Why Renovation Island Has A Different Name In Canada
There are many books, films, and television series that have had to change their titles for different markets for various reasons, but viewers in the United States might not know that the HGTV reality television series "Renovation Island" is actually among that list. That's right; along with name changes such as "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (via HuffPost) or "Moana" and "Vaiana" (via Novagraaf), "Renovation Island" also has a different name... in Canada.
As shown on the HGTV Canada website, "Renovation Island" has the title "Island of Bryan" across the border from the U.S. Per Showbiz Cheat Sheet, it happens to be one of multiple HGTV Canada shows that feature star Bryan Baeumler's name in its title. The explanation for this name change might not seem to make sense at first without understanding a little bit more about the series and its history, though.
Renovation Island is originally a Canadian series
Whether it's known as "Island of Bryan" or "Renovation Island" may be subject to a viewer's location, but Country Living has explained that the reason why the Canadian version is "Island of Bryan" is actually pretty simple: The show had that name first. As Bryan Baeumler shared to his Instagram account, the show "Island of Bryan" began airing in 2020 on the American version of HGTV. Per a YouTube video from HGTV Canada, it was already airing in Canada at the time and was on Season 2 by the time that it started airing in the United States.
What is less clear is why HGTV chose to change the show's title from its original one for the U.S. market, although it could be due in part to the fact that Baeumler is known by name in the Canadian market. According to a press release for "Island of Bryan" from Corus, he has appeared on HGTV Canada since 2007, making him an established presence on the channel.
Another show of Bryan Baeumler's had its name changed
According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, "Island of Bryan" isn't the only series starring Bryan Baeumler to have received a new name prior to airing on television in the United States. His show "Bryan Inc." was given the name "Renovation Inc." — likely to keep its title in line with that of "Renovation Island" — before it premiered on the American HGTV in August 2020.
The press release from Corus notes that two of Baeumler's other shows are "Leave It to Bryan" and "House of Bryan." These titles don't appear to lend themselves as easily to the "renovation"-themed name changes given to the other two series, so it isn't clear what they could be called if they end up becoming available to viewers located in the U.S. Per an HGTV press release published by The Futon Critic, the Season 3 premiere of "Renovation Island" received good ratings, so it might not be long before audiences find out.