Hulu premieres investigative series Cult Justice, about the efforts of survivors and prosecutors to bring cult leaders to justice, on March 28th. There are eight episodes and the show comes from the Dan Abrams network Law&Crime, Tegna and Cineflix Rights.

In November 2021, Law&Crime, Tegna and Cineflix Rights partnered up in an agreement to produce up to 250 true-crime and investigative originals. 

Cineflix is the distributor for Cult Justice. 

The cults that will be examined include those involving Tiffanie Irwin, Jeffrey Lundgren and General Deborah Green. 

“Alongside the heart-wrenching stories of individual survival and escape, each episode also features candid interviews with the detectives who brought them to justice and the evidence uncovered along the way,” according to Law&Crime. 

Senior executive producers on Cult Justice are Dan Abrams, Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz, Law&Crime President Rachel Stockman, Tegna VP of Entertainment Programming Brian Weiss and Cineflix’s VP of Acquisitions - North America, Felicia Litovitz. 

Abrams is chief legal correspondent at ABC News and hosts Dan Abrams Live on NewsNation. 

Cult shows are a hot TV trend. Others include Hulu’s Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence, Prime Video’s Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe and Netflix’s Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. 

Law&Crime shows include Justice Rules and Cops Reloaded.

Dan Abrams has signed a multiyear deal with NewsNation, which will see him continue to host primetime program Dan Abrams Live. The show is on weeknights at 9 p.m. ET. 

It hits its second anniversary on NewsNation September 27. 

Dan Abrams Live offers interviews with lawmakers and experts in law enforcement.

NewsNation did not share terms of the contract.  

“Dan is a veteran and master journalist whose passion for media and law and crime has made him one of the most unrivaled in the industry,” Sean Compton, president, networks at NewsNation parent Nexstar Media Group, said. “We are pleased that he will remain at NewsNation as we continue to build a premier cable news network with a distinct mission of fair and unbiased news reporting.”

Abrams is the founder and CEO of Abrams Media, which includes Mediaite.com, the Law&Crime Network and WhiskeyRaiders.com. He is also chief legal affairs analyst for ABC News, host of SiriusXM Radio’s The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets the Law, and host and executive producer of On Patrol: Live on Reelz and Court Cam and Taking the Stand on A&E. 

"Continuing my show with NewsNation is particularly exciting because over the last two years this has been one of those rare professional experiences where everything has been as promised,” Abrams said. “Every story we cover, every angle I take, comes from my team and me and that makes it fun, challenging and fulfilling. Dan Abrams Live will continue to build on our resonating mission with politically sensible takes on the stories of the day.”

Prior to NewsNation, Abrams was a reporter and chief legal correspondent for NBC News, and host of MSNBC’s The Abrams Report and A&E’s Live PD.

Reelz’s much publicized Friday night launch for its On Patrol: Live series was delayed for more than one hour due to technical issues, according to network officials.

The three-hour series, a reboot of A&E’s canceled series Live P.D., was supposed to debut at 9 pm (ET), but viewers who tuned in instead saw re-runs of another law enforcement-themed series, Jail: Las Vegas, as well as commercials promoting the network's upcoming programming.

On Patrol: Live was back on the air around 10:15 pm (ET), according to the network.

“On premiere night of On Patrol: Live, Reelz experienced a technical difficulty that delayed airing of the show at its scheduled time," the network said in a statement. "We are back up and running and will be airing tonight’s show in its entirety, from the beginning and commercial free. We apologize for the delay and hope everyone enjoys the debut of On Patrol: Live”!

Series executive producer and co-host Dan Abrams also confirmed in a Friday night tweet that the show would be shown commercial free in its entirety. “OK, so bad news we had nothing on air for 75 minutes or so … the good news is I’m told the show will be played in it entirety and commercial free!,” Abrams said in the tweet.

Also: Dan Abrams: The Time is Right for 'On Patrol: Live'

The three-hour live show, which follows several police departments from across the country on patrol in real time, airs on Reelz Fridays and Saturday nights. The series is co-hosted by Abrams, former Tulsa Police Department Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson.

Also: Stan Hubbard: Reelz's 'On Patrol: Live' Won't Be a 'Woke' 'Live PD'

The live exploits of police officers from around the country return to television Friday (July 22) as Reelz launches On Patrol: Live, a series from the producers of the former A&E series Live PD.

As with Live PD, which was canceled by A&E in 2020 in the wake of protests against police brutality stemming from the death of George Floyd, ABC News chief legal affairs correspondent Dan Abrams will serve as executive producer and host of Reelz’s three-hour On Patrol: Live show. He‘ll be alongside former Tulsa Police Department Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson. The series will follow the efforts of police officers on patrol across the country in real time. 

Reelz’s launch of On Patrol: Live adds to its lineup of controversial, police-themed shows such as Cops and Cops Reloaded.

Abrams, who is also founder of the Law&Crime Network and host of Dan Abrams Live on NewsNation, recently spoke to Multichannel News about his expectations for On Patrol: Live, his disappointment with A&E’s cancellation of Live PD and the current environment for unscripted, police-themed television programming. Here’s an edited version of the discussion. 

MCN: Do you think the political and social environment in the country surrounding law enforcement that helped lead to Live PD’s cancellation two years ago has changed heading into On Patrol’s launch? 

Dan Abrams: Yes, I do think the environment has changed. My perspective hasn't changed from the beginning, but I think that the perspective in the country has changed. I think that there is a recognition again about the challenges of being a police officer, and polls show that the vast majority of Americans support police in the country. I think that certainly helps a little, but I think an argument could have been made that it would have been nice if the show was on a year ago. 

MCN: How did On Patrol: Live end up on Reelz?

DA: We had been talking to a number of potential partners about a live police show, and Reelz just stepped up in a bigger way than others did. They just were more committed to the project and the fit was just better. Over the last couple of years, I've been approached by a number of networks about possibly doing a live police show, and this just ended up being by far the best fit.

MCN: How is the show similar to Live PD and how will it differ?

DA: Just like Live PD, this is a live police show that will be covering police departments in real time. It’s going to be different in the sense that we’re going to have citizen ride-alongs, which hadn’t been part of the [Live PD] show. We’re going to work with different [police] departments from those that were involved in Live PD. So it’s definitely going to be a new show, but I think the fans of Live PD are certainly going to enjoy it.

MCN: Given Live PD’s ratings success, how disappointed were you that A&E pulled the plug on the show?

DA: I was very disappointed that Live PD was pulled. I understand the decision on the part of A&E — I wasn’t angry at A&E, but I was very disappointed.

MCN: Having said that and given the uptick in crime across the country, are you approaching the production of On Patrol: Live any differently than you did Live PD?

DA: Look, I think policing is policing. I don’t think we’re gonna see sort of a fundamental difference in the amount of police activity. The people who appreciated Live PD, I think, wanted to watch the police in real time. I think that there were certainly a lot of people who supported the police and who wanted to watch the show from the police officer’s perspective, but I think there were also police critics who wanted to watch the show. There were elements on the show where things would happen and people would disagree with what the police did. I would expect that that will happen as well with this show, but I don't think there’s going to be a fundamental difference in terms of ‘policing’ that we see now rather than two years ago.

MCN: Beyond Live PD, how is Law&Crime faring in a very competitive television environment?

DA: Law&Crime is doing great. We have three arms to the business: the production arm, where we produce content for a whole host of networks; then there’s the website, lawandcrime.com; and there’s the live network, which is now available on Dish, Verizon and a number of major cable services, in addition, to all the major OTT platforms, and it’s really exploded. The business was going great, and then the [Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial] happened, and that sort of catapulted things to a different level, especially in the YouTube world. That added a new element to things, so overall the business is thriving. ▪️

Cable news network NewsNation said that Dan Abrams will interview former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo on Dan Abrams Live on July 26.

Cuomo was suspended in November by CNN and subsequently fired after the New York attorney general released documents that indicated the Cuomo was more involved than previously disclosed in the defense planning by his brother, then New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

In a New York Times op-ed in September, Chris Cuomo was also accused of sexually harrasing a colleague in 2005.

Cuomo filed a wrongful termination suit against CNN in March, seeking $125 million.

Earlier this month in an Instagram post, Cuomo hinted at a possible comeback, saying “Something’s coming . . . Summer ‘22.”

In promos, NewsNation said Cuomo’s first television interview since leaving CNN will cover “what he’s doing now, what he’s doing next and answer the tough questions about his past.”

The interview will take up the full hour of Dan Abrams Live.  ■

The verdict in the sensational Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial drew more than 500,000 viewers to Court TV, the largest audience since the network was relaunched by the E.W. Scripps Co. in 2019.

Viewers peaked last Wednesday around 3:27 p.m. ET, when the jury’s decision was rendered, with 558,000 people watching. 

The big cable news channels also carried the verdict, but between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m., Court TV topped popular channels including ESPN, TBS, TNT, FX, ID and Discovery.

Court TV’s coverage of Depp v. Heard quadrupled the audience for the network’s previous live trial coverage.

Viewing of Court TV via streaming also jumped, with daily streaming hours up 415%.

Dan Abrams’s Law&Crime network has also gotten a big boost from the trial. 

Court TV has some other cases on the docket it expects to draw above-average viewership.

Those include Florida v. Danielle Redlick, in which Redlick is charged with the murder of her husband, a former NBA executive; Florida v. Nikolas Cruz, the 20-year-old who will be sentenced for 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting; and Nevada v. Kelsey Nichole Turner and Jon Logan Kennison, in which a former Playboy and Maxim model and her boyfriend are charged with the murder of a psychiatrist. ■

Tegna said it reached a multiyear deal to co-produce true crime and investigative programming with Dan Abrams’s Law&Crime Productions and Cineflix Rights making use of content from the libraries of Tegna’s television stations.

The companies plan to start off by producing 50 hour-long episodes, starting with a new series, Cult Justice.

Also read: GetTV's Over-the-Air Distribution Gets Pumped by New Station Deals

A deal has been made to air the series on a major U.S. network Tegna declined to identify. The show might also run on Tegna’s True Crime Network or Law&Crime Network at a later date.

“The partnership with Law&Crime and Cineflix Rights solidifies Tegna’s position as a player in original true crime programming,” said Brian Weiss, VP, entertainment programming and multicast networks at Tegna. “Along with the success of True Crime Network, the growth of Vault Studios and the treasure trove of stories in our expansive content library, this deal reinforces our role as a future leader in the unscripted entertainment content space.” 

The companies have already worked together on two seasons of Killer Cases. They now plan to create a podcast of the series, which airs on A&E and True Crime Networks.

Also read: Dan Abrams‘s Law&Crime Launches on Roku Channel

“Law&Crime’s team of experienced legal and crime producers is excited to take a deep dive into Tegna’s extensive and unique library of true crime and investigative footage,” said Rachel Stockman, president of Law&Crime Productions. “We are thrilled to partner with Tegna and Cineflix Rights in this first-of-its-kind deal that gives us access to thousands of impactful stories in markets all around America.” 

Cult Justice will start off with a first season of 10 episodes. It will look at the power of cults and each episode will look at how law enforcement sought justice against different cult leaders. Episodes are likely to focus on cults that have been in the headlines recently, such as the NXIVM sex cult and The Family, the present-day version of the Children of God cult.

Journalists Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz will be executive producers and showrunners for the first 50 true crime episodes, including the Cult Justice series. Abrams, Stockman, John Ford, head of programming for Tegna’s Quest and True Crime Network, and Felicia Litovitz, VP, acquisitions, North America, for Cineflix Rights, will also serve as executive producers on the shows. 

Cineflix Rights will act as the exclusive global distributor for the new series produced by Law&Crime Productions.

“We are delighted to be able to build on our strong global partnership established with Tegna and Law&Crime over two seasons of the global hit series Killer Cases and look forward to bringing their exciting new crime and investigative content to our global buyers,” said Richard Life, head of acquisitions at Cineflix Rights.

Nexstar Media Group’s NewsNation cable network is set to expand its programming by 20 hours per week on Monday, adding a three-hour  morning show anchored by Adrienne Bankert and an 8 p.m. show Dan Abrams Live, featuring the TV legal analyst.

With the new programming, NewsNation will be programming 49 original live hours a week, up from 19 when it launched in September 2020.

NewsNation has gotten off to a low-rated and sometimes controversial start, but Nexstar appears to still be backing the venture.

“We’re very excited to be adding Morning In America and Dan Abrams Live to the NewsNation lineup and look forward to their launch on Monday,” said Michael Corn, president of news for NewsNation. “Adrienne and Dan represent the epitome of balanced, insightful journalism, and bring unquestioned credibility to the stories they report and the analysis they provide. Our mission is to deliver news for all America, free of bias or opinion — Adrienne and Dan will help us to do just that.” 

Even though its evening newscasts are drawing low ratings, Nexstar Media is moving ahead and adding news programming to the morning lineup on NewsNation, the cable channel formerly known as WGN America.

On Sept. 27, NewsNation will launch Morning in America, a live three hour program airing from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. The show will be hosted by Adrienne Bankert, who joined NewsNation earlier this year from ABC News.

Morning in America will replace reruns of Jag.

NewsNation will also take another shot at creating an attractive primetime lineup by inserting Dan Abrams Live at 8 p.m., hosted an executive produced by ABC legal analyst and media entrepreneur Dan Abrams, starting Sept. 27.

Dan Abrams Live takes a timeslot occupied starting Monday by On Balance With Leland Vittert. Nexstar permanent timelots for all new primetime shows, including On Balance, will be announced Sept. 27.

Nexstar acquired WGN America when it purchased Tribune Media in 2019, It launched a three-hour evening newscast called NewsNation on Sept. 1, 2020, replacing syndicated reruns with live programming the broadcast thought would be more valuable to distributors and advertisers.

Composed mostly of reporting from Nexstar stations, NewsNation was billed as offering straight-down-the-middle stories at a time when cable news is politically polarized.

Nexstar announced plans to rename the channel as NewsNation in January. The network also decided to cut its newscast, replacing its third hour with a talk show hosted by Ashleigh Banfield. Now, the 8 a.m. hour is being replaced as well.

In March, NewsNation VP of News Jennifer Lyons resigned amid concerns the channel might take a right-wing turn because of low ratings.

It turned out that former Fox News president and Trump administration office Bill Shine had been consulting with Nexstar, reportedly alarming some staffers. There were also concerns that Sean Compton, the president of Nexstar’s networks division who oversees Newsnation and who as a radio executive worked with Sean Hannity and Donald Trump, helped arrange an interview with Trump that staffers felt didn’t sufficiently challenge false claims by Trump.

Nexstar hired ABC News exec Michael Corn as president of news in May. Last month, NewsNation hired former Fox News exec Cherie Grzech as managing editor.

Ratings for the NewsNation’s news programming have been dropping all year. In January, the network averaged 65,000 viewers from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. according to Nielsen and just 15,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic used to sell ads in news programming.

By June, that time period was down to 28,000 viewers and 5,000 in the demo.

Bankert said she will be looking to put stories in context and connect with audiences with the new morning show.

“Even if people wake up on the so-called ‘wrong side of the bed,’ I want them to turn on the TV and be not only more informed, but feel better, even happier watching us,” she said. “I believe we are called to a higher standard at NewsNation—to offer a variety of viewpoints across America and give dignity to every voice. That’s what you’ll find on Morning In America five days a week.”

Abrams called joining NewsNation a natural fit for him. "Too much of cable news is polluted by partisanship with shows focused on indoctrinating viewers, unabashedly cheering for one side or another,” he said. “We are committed to presenting independent-minded analysis and opinion on politics, media, and the most important stories of the day, exposing hypocrisy on all sides so viewers can make up their own minds. Always fact based, sometimes surprising, but never agenda driven—you might call it a cable news show for the rest of us.”

Law&Crime, the network started by TV legal expert Dan Abrams, reached an agreement to be distributed as part of The Roku Channel.

The Roku Channel now makes more than 190 free live linear television channels available to over-the- top streaming viewers.

“Roku continues to revolutionize the TV streaming experience by making it easy for their millions of engaged viewers to find quality content in a diverse array of genres,” said Alex Kopacz, head of content distribution & licensing at Law&Crime. “We’re thrilled to be part of The Roku Channel's robust linear lineup as interest in Law&Crime has skyrocketed and the viewership numbers continue to soar.”

Law&Crime covers multiple trials daily. It also has original programs including Brian Ross Investigates, hosted by former ABC chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross,

The network provided s gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer who was found guilty of killing George Floyd.

Blanket coverage is also planned for the trial of real estate heir Robert Durst beginning next week.

Law&Crime is available on most major OTT services including Peacock, fuboTV, Sling, Philo, Vidgo, Xfinity and Xumo, as well as on basic cable packages in most states,

The Law&Crime channel has reached a carriage deal with Blue Ridge Communications, the network said Wednesday.

The Dan Abrams-founded network, which offers live court trial coverage as well as true crime shows and documentaries, adds Blue Ridge to the list of recent carriage deals with Verizon FiOS, Cincinnati Bell, Hawaiian Telcom and Buckeye Broadband to make the network available to more than 23 million customers, according to network officials. 

“Law&Crime continues to diversify channel lineups in a legal and true crime programming genre that remains highly sought-after” said Alex Kopacz, Head of Content Distribution & Licensing at Law&Crime in a statement.. “Our unique content has helped the network stand out and we’re thrilled that Blue Ridge sees this value for their channel packages and subscribers.” 

Live trial-based Law & Crime network has launched a digital app for mobile and streaming devices, the network said Monday.

The app, which will offer high-profile, live trials with expert legal analysis, is available to iOS and Android mobile platforms as well as Apple Tv, Amazon Fire TV and Google Play, said network officials. The network also plans to launch a Roku-based app in the coming weeks. 

The Law & Crime network, created by TV legal analyst Dan Abrams and in which A+E Networks is an investor, currently offers daily live trial coverage during daytime and early evening hours, and live legal commentary and analysis on the day’s biggest trials in the evening. 

"This is an exciting development in a rapid expansion of our next generation network available anywhere to a highly educated, highly engaged audience,” Abrams said in a statement. “We look forward to rolling out numerous additional distribution partners in the months ahead as we ensure our quality programming is conveniently available anywhere, anytime.”

On the heels of its successful Live PD crime docuseries collaboration, A+E Networks is again teaming with legal TV commentator Dan Abrams to launch a new true-crime network built around live court coverage.

The Law & Crime network taps into the former Court TV programming model of featuring predominately live coverage of ongoing criminal court cases from around the country during the daytime hours, along with original analysis and talk/documentary programming in the evening, Abrams said.

‘Thirst for Real Content’
“It’s a 24/7 live trial network,” said Abrams, who worked at Court TV during the 1990s and currently serves as a legal analyst for ABC’s Good Morning America. “I see that there is a real hole in the marketplace — there’s a thirst for live content and for real content.”

The network features a team of lawyer anchors who will cover and analyze the daily court proceedings, as well as other original programming to balance out the schedule, Abrams said.

A+E Networks owns an unspecified minority interest in the network, and Abrams said the network will tap into the company’s resources to build awareness and distribution for the channel, though he would not provide specific details.

“They’ve been a great partner so far in helping with everything from distribution to possible acquisitions and growth,” he said. “That investment has allowed us to take it from proof of concept to becoming a full fledged network.”

The network is in discussions with MVPDs but has yet to reach any distribution deals.

Law & Crime is launching into a very crowded television marketplace that features a number of cable networks dedicated to the true-crime category, including Investigation Discovery and Oxygen.

Related: Oxygen to Rebrand as a True Crime Channel

Abrams said Law & Crime’s plan for live programming would separate it from other networks trying to launch and build an audience.

“I think we’ll have a lot easier time than the others because we’re the only game in town when it comes to live trials,” he said. “Every other network I’ve seen pitched is offering some version of either talking-head TV or repurposing content that’s already available elsewhere. We’re offering nine to 12 hours of live programming a day, so we’re immediately distinguished from the rest of the pack because we’ve got so much original, live programming.”

Abrams, who said he will appear on the network on occasion, said his work on A&E’s Live PDunscripted series served as a partial inspiration for Law & Crime. The series, which Abrams co-hosts each week as it follows several police departments around the country in real time as they respond to incidents, is the network’s most watched unscripted documentary series.

Related: ‘Live PD’ Draws Viewers, and Not All Watch Live

“Seeing people wanting to watch the story unfold as it does on Live PD showed me that people are interested in the programming,” he said. “What people want is more of the actual documentary-style programming, news programming, or in this case, live trial programming.”

Showing Live Court Video Now
The network also hopes to offer a streamed over-the-top version within the next month, and network officials are currently talking to various streaming platforms to gain distribution. Abrams said there are no distribution deals to announce yet. The network’s lawandcrime.com website currently offers live court video of high-profile criminal trials along with legal analysis.

“With the ability to have OTT channels, we’re seeing a lot more on-demand viewing, and that comes from an audience that’s passionate about the programming,” he said. “We expect to tap into that passion with Law & Crime.”

When your most popular new show is called Live PD, you wouldn’t think there would be many viewers tuning in on a delayed basis or watching reruns.

But A&E has found that its unscripted series can be arresting, whether viewed live or not.

Seeking to reverse long-term ratings decline, earlier this year, A&E, part of A+E Networks, shifted its programming strategy, eschewing scripted dramas like Bates Motel and Longmire and sticking to unscripted and nonfiction programming.

Related: The Unscripted TV Issue >Reality TV’s Got Game

The move came at a time when more and more networks — not to mention streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video and even digital companies like Facebook, YouTube and Apple — are ramping up their original programming efforts.

Much of the ensuing stampede of original programming has been scripted dramas, leading to questions as to whether the current era of peak TV has really met a peak.

Related: A&E Sets ‘Undercover High’ Documentary Series

“We seem to be bucking the trend,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, who was named executive vice president and head of programming for A&E earlier this year. “We’re doubling down and just doing nonfiction with A&E, within our part of the AETN network. It’s working for us. And we’ve been climbing in the rankers ever since.”

MCN Original Video: One-on-One in 2 With A&E's Elaine Frontain Bryant

More Time on the Beat
Driving A&E ratings resurgence is the real-life police series Live PD. Live PD now airs live as it happens on A&E for six hour a week.

Related: A&E’s ‘Live PD’ Sets Series Ratings Record

The documentary series was the No. 1 unscripted series in 2017. It returns for season 2 on Oct. 6. A&E recently announced a 100-episode order from producer Big Fish Entertainment.

But A&E is finding that Live PD also draws a surprisingly large audience when it is not live. “Our buzziest shows in live-same-day also are the most successful in the time-shifted way, as well,” Bryant said.

And while scripted shows, with their big-name stars, get the bulk of attention, nonscripted shows attract passionate audiences as well.

“There is a direct correlation because they cut through,” Bryant said. “It’s really about the show. Good shows cut through. It’s not just about scripted.”

“Nonfiction can cut through the way scripted can. And among time-shifted or on-demand shows, 31 of the 50 highest ranked were non-scripted it just shows that that’s what people want to watch too,” she said. “For us, the ones they’re watching live, they’re also taping and watching them later too.”

Related: Finding Viewers ‘Behind Bars’

Since its launch, Live PD has been a phenomenon. Season one averaged 1.6 million total viewers in live-plus-7 viewing. The series hit a high of 2.4 million total viewers on July 15. Viewership increased 136% from launch and the series more than doubled A&E’s ratings in its time period from a year ago.

Hosted by Dan Abrams, with analysis from Tom Morris Jr., Live PD uses dashboard, fixed-rig and handheld cameras to capture the work of urban and rural police forces from around the country on typical Friday and Saturday nights.

“I think with Live PD, it’s new and fresh and exciting every single week, and that’s the draw. You don’t know what’s going to happen around any bend, any corner, and that is what taped shows cannot provide anywhere. And so even if nothing happens, there is the possibility that anything can at any moment,” Bryant said.

A&E launched Live PD with two hours a week. Then it moved it up to three hours. Now A&E’s schedule ls live with Live PD for six hours. The show has turned A&E’s low-rated Friday and Saturday nights into its most viewed evenings.

“We were doing very painful, low-rated repeats,” she said. “It’s been a real shot in the arm for us.”

Plays Well on Replay
But wait there’s more, as they say in the ads.

A&E launched a cut-down show, Live PD: Police Patrol, consisting of the highlights from the live coverage. And people tuned into that.

Airing in primetime Friday nights, it’s A&Es second-best-performing show in total viewers and adults 25 to 54 when Live PD isn’t airing. It’s performance improved 31% from its premiere to its finale.

And despite a six-day delay, nonlinear viewing of Live PD on A&E’s app and website rose 483% to 132,000 adults 25-54. That was something of a surprise. “We didn’t think they would repeat, and they are repeating,” Bryant said. “And that’s exciting. Anecdotally, I could tell you I was in Texas over Easter weekend on a beautiful Saturday. I was like, ‘Hey family, let’s go hide Easter eggs,’ and they were like, ‘No, we’ve got to watch this show.’ And I said that was last night’s episode. It’s a repeat.”

In addition to Live PD, the network has gotten boosts from other nonfiction series including Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, 60 Days In and The Murder of Laci Peterson.

A&E’s ratings have been up for six straight months through August among total viewers. In August, A&E was the No. 5 ad-supported cable network among adults 25-54, No. 6 with adults 18-49 and No. 9 with total viewers.

A&E  on Oct. 28 will shine a light on the work of police officers in a new and provocative series that is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

The eight-episode Live PD series will provide live and unfiltered coverage of police officers over a two-hour period as they patrol several of the country’s urban and rural cities. The series comes as the country continues its debate over policing tactics in light of several recent and controversial shootings of unarmed black men.

Series host Dan Abrams and Dallas Police Detectives Rich Emberlin and Kevin Jackson will guide viewers as the show simultaneously follows live the actions of police officers in six different cites via dash cams and handheld cameras. While there will be a "slight" delay in the live telecast, A&E says viewers will be able to take an inside look at each live incident that occurs during the telecast.

 I recently spoke to A&E executive vice president and head of programming Elaine Frontain Bryant about what the network hopes to accomplish with the series.

Here’s what Bryant and A&E want you to know about Live PD.

Live PD is reality programming in its truest form: “This is bold and innovative. We have six police departments from six different and diverse cities around the country – diverse in region and demographics -- coming together to do a live show. We’re embedded with the police departments to give a view of what’s going on in America regarding police and crime. The series is trying to help us understand what’s really going on out there. There’s a conversation about ethics and policing and we’re kind of opening our world to it.”

It seeks to provide a neutral look at policing: “We’re aware of the potential for controversy. The reason that we’re doing it is so people can see for themselves.  I think anything can happen. We can see a police officer's reactions to a situation and that reaction can be totally perfect, or, in that moment, maybe make a mistake. We’re there really just shining an omniscient light as they patrol our country."

A&E hopes the show prompts further dialogue on the issue: "A&E is one of the only networks that really want to join a conversation or start a conversation about what’s happening in America. This shows a play-by-play of what’s going on in America and what’s being discussed everyday on the news. We’re doing the series in an NFL Red Zone style – we have a studio with six different cities, and we will go in where the action is happening. What I want to accomplish is to join the conversation by saying ‘OK America, this is what everyone is talking about … let’s see six typical American cities on a Friday night.'"