Spike TV Orders 3 Reality Series focused on Rats, Tattoos and Bounty Hunters

In its attempt to go broader and riskier, Spike TV had picked up three new series that range in scope from bounty hunters to swamp rats.

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In addition to Full Bounty, Tattoo Nightmares and Rat Bastards, Spike has ordered 13 new episodes of the popular series, World’s Wildest Police Videos, which previously aired on FOX from 1998-2002, and announced plans to air a two-part special, Urban Jungle Man.         

“These three new non-scripted shows share a theme of larger-than-life characters in extreme situations where the high stakes are real,” said Spike TV’s evp original series Sharon Levy. “They are perfect complements to our upcoming launches of Big Easy Justice, American Digger andDiamond Divers, which have similar distinctive characters.”

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For its part, Full Bounty is a competition series featuring 12 aspiring bounty hunters who risk life and limb to chase down actual fugitives for their first time. Spike ordered 10 episodes of the series, which eliminates those who don’t catch the most fugitives. The ultimate winner will win a position witha prominent bail bond and fugitive recovery agency. The series is created by Zoo Productions’ Barry Poznick and John Stevens.

Tattoo Nightmares, which was granted 6 episodes, chronicles the horror stories behind people’s unfortunate tattoos and their attempts to fix them. The series, from Jersey Shore’s Sally Ann Salsano and 495 Productions, will include tattoos ranging from the hilarious to downright disturbing, with reenactments that will show how these people wound up with their ink. The show’s contestants will then go under the needle to remove or cover them.

Finally, Spike ordered six episodes of Rat Bastards, which centers on the adventures of a group of Louisiana men, dubbed the “Cajun Commandoes,” who hunt down a nasty invasive species of giant swamp rats wreaking havoc on the Mississippi wetlands.The series was co-created by Studio Lambert’s Eli Holzman and Stephen Lambert and American Chainsaw’s Royal Malloy, Duke Straub and Colt Straub, the team behind the upcoming Spike’s Diamond Divers.

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As for World’s Wildest Police Videos,new episodes which will give viewers access to never-before-seen police footage ranging from high-speed car chases that turn deadly to international hostage holdups. The series, hosted by retired Sheriff John Bunnell, is produced by Pilgrim Studios and Pursuit Productions. Pilgrim’s Craig Piligian and Scott Popjes, along with Pursuit’s Paul Stojanovich, Jr., Robert Ballantyne andJohn Bunnell will serve as EPs.  

The network’s two-part special, Urban Jungle Man, will follow extreme animal handler, John Brennan, who rescues, captures and relocates dangerous and exotic animals in New York City. The effort is produced by Asylum Entertainment.

Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com

Twitter: @LaceyVRose