'Hoarders' Returns: How to Watch and Stream the Season 16 Premiere

What a mess!

The hit A & E show Hoarders is back for its 16th season, and Parade has all the dirty details.

In addition to shocking new episodes of the reality show about people who can’t stop hoarding, separate Hoarders: Where Are They Now? shows will update fans on how recovering hoarders are doing.

One of the show’s psychologists, Dr. Robin Zasio, is thrilled that Hoarders has been in production an incredible 15 years and told Parade about the new season, “It’s very emotional. We do see some very extreme situations…the viewers are going to continue to see how serious this condition is and the level of impact it has on people.”

Dr. Robin Zasio helps hoarders sort through their belongings. <p>Courtesy A & E</p>
Dr. Robin Zasio helps hoarders sort through their belongings.

Courtesy A & E

“We’ve been here a very long time," she noted. "It’s just as exciting as when we first started. The show has provided an opportunity for individuals who would not otherwise have access to services and really giving them an opportunity to start thinking about their environment and what they can do to get it cleared up. We continue to travel the country and help those who are in need. Typically, they’re in a very severe crisis and they’re just very desperate.”

So what else can we expect in Hoarders’ new season? Read on to find out more!

What is Hoarders?

The show Hoarders follows people who have packed their homes with all kinds of items and trash. They need experts, friends and family members to help them clean up their living spaces and lives.

Courtesy A&E
Courtesy A&E

How to watch and stream Hoarders

You can watch Hoarders on A&E. It will also be available On Demand and to stream on the A&E app and aetv.com.

The show is also available on Philo, an entertainment streaming service that offers 60+ channels and a free trial. Also, fans can stream the A&E channel on Sling TV, where a free trial is an option.

How to watch Hoarders without cable?

You can watch the series on A&E but if you've cut the cable cord, you can still view the show on Philo or Sling TV.

What is the network history of Hoarders?

Hoarders began in 2009 on the A&E network, where it aired until 2013 with a total of six seasons. Then the Lifetime network did some “update” Hoarders shows in 2014 with all-new material, and aired a Season 7 called Hoarders: Family Secrets in 2015. The show moved back to A&E in 2016 for Season 8 and has been there ever since.

When does Hoarders Season 16 release?

The new season of Hoarders releases Monday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on A&E with new 2-hour episodes. New episodes of Hoarders: Where Are They Now? will directly follow those episodes at 10 p.m. ET.

Dr. Zasio said viewers will see that, “I get there and I’m just ready to roll up my sleeves and say, ‘What can I do to help this person?’ Hoarding is a mental health condition where people are struggling on so many different levels.”

Why has Hoarders had such enduring appeal?

“What has kept the show going is outlining the condition of hoarding disorder, what it is," Zasio, who has been on the show since season 2, told Parade in an exclusive interview. "We're helping the viewers to understand that this is not about somebody who doesn’t care about their environment, about their family, lazy people. We are really showcasing that there are things underlying the condition and that is why there is a therapist there.”

Dr.Zasio has appeared on most of the seasons of 'Hoarders.'<p>Courtesy A & E</p>
Dr.Zasio has appeared on most of the seasons of 'Hoarders.'

Courtesy A & E

The longtime Hoarders expert said, “I have so people that will say, as soon as the show comes on, ‘I just find that I want to clean. I don’t have hoarding disorder and I wouldn’t say I have a lot of stuff, but the show really motivates me to…stay on top of my stuff.’ There’s so many people out there that are watching for different reasons [and] I hope it’s for positive reasons….[to] have compassion, a feeling of connection in some way to those who are struggling.”

Is there a trailer for Hoarders Season 16?

A trailer for the new season gave a peek into the drama coming on Season 16 with a woman telling the cameras, “It looks like we’re hoarders, but I say we’re collectors,” amid a mountain of trash in a home. Another shot shows a disgusting old toilet and shower area covered in black muck.

But it's not all desperation, at the end, one man says, “I’m proud of myself. I didn’t think I could do it.”

What happens in the Hoarders premiere?

The Oct. 7  premiere show will follow Tim, a former car repair shop owner and military veteran. Tim’s wife DeeDee lives in a different town in their second home for her job as an occupational therapist. Gradually, Tim has turned their main home into a hoarding disaster and his marriage is in trouble. While Tim previously hoarded at his shop and storage units, now his 10-acre home site is littered with cars, motorcycles, car parts, tires, scrap metal and other junk. Tim has heard from local code enforcement about his hoarding and he faces fines if he doesn’t clean up the property.

Meanwhile, DeeDee has told Tim to get rid of the junk or she’s done with him. Hoarders’ experts zero in to see if Tim will agree to clean up and change his ways.

What will the first new episode of Hoarders: Where Are They Now look like?

Viewers will get an update on Nathan in Florida and Kathy in Montana. Nathan, who came out as gay, collected old toys, puppets, shiny rocks and glassware for years. The hoarding habit helped him mask the pain of not being accepted. Hoarders previously gave Nathan a big cleanup, and expert Standolyn Robertson returned to him eight years later. According to A&E, it is a happy ending as Nathan is in a clean and organized home. Fans will see Nathan talk about how he has been able to end his hoarding.

Previously on Hoarders, Kathy struggled to raise 14 children and teach dance after one of her sons died in a car crash. Her grief-fueled rages horrified her living children and she couldn’t stop hoarding. Although the show experts helped her clean up her home and dance studio at that time, organizer Dorothy Breininger returned nine years later to find that Kathy is back to hoarding again.

How were people chosen for Where Are They Now?

Dr. Zasio pointed out to Parade that after Hoarders has worked with someone, “There’s a ton of progress that’s made, but both psychologically and physically, there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

She said, “One of the key factors when we’re selecting individuals for the follow-up [Where Are They Now] stories is not just their availability but their willingness to share their journey.

“We’re looking for people who are willing to reflect on their experience, the good and the bad. What was helpful, what wasn’t helpful, how would they do things differently,” Zasio noted.

How have previous Hoarders participants best recovered?

Zasio cited “holding on to that motivation, being able to own that the only way that I’m going to dig out of this is for me to dig myself out of it, that I have to keep going and I have to use my resources, use the tools that I learned when the [Hoarders] crew was here to help me to understand those negative thinking patterns, to increase the curbing of the acquisition and to develop a new path.”

Also, she said, “Family support is extremely important.”

How many episodes are in Season 16 Hoarders?

Hoarders will air every Monday starting Oct. 7 through Dec. 2 for a total of 9 episodes. The followup Hoarders: Where Are they Now will air new episodes Monday, Oct. 7-Nov. 11 for a total of six episodes.

What channel is Hoarders Season 16 on?

Hoarders will air on A&E.

Who's in the Hoarders cast?

In addition to Dr. Robin Zasio, this season of Hoarders and Hoarders: Where Are They Now? features experts Dr. David Tolin, Dr. Dinorah Nieves, Dr. Suzanne Chabaud, Dorothy Breininger, Cory Chalmers,Carolina Harvey, Brandon Bronaugh and Standolyn Robertson.

Has Hoarders won any awards?

In 2011, it won a Critics Choice Television Award for best reality show. That same year, Hoarders was a nominee for a primetime Emmy award for outstanding reality program, but didn't win.

How to get on Hoarders

Currently, A&E is not accepting submissions for this show. But keep checking back to the official A&E website to fill in an application form.