Quibi, the mobile-first video service that’ll feature episodes of 10 minutes or less, announced this month the absolutely massive slate of originals coming to the service when it officially rolls out in April. But at the time of that announcement, one show stood out among the others, and folks, I believe that our suspicions about it then have been confirmed: Murder House Flip is the perfect TV show.
Quibi’s deranged spin on a traditional home improvement series is exactly what it sounds like. Hosted by Mikel Welch and Joelle Uzyel, the series centres on renovations for what the series describes as “the country’s most infamous homes: the ones known for mysterious murders committed behind their walls.” The show comes to us from executive producers Josh Berman (CSI, Bones), Chris King (Penny Dreadful), and Katherine Ramsland and Star Price (Active Shooter, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). The home renovations will—and I quote—attempt to “remove the stains of the past and take these homes from morbid to marvellous.” Lord.
In a trailer for the series, inhabitants of said murder homes share with the hosts the exact locations of the heinous crimes committed within the house’s walls, many flippantly so, with one man noting that in order to afford a home near the beach, “We had to buy a house where a guy chopped his wife up.” Another comments that there’s a “distinct possibility” renovators will find human remains during the home improvement undertaking. How charming!
This show on this service is the perfect encapsulation of the entertainment offerings of streaming: somewhat novel, bizarre, highly suited to binge-watching, and bordering on grotesque. A mash-up of home improvement with a series that caters to our own dark fascination with death? Honestly, it looks like great TV.
Murder House will be available to stream on the service when it launches in the U.S. on April 6. Quibi will cost $US5 ($8) a month with ads and $US8 ($13) per month without ads, but there’s still some time to snag a limited 90-day trial ahead of its launch.
Editor’s Note: Quibi does not currently have a confirmed Australian release date.