Discovery Channel is bringing back one of its most-recognizable franchises, Monster Garage. The new incarnation, MG: Motor City, will be set in Detroit, which has been hit particularly hard by the current economic crisis. General Motors, one of the original Detroit automakers, Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The original Monster Garage ran on Discovery from 2002-2006, and featured host Jesse James and a team of designers overhauling automobiles into weird and wacky machines.
Thom Beers’ Original Productions, which produced the original series, will also produce MG: Motor City.
“It’s a terrific opportunity for our series to hire local workers and showcase the talented people of Detroit who have made the Motor City a nationwide automotive legend,” said Thom Beers, CEO & Executive Producer of Original Productions.
Still unclear is who will host the revamped Monster Garage. Discovery says it is finalizing a deal with talent, which it would only identify as a pair of “top-notch bike designers and builders, known around the world as innovators and artists.” Current or former talent from American Chopper would seem to be a logical fit as Discovery used to televise the docu-series, which now airs on sister network TLC.
The debut episode of MG: Motor City will feature the team taking a Ford Model T and transforming it into a dragster.
“Showcasing creativity, determination and ingenuity under pressure is what Discovery does best – and this series is no exception,” said John Ford, Discovery Channel President and General Manager. “Taking the show to the birthplace of the automotive industry makes perfect sense and we can’t wait to see what amazing dream machines the team constructs.”
