History Channel to Reboot 'Ax Men' as 'Ax Men Reborn'

History Channel is rebooting “Ax Men,” with the working title “Ax Men Reborn.”

“Ax Men Reborn” is part of four new series pickups from the network, which includes “Brothers in Arms,” “Knight Fight,” “Yamashita’s Gold,” and “American Butcher.” The network also renewed “The Curse of Oak Island,” “The Curse of Civil War Gold,” “Truck Night in America,” “Alone,” “Swamp People,” and “Mountain Men.”

The original “Ax Men” ran for 9 seasons and 153 episodes 2008 to 2016.

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Here’s the official logline: The logging families of the Pacific Northwest have been torn apart since “Ax Men.” Untimely deaths and a changing economic landscape have threatened family businesses. For this new generation of loggers, now is the time to start wielding the ax as the timber industry is on the upswing again and the old guard is looking for redemption.

“Ax Men Reborn” is produced for History by Original Productions. Jeff Hasler, Brian Lovett and Brian Mandle are executive producers for Original Productions, a Fremantle company. Zachary Behr, Mike Stiller and Dolores Gavin are the executive producers for History Channel.

You can find details for all the new shows below, per the network:

“Brothers in Arms” – 5 X 60 min. – Premieres Tuesday, November 20 at 10 PM ET/PT
With almost 20 years of military and law enforcement experience between them, Rocco Vargas and Eli Cuevas are about to combine their talents and embark on a new adventure. Vargas and Cuevas are the new owners of Banditos Armory in the historic town of Ogden, Utah. Their goal is simple, to take their expertise and passion and become the best one-stop shop for all things military. From fixing and testing a Cold War Russian tank, one of only a few in America, to solving the mystery of an unidentified Japanese World War 2 contraption that Allied troops had never seen before – and didn’t know how to fire. There’s little that the team at Banditos won’t do to investigate, restore, build, and test the most innovative, iconic machines in military history. No challenge or question is too big for Vargas and Cuevas, whether they’re working with military historians and veterans, opening their door to inquiries from avid customers, or even seeking answers to burning questions of their own.

“Brothers in Arms” is produced by Blackfin. Geno McDermott and Mike Colón are the executive producers for Blackfin. Dolores Gavin and Mike Stiller are the executive producers for HISTORY.

“Knight Fight” – 8 X 60 min. – Premieres Wednesday, November 28 at 10 PM ET/PT
Live by the sword, die by the sword: knights were some of history’s most brutal warriors. With armor of steel and a will of iron, they took part in some of the bloodiest battles ever fought. These warriors were so dedicated that between bloody battles, they would challenge one another to extreme trials of combat. Today, the blood sport lives on in the form of the full-contact Armored Combat League — often referred to as “Medieval MMA” or “Knight Fight Club”. Rooted in historical traditions, these modern-day warriors battle in over eighty pounds of plated armor with real steel weapons. Now, for the first time, these modern knights are set to wage war in this eight-episode series. Each episode will feature six fighters who will customize era-specific armor and weaponry and engage in a series of full-contact battles to see who has the skill and the strength to win the ultimate Knight Fight.

“Knight Fight” is produced by Matador Content for HISTORY. Executive Producers for Matador Content are Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin with Vincent Cariati serving as Showrunner and Executive Producer. Jim Pasquarella and Mary E. Donahue are the executive producers for HISTORY.

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“Yamashita’s Gold” (working title) – 8 X 60 min.
In the closing months of WWII, legend has it that Japanese soldiers – led by General Yamashita, along with Allied POWs – constructed secret tunnels underground in dozens of locations and buried treasure worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Yamashita had the entrances blown up, trapping the soldiers inside to keep his secret. It’s a grand mystery that involves a secret cadre of princes called the Golden Lily, booby-trapped tunnels marked by ancient Japanese symbols, and real-life characters like Douglas MacArthur, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and FDR. One Filipino farmer witnessed the operation and for the first time, he has entrusted his secrets to a group of dedicated investigators and engineers who are using the latest technology to search for the treasure – and the truth.

“Yamashita’s Gold” (working title) is produced by Ample. Ari Mark, Phil Lott and Ed Gorsuch are executive producers for Ample. Mike Stiller and Mary E. Donahue serve as the executive producers for HISTORY.

“American Butcher” (working title) – 6 X 60 min.
Throughout history, the skilled craft of the butcher has been a lynchpin to survival. In early civilizations when foodborne diseases were claiming lives, it was the butcher with their sharp tools and sharper skills who kept death at bay – eventually becoming a fixture in every town across America. Today, there are thousands of people who cut meat but only a select few with the skills and expertise to be considered a “Master Butcher.” Now, for the first time comes an extreme competition series where the best-in-class butchers battle each other in a showdown designed to put their skills, strategy and technique to the ultimate test. With knives drawn and machines at the ready, these Master Butchers will carve their way through painstaking challenges, use their expert knowledge to adapt to every historical twist, and reveal the fascinating secrets of the butcher’s world.

“American Butcher” (working title) is produced for HISTORY by Railsplitter Pictures. Matt Ginsburg and Tim Healy are executive producers for Railsplitter Pictures. Jim Pasquarella, Dolores Gavin and Mary E. Donahue are the executive producers for HISTORY.

23 TV Reboots That Should Have Been Booted, From 'Dynasty' to 'Charmed' (Photos)

From "Dynasty" to "Charmed," TheWrap is taking a look at reboots of classic TV shows that should've gotten the boot from the start.
"Dragnet" (2003-04)

Jack Webb and Ben Alexander starred in the original 1950's police procedural that became a major hit. Unfortunately, the Ed O'Neill and Ethan Embry reboot in 2003 failed to find similar success. It was cancelled after two seasons.
"Kojak" (2005)

Another police procedural bound to be rebooted, Telly Savalas starred as the chrome-domed detective in the 1970's series. Ving Rhames took the reins in 2005, but only made it to nine episodes.
"The IT Crowd" (2007)

This hilarious British series that helped launch Chris O'Dowd's career ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2010. It's American counterpart -- not so much. The across-the-pond adaptation with Joel McHale was ordered to pilot but failed to get picked up at NBC in 2007 and 2008.
"The Bionic Woman" (2007)

A 2007 take on the 1976 "Six Million Dollar Man" spinoff, this NBC show's original sin was casting "Battlestar Galactica" ass-kicker Katee Sackhoff as the recurring villain rather than the lead.
"Knight Rider" (2008-09)

Like so much '80s television, the original "Knight Rider" is over-celebrated. But NBC's 2008 version lacked even the original's dumb charms — and David Hasselhoff.
"Melrose Place" (2009-10)

The 1990s classic nighttime soap got a CW makeover in 2009, but the brand wasn't enough to keep an audience interested, especially on a network that was doing rich young people drama better on shows like "Gossip Girl" and even "90210."
"Charlie's Angels" (2011)

"Charlie's Angels" perfectly captured the goofiness of the '70s, but it felt painfully out of date in 2011. Critics and audiences agreed: It was canceled after three episodes and was easily as disappointing as the 2019 film.
"Prime Suspect" (2011-12)

Helen Mirren broke out big time as a rare female detective fighting crime and the sexism of her fellow cops in a hit series first introduced in 1991. But NBC's 2011 version, starring Maria Bello, struggled to find its voice and lasted just 13 episodes.
"Mockingbird Lane" (2012)

Bryan Fuller tried to put his stamp on a reboot of the 1960s series, "The Munsters," and it's still a bit of a cult classic among his fervent fans, but NBC never ordered the show to series. At least we will always have the pilot, which aired in 2012, which is more than you can say for most pilots that don't get picked up to series.
"Ironside" (2013)

Blair Underwood has done some memorable TV work, starting with his career-making role on "L.A. Law." But his 2013 take on the 1960s and 70s Raymond Burr crime drama was yanked from NBC's air even faster than you can say "LAX" or "The Event."
"Gracepoint" (2014)

"Broadchurch" captivated U.K. audiences from 2013-2017 with its tense murder mystery format, but when the U.S. tried to replicate its magic - with original star David Tennant in tow - it just never quite managed. Needless to say, "Broadchurch" is producing a third season, and "Gracepoint" was canceled after just one in 2014.
"The Odd Couple" (2015-17)

Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon were no Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, or Tony Randall and Jack Klugman for that matter. The reboot of the 1970s series began in 2015 and lasted three seasons, but the canned, laugh track sitcom felt very old fashioned and led to some miserable ratings. Matthew Perry even tweeted out one month ahead of schedule that the show was cancelled when he saw his face painted over on his stage door.
CBS
"The Returned" (2015)

SundanceTV had an international hit on its hands with the 2004 French-language moody zombie thriller. A 2012 English adaptation was of course inevitable, but Damon Lindelof's A&E remake never quite found its audience, despite gaining the support of critics, and was canceled in 2015. Luckily, the original French series is still ongoing.
"Heroes Reborn" (2015-16)

Beyond "Chuck" star Zachary Levi, NBC's bland "event series" reboot of 2006's "Heroes" brought nothing new or interesting to the table and was canceled in 2016.
"The Muppets" (2015-16)

ABC's reboot of the 1970s series "The Muppet Show" was one of the most highly anticipated new shows of the 2015-16 TV season, but the inside look at the adult lives of Kermit and company failed to resonate with fans.
"MacGyver" (2016-21)

Like the hero that shares the show's name, the 2016 reboot of "MacGyver," with Lucas Till in the 1985 Richard Dean Anderson role, cobbled together a bunch of unusual parts to make yet another procedural that's somehow still kicking, despite constant lampooning from "The Simpsons" and "SNL's" "MacGruber" sketches. The show managed to last five seasons.
CBS
"24: Legacy" (2017)

Corey Hawkins starred in this Kiefer Sutherland-less "24" reboot that maintained the show's real-time structure and some of the original 2000s show's flaws, but also managed to be canceled in real-time. "24: Legacy" had a big debut following the Super Bowl in 2017 but dropped off sharply afterward and was done after just one season. At the time of the cancellation Fox was still considering continuing the "24" franchise.
Fox
"Dynasty" (2017 - )

The CW rebooted the classic '80s primetime soap in 2017, but despite the buzz for Peruvian-born Nathalie Kelley as Cristal, the show drew critical pans and weak ratings -- that were still lucrative enough to earn the series a fourth season premiering in 2021.
"Mad About You" (2018)

In 2018, Spectrum lured Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser to return for another season of their Emmy-winning '90s sitcom about an urban married couple. But the spark was mostly gone.

Spectrum
"Magnum P.I." (2018 - )

This 2018 CBS reboot fell short of its potential to remake the 1980s classic series for a few reasons -- one being that Tom Selleck was not involved (nor was his mustache). Though set in picturesque Hawaii, critics were quick to tire of the new Magnum (Jay Hernandez)'s voiceover, calling the reboot average at best, and lacking in panache.
"Charmed" (2018 -)

Despite the name, this 2018 CW reboot was cursed from the start. Side-stepping the original 1998 witches -- Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs, and later Rose McGowan -- in favor of newer, younger ones didn't sit well with fans, or with the original ladies themselves. Milano told US Weekly she felt the reboot was "disrespectful" for not including her and her fellow OG cast members. And though it was touted as a "feminist" reboot, Combs tweeted, "I will never understand what is fierce, funny, or feminist in creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do a job they did 12 years ago."
"The Twilight Zone" (2019-20)

No reboot of this classic sci-fi series has ever managed to live up to Rod Serling's groundbreaking original series, which ran from 1959 to 1964. The first revival, which debuted in 1984, fell flat of its expectations -- something it has in common with Jordan Peele's 2019 reboot. Though Peele is credited as a creator and serves as the host, he did not write or direct any episodes, which critics complained were too on-the-nose, melodramatic, and, well, a lot meaner things than that. The show lasted two seasons.
"Party of Five" (2020)

The original '90s Fox series, about siblings forced to look after themselves after their parents were killed in a car accident, ran for six seasons -- and made stars of Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell and Lacey Chabert. But the Latino-cast 2020 reboot lasted just 10 episodes.
Fox