Robert Hartwell has performed on Broadway in musicals such as Memphis, Hello Dolly! and Motown but his most dramatic job to date is that of a homeowner. In 2020, he bought a dilapidated historic house and spent nine months renovating it for Max’s new Discovery+ show. Opening new paths. The show is a mix of story and design with Robert acting as narrator and host, and the show is brought to life by his vibrant personality.
Breaking new groundSTREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening shot: A montage of scenes shows Broadway performer Robert Hartwell walking down a New York City street, dancing in rehearsal, and laughing among friends and family. Hartwell narrates and explains that he is an artist, entertainer and businessman; a “gay black man in America, and this is my White House,” and shows us an old, rustic-looking house that he has set out to renovate from top to bottom.
The essence: Robert Hartwell is a man who encompasses all facets of who he is, including being an artist, a businessman, and an African American. After purchasing a beautiful but run-down house in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (June 16, he notes), he set out to chronicle his renovations over a nine-month period to create a multigenerational family property. The day he bought the house, he posted about it on instagram and Facebook, and between those two platforms, it earned more than 1 million likes.
After the post went viral, Robert began chronicling his journey in the house, starting from closing day. The show focuses on both the renovation and the decorating, and features interviews with everyone from contractors to interior designers to Robert’s parents and friends as a way to create a bigger picture of what this venture is all about. Because on one hand, it’s the story of a historic home, and on the other, it’s the story of Robert, whose own journeys (to Broadway stardom, to homeownership) have been grand adventures filled with obstacles — but Robert isn’t the kind of guy to take no for an answer when it comes to accomplishing something he dreams of.
The first episode features the renovation of the house’s living room, but during filming (during Covid), Robert’s aunt Paulette passed away from the virus, so he dedicated the room to her. Touches like that give the show a more personal element and some emotional weight (as does Robert’s quest to identify and name the servants who once lived in the house). The show is Robert’s journey, but he does not travel alone.
What shows will it remind you of? The renewal aspect of Opening new paths is essentially a variation of this old house; each episode details the restoration and history behind specific rooms, and the show focuses on just one house during the season. But because Hartwell pes so deep into the house’s past, there’s also a bit of Houses with history there too, with an emphasis on learning about the house’s previous occupants, while restoring and preserving any original features that existed in the house.
Our opinion: Hartwell’s enthusiasm for her new home, and her desire to honor the legacy of both the house and the people — but especially the servants who once lived there — is exuberant and infectious. She’s a vibrant human being, and she wants her home to reflect that, so this is a renovation that’s not just about uncovering original floorboards and newspapers hidden in the walls, but about taking this grand, historic thing and putting her own modern stamp on it, too.
By focusing on one room at a time, each episode ends with a satisfying reveal. It’s obvious that the house is being renovated pretty much all at once, but for TV purposes, we get to see the finished rooms one by one, so there’s a certain sense of completion to each episode. This means we also get to see the unexpected problems and budget-busting surprises that often arise on shows like this, but in Robert’s case, burst pipes and a broken floor result in big increases to his budget and a bit of wear and tear. emotional.
While at its core this is a show about the transformation of a home (it is, after all, co-produced by the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott), it also represents the symbolic transformation of a culture: Hartwell is a black, gay man who is now the owner of a house that housed black servants. As the owner of this house, he sees himself as a guardian of its history, and he is reclaiming this home for them as much as for himself.
Parting Shot: After showing the finished room to his mother and stepmother, Robert hugs them and explains that all the effort and budget overruns were worth it just to see their reaction to the room. He adds: “I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Performance worth watching: Hartwell is the clear star here, she has an effervescent personality, but you can also see where she gets it from when her mother is interviewed for the show.
Memorable dialogue: “Guys, I had no idea that buying the house would be the easiest part,” Robert says at the beginning of the show, anticipating the many obstacles he would eventually have to face during his renovation.
Our calling: STREAM IT! Breaking new ground is more than just a showcase of home design and renovation, it’s also essentially a multi-part human interest story. Hartwell is also the ideal narrator for this type of show, his willingness to learn, share and be himself is infectious and fun, and even when the show, which was filmed during Covid and amid national protests against police brutality, gives serious turns, he still manages to maintain his positive and life-affirming message.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won the game show. Chain reaction.