HGTV likes its crowded house: Scripps decorating network boasted record ratings in October.(Programming)

The glut of home redecorating shows on cable is driving some viewers right back home--to Home & Garden Television, that is. The Scripps Networks channel was flush with record ratings in October, and seven of its series are attracting more than 1 million viewers per episode.

Of course, none of HGTV's shows reaches the level of popularity of TLC's Trading Spaces. But HGTV'S success "isn't based on one or two huge hits. It is based on strength night after night," said network President Burton Jablin.

HGTV's shows embrace a range of lifestyle trends, from Date With Design, a dating show where a young woman picks a guy and redecorates his pad, to home exterior …