CNBC has greenlit two new reality series to air in primetime
starting Tuesday, March 5, as well as an additional development slate of four
new unscripted projects.
The two series are Treasure Detectives, a one-hour
weekly show from Endemol USA about a fakes and forgeries detective and his team
of investigators who dig into the history of potentially counterfeit items
using high-tech science; and The Car Chasers, about two gamblers who
travel the country looking to buy and sell classic and exotic cars.
Treasure Detectives and The Car Chasers are
the first reality series to be added to CNBC's lineup sincethe network said last summer that it was looking to expand into new formats
in primetime.
The four projects in development (all working titles) are The
Next Big Big Thing, starring music exec Charlie Walk; Money Talks,
about the world of sports gambling; Liquidate Your Life, where people
sell off their possessions to start a new life; and The Big Fix, about a
fixer of failing businesses.
"The conflict between fear and greed and buy and sell
plays out on our air everyday so there is great opportunity to extend those
themes into primetime," said CNBC president and CEO Mark Hoffman in a
statement. "Reality is ever-expanding and with our unique content focused
on money, CNBC is well-positioned to influence the genre."
The programming expansion comes as CNBC
is posting year-over-year ratings declines, down 14% in total viewers and
down 15% in the key adults 25-54 demo in 2012, the network's lowest-rated year
since 2005.
