A&E NETWORK®
IS UNLEASHING DOG CHAPMAN!
NOW IN PRODUCTION, WILL PREMIERE ON
TUESDAY, AUGUST 31 AT 10PM/9 C
NEW ORLEANS, LA May 2,
2004 -- The wild-and-wooly life of
Duane “Dog” Chapman, the legendary bounty hunter who last year captured
fugitive Max Factor heir Andrew Luster, will be the focus of a new A&E
Network series now in production, DOG
THE BOUNTY HUNTER. The network has
commissioned twelve half-hour episodes, premiering Wednesday, August 31 at
10PM/9 C.
Bounty Hunter Duane
“Dog” Chapman and his wife and business partner Beth are rare finds in
unscripted television – they’re characters that truly capture the imagination
of the viewer … at the same time they are capturing real life criminals on the
run! DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER will feature the home and professional life
of Dog as he balances his bounty hunting caseload – he has caught 6,000 so far
-- alongside his volatile relationships
with Beth and his twelve children, some of whom work in the family business.
After serving time in
a Texas penitentiary Chapman vowed to redeem himself by operating on the right
side of the law. It is his own criminal
past that inspires Dog to help the fugitives he hunts down to go straight. At his core, Dog is the quintessential
all-American macho male who wants to help to make the world a better place in
the best way he knows how. Dog believes strongly in the American judicial
system, but he shows mercy to everyone he can. This sympathy for his prey
comes from having truly walked in their shoes. Now, DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER will let viewers walk in his.
Day after day, Dog
and Beth are on an emotional and physical roller-coaster, chasing down
fugitives and living their own peculiar brand of family life. The recurring characters are: Duane
"Dog" Chapman, 51 years old; Beth Smith, his 34 year old wife and
bondsman partner; Leland Chapman, Dog’s 27 year-old son, who works for him as a
bondsman and bounty hunter; Tim Chapman (no relation), another bondsman/bounty
hunter who is a lifelong friend; Justin Bihag, Dog’s 21 year old nephew, now a
bounty hunter in training; office manager Wesley Yoon; and Dog and Beth’s
children Cecily (11), Bonnie Jo (5), Garry, known as “Local Boy”(3yrs).
DOG CHAPMAN BOUNTY HUNTER
is produced by Hybrid Films for A&E. Nancy Dubuc and Robert Sharenow serve
as the A&E executive producers and Daniel Elias and David Houts are the
executive producers for Hybrid Films.
Now reaching more
than 88 million homes, A&E Network
brings viewers the Art of EntertainmentTM through
a unique combination of three genres – The
Art of Biography, The Art of Documentary, and The Art of Drama. A brand synonymous with excellence in
television, A&E Network offers a
diverse mix of programming ranging from critically acclaimed original series
and movies, to innovative documentaries, to the Emmy Award-winning Biography® series, to dramatic specials, feature film
presentations, and contemporary performances. Over the past five years, A&E Network holds the distinct
record for the most Primetime Emmy nominations (73) for a basic cable
network.
The 2004 primetime
line-up includes several new series, featuring the premieres of: Airline,
a behind-the-scenes look at the drama and the hilarity of commercial air travel
with Southwest Airlines; Family Plots, a groundbreaking new reality show that
takes a look at the personal and professional lives of the family members who
run the Poway Bernardo Mortuary; and Growing Up Gotti,
chronicling the life of Victoria Gotti, famous daughter of John Gotti,
successful magazine editor, and mother of three. The 2004 schedule
also includes a host of topical and timely documentary specials, including Boomer
Nation, In Harm’s Way, and a quarterly series titled Behind
the Blockbusters, bringing
viewers the true stories behind the topics of Hollywood’s biggest
releases. Great drama also remains the
heart of the A&E Network brand
with upcoming original movies such as See Arnold Run, Hillary’s Choice, and Ike:
Countdown to D-Day.
The
A&E Network website is located
at www.aetv.com and the Biography® website
is located at www.Biography.com. The Biography Club is located at www.BiographyClub.com.
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