Dog The Bounty Hunter Returns To TV With CMT Reality Series

Dog The Bounty Hunter Returns To TV With CMT Reality Series

EXCLUSIVE: Dog The Bounty Hunter is back. CMT has greenlighted Dog (working title), a new unscripted series starring Duane “Dog” Chapman and his wife Beth Chapman. CMT has ordered 10 hourlong episodes of the project, from Ben Silverman’s Electus. Dog is set to begin production in early 2013 for a spring/summer premiere.

Dog showcases the next chapter in the lives of the Chapmans as they concentrate on helping other mom-and-pop bail bond agencies facing extinction due to bad legislation, untrained or ineffective bounty hunters, or just plain bad decisions. In what the producers describe as “action-packed, adrenaline-fueled adventure,” the duo will crisscross the U.S. training bounty hunters while looking for the most cunning, notorious and dangerous fugitive. CMT’s EVP Development and Programming Jayson Dinsmore called Dog “a game-changer for CMT,” adding, “We were aggressive in our pursuit of a show featuring Dog and Beth, one of the most bankable teams in television history.”

The duo were already game-changers for one basic cable network. Dog the Bounty Hunter, chronicling the Chapmans’ exploits chasing down fugitives, was a breakout hit for A&E when it launched in 2004 and helped establish the network as a place for docu-reality series. The show ended its run in June after eight seasons. “Dog and Beth are not only great television characters, they are the best bounty hunters in the world, and this show is a natural evolution of their life story,” Electus CEO Chris Grant said.

Dog was created by Duane and Beth Chapman through their production company Entertainment By Bonnie and Clyde. The duo executive produce with Electus’ Silverman, Grant and Jimmy Fox and CMT’s Dinsmore. The Chapmans’ production deal with Electus was brokered by Amy Weiss of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, who reps the duo.

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