Man-centric cable network Spike TV has renewed "Rep Games" and announced four new series aimed at young men, covering such subjects as evictions, digging for artifacts, bounty hunting in New Orleans, and police stings.
The network ordered a 20-episode second season of "Repo Games," the successful game show from "Jersey Shore" creator SallyAnn Salsano in which down-on-their-luck contestants try to win back their cars by answering trivia questions. The new season will debut next year.
The new shows include “American Digger,” “Big Easy Justice,” “World’s Worst Tenants,” and “Undercover Stings.” All will premiere next year and will be overseen by Sharon Levy, Spike's executive vice president of original series, and Tim Duffy, its senior vice president of original series.
"They're all starring very charismatic men who work and thrive in high risk, high reward kind of situations," Levy told TheWrap.
Here's are Spike TV's summaries of the shows, and details on the orders:
AMERICAN DIGGER
There is treasure buried in the backyards of everyday Americans but they just don’t know it… until now. “American Digger” follows former professional wrestler turned modern day relic hunter Ric Savage, as he and his team from American Savage target areas such as battlefields and historic sites in the hopes of striking it rich and capitalizing on unearthing and selling bits of American history. The only thing standing in their way are the homeowners themselves, who Savage must convince to allow them to dig up their property using high-tech ground penetrating equipment and one very large bulldozer. What artifacts they find, they sell for a substantial profit, but not before negotiating a deal to divide the revenue with the property owners. The team from American Savage is comprised of Ric’s wife Rita, a New Jersey native, their 25-year old son Giuseppe who is the “muscle” of the operation and two artifact recovery experts, Rue Schumate and Bob Buttafuso. Spike TV has ordered 13 half-hour episodes of this new show created and produced by Gurney Productions (“Auction Hunters”).
BIG EASY JUSTICE
Centered in the fascinating and gritty underworld of post-Katrina New Orleans, “Big Easy Justice” follows legendary bounty hunter, Tat-2, and his Elite Fugitive Recovery Team, as they hunt down some of the city’s most elusive criminals. With the support of local law enforcement, deep knowledge of the streets and an iron fist, Tat-2, a New Orleans native, has a single mission: keep his city safe by keeping the bad guys off the streets. Hardened by years of working such a dangerous job, Tat-2 shows no fear on the job and will utilize any means necessary, within the boundaries of the law, to apprehend his prey. Spike has ordered 10 half-hour episodes of the series, produced by Al Roker Entertainment in association with CRM Entertainment, with Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions, and Bodega Pictures. The series will premiere in 2012.
WORLD'S WORST TENANTS
For anyone with a nightmare neighbor, professional evictor and notorious tough guy Todd Howard is their savior. In “World’s Worst Tenants,” Howard confronts the most despicable, dirty, outrageous, dangerous and insane tenants imaginable and forcibly removes them. He and his eviction team consisting of his wife, Randye, and his business partner, Rick, are hired to keep tabs on over 150 residential, commercial and retail units. Howard, who works in tandem with local law enforcement, is a former U.S. Marine who can back up his tough talk, if need be. When Howard and his team knock on the door, they never know what to expect and what kind of story will play out on the other side. If a situation gets violent, Howard is willing and able to take charge and gain control of the situation, even if it means using his legally concealed weapon. Spike has ordered 10 half-hour episodes of “World’s Worst Tenants,” produced by Barry Poznick and John Stevens of Zoo Productions (“Southern Fried Stings”).
UNDERCOVER STINGS
From the producers of one of television’s landmark series, “Cops,” comes “Undercover Stings,” where viewers are taken inside the high-stakes world of orchestrated busts and undercover police sting operations, some of the most powerful and effective tools in the law-enforcement arsenal. From the initial planning and set-up, to the dramatic tactical process and the final execution of the takedown, “Undercover Stings” rides along with several of the top police departments in the business as they ply their trade and bust the crooks. Whether it’s drug sales and prostitution, or all the way up the criminal ladder to fraud, corruption, and murder-for-hire – viewers get unprecedented access with the larger-than-life cops from around the country who specialize in high-pressure sting ops. Spike TV has ordered 10 half-hour episodes of “Undercover Stings,” with John Langley and Morgan Langley serving as executive producers.
