Vern Yip

After five seasons, the formula for HGTV's 'Design Star' could get a little stale. Could being the operative word -- thank goodness it didn't!

On tonight's Season 6 premiere (9PM ET on HGTV), you'll notice a few show shake-ups -- including a move to Monday nights -- before meeting a new crop of 12 ultra-talented and very diverse designers, including a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader/breast cancer survivor and a five-time Emmy-winning New York TV news reporter.

The judging panel will look the same -- HGTV mainstays Genevieve Gorder, Candice Olson and Vern Yip are back -- but 'Design Star' has a brand new host and a weekly design mentor who happens to have a very familiar face. Tanika Ray ('HGTV'd') takes over hosting duties, while David Bromstad, the very first 'Design Star' winner, returns to mentor the current crop of contestants.

Below, judges Gorder, Olson and Yip share five more things to know about the new season.

Vern Yip = Simon Cowell?

Not quite, but if the 'Design Star' judge has seemed exacting this season, it's because he's just as serious about finding the next 'HGTV Design Star' as Cowell was about finding 'American Idols.'

This season of 'Design Star' has felt more intense and dramatic than ever, which Yip said is all thanks to new producer Mark Burnett ('Survivor') and the show's move to New York.

Yip spoke to TV Squad this week about Sunday's episode, featuring Donald Trump, Jr., and previewed the rest of the season. And don't forget, you can vote for your favorite designer at HGTV.com!

Repeat after me, "I want my Food Network, I want my HGTV!" That's what the disgruntled Cablevision subscribers might be shouting soon if Scripps Networks and Cablevision don't reach a deal on fees.

As of 12:01 on New Year's Day, three million TV subscribers in suburban New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were shocked that Food Network and DIY and HGTV and all the Scripps networks were off Cablevision.

I don't know how the corporate folks feel about this kind of negotiation, but as a TV viewer I think it sucks. I used to live in that market and if I was expecting to watch Food Network, I would expect to see it.

Designer and architect Vern Yip is back for a third season of HGTV's Deserving Design. The series will continue to focus on people with touching stories who are in need of some renovation assistance. Stories of this season include a couple who has taken in over sixty foster children (they get a much-needed new family room), a young woman diagnose with advanced breast cancer who needs some design assistance with her condo, and an eco-conscious couple who are in need of Vern's expertise.

I'm excited this show is back for a third season. I loved Vern Yip's designs when he was on Trading Spaces. He always did affordable, modern, and clean-looking updates to the participants' homes. Plus this show isn't as flashy as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. And there's no Ty Pennington screaming at you.

The new season starts tonight at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV. Will you be tuning in?