AMC loves Chris Hardwick. The cable network, who now shares its Talking Dead host with Comedy Central, has ordered a TV version of his web series All-Star Celebrity Bowling.
The eight-episode order, hosted by Randy and Jason Sklar, will feature different casts of celebrities facing off on the lanes for charity each week. And the High Noon Productions series is just one of three new reality shows getting series orders at AMC as the network continues to grow its unscripted roster.
Celebrity Bowling‘s pilot episode features some network promotion with Jon Hamm and the cast of Mad Men facing off against Hardwick’s Nerdist team.
Other new series are an untitled wrestling project from Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. It will follow Corgan in his new job as creative director of Chicago-based wrestling league Resistance Pro — and comes from Small Town Security producers Left/Right. An hourlong format, its first season is for an eight-episode order.
Lastly, there’s Visionaries (working title), a workplace docuseries about the employees of Hollywood prop and set design outfit Vision Scenery. The half-hour is getting six episodes.
“These three new series represent AMC’s continuing push to find truly original ideas and explore fascinating worlds,” said AMC senior vp unscripted programming Eliot Goldberg. “We are thrilled to continue our incredible partnership with Chris Hardwick, host of our most successful unscripted series, Talking Dead, and with Left/Right, one of the most innovative producers in the business. We can’t wait to bring these three extremely entertaining series to viewers next year.”
