US Cable Upfronts 2011: A&E Network

A&E is the fourth-ranked basic cable entertainment net in the US (25-54s) and it has eleven returning and ten new series for the 2010-2011 season. Highlights include a miniseries from Ridley Scott’s production company, a Storage Wars spin-off and Ice Road Truckers-meets Deadliest Catch series about competitive shipping, Ship Happens.

Storage Wars: Dallas is a new, regional version of the Storage Wars franchise following storage unit hunters in Dallas, Texas. It is produced by FremantleMedia’s Original Productions. From the same producer is Boar Hunters, which follows the Campbell family as they hunt feral hogs.

Ship Happens (WT), is effectively Ice Road Truckers on the ocean. It follows competitive shippers who ship odd-sized packages for big money. It is made by Megalomedia, the production company behind another A&E hit, Heavy.

InLaws, from Leftfield Pictures, focuses on couples who are finding their relations with their in-laws are at breaking point, before relationship experts are duly brought in.

Returning unscripted series include: Storage Wars; The First 48; Gene Simmons Family Jewels; Billy the Exterminator; Hoarders; Intervention; and Parking Wars.

From Ridley Scott’s Scott Free is 2x120mins series Coma, a modern reworking of the dark, medical thriller Robin Cook novela and Michael Crichton film.

Cop drama The Glades is renewed for another series and there are two scripted series in development.  Big Mike from Sony Pictures Television is about an obese San Diego detective. From Warner Horizon Television there is Longmire, based on the Craig Johnson The Walt Longmire Mystery Novels.

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