everyone lives somewhere. Whether you own or rent, everyone loves talking about real estate. And people are looking for an escape. Half the channels on TV right now are talking about political stories. People are tired, and they want something that is just enjoyable.
Drew: Plus, who can't get behind making fun of Jonathan for an hour on the show?
You guys have distinct styles, but as twins, do you ever switch clothes to try to prank your crews across so many different shows?
Drew: Oh, yeah. We're surprised we get any work done on set because we're always doing something goofy. We can shoot up to 17 episodes at a time, so Jonathan will be on Property Brothers while I'll be working on Buying & Selling, and I'll just go to the other set dressed in construction gear trying to look like Jonathan. He'll do the same back my way, so it's always fun.
I don’t suppose you’ll be trying that on your Dancing with the Stars run.
Drew: Yeah! If I get tired, I might try and pull one over on Emma. Jonathan can sub in for me and let me take a rest.
Drew, do you consider yourself a dancer? What made you want to go on the show?
Drew: Hell no, I'm the farthest thing from a dancer. I've never danced in my life. I'm sort of the sports junkie in the family, and I was challenged with this. The big reasons are that the fans wanted to see me do it, and I'm getting married next year. To learn to dance right before my first dance is pretty great.
Well, at least Jonathan will be able to catch a break.
Jonathan: This is why it's going to be more entertaining for me. I saw Drew's dancing at his prom, and that was not pretty.