Oxygen will mark 20 years of its reality crime series Snapped with a two-hour special in May.

The show’s anniversary special debuts May 12 on Oxygen and promises to include new updates to the show's “craziest” Snapped cases, according to the network. The series, which debuted on Oxygen in 2004 and has chronicled the lives of women who lost control and were charged with murder, is currently in its 33rd season, according to the network. Overall, Snapped will have aired 646 episodes by the end of the current season, Oxygen said. 

The series, one of the first shows launched in the now-burgeoning true crime genre, has spawned three spinoffs, including Snapped: Killer Couples, Snapped: Behind Bars, and Snapped: Notorious.

The current season of Snapped is on track to be the shows strongest-performing season ever, averaging 725,000 total viewers in multiplatform viewing, per Nielsen figures supplied by Oxygen.

TLC in August will debut the latest spinoff from its 90 Day Fiancé reality series franchise, 90 Day: The Last Resort.

The series will follow five couples from 90 Day Fiancé who will travel to a couples retreat in a final attempt to salvage their relationships, according to TLC. The couples will actively navigate issues with trust, sex, jealousy, anger, and intimacy. At the end of the retreat, each couple must decide if they will stay together or move on separately, said the network. 

Also: From 'MILF Manor' to '90 Day Fiancé,' It's All Reality for TLC

In addition to the series, TLC will launch a weekly companion podcast called 90 Day: The Last Resort Sessions that will feature therapists who will break down relationship issues and discuss big moments in each episode. 

90 Day: The Last Resort joins prior 90 Day Fiancé spinoffs including 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, 90 Day: Single Life and 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way. 

Hulu and Onyx Collective will serve up the best soul food from around the world in a new reality series, Searching For Soul Food, debuting on the streaming service June 2.

The series, hosted by celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds, will travel to several international destinations in search of what soul food looks like around the world, according to the service. The eight-episode series will follow Reynolds as she explores the culinary worlds of Mississippi, Oklahoma, Appalachia, South Africa, Italy, Jamaica, Peru and Los Angeles.

Searching for Soul Food is executive produced by Melina Matsoukas, Jacob Cohen-Holmes and Ali Brown and produced by Woodman Park Productions. 

Bravo will shine a spotlight on 1990s female R&B groups SWV and Xscape in a new reality series debuting March 5.

The six-part series, SWV and Xscape: The Queens of R&B debuts March 5 will focus on the two groups as they come together in preparation for a special concert event, according to the network. The ladies will take viewers on the ultimate fan experience as they reveal the inner workings of putting on a live concert while exposing the discord and complex dynamics of sisterhood within singing groups, according to the network. 

SWV and Xscape are two of the best-selling girl groups in history with a combined 39 million records sold since their 1991 group debuts. The series marks the second for Xscape on Bravo following its 2017 reality series Xscape: Still Kickin' It.

SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B is executive produced by Mona Scott-Young, Stephanie R. Gayle, Michael Lang, Maryam Janhabin, Patrick McCabe, James Brangert and Charles Davis. Also serving as executive producers are the members of Xscape (LaTocha Scott-Bivens, Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Tamika Scott), and SWV (Cheryl “Coko” Gamble, Tamara “Taj” George and LeAnne “Lelee” Lyons.) ■ 

TLC in January will debut a new dating series featuring single women in their 40s, 50s and 60s looking for love.

The series, MILF Manor, debuts January 15 and will follow eight confident and strong-minded women who travel to a paradise manor in Mexico for the chance at lasting romance.

According to TLC, tensions run high when the eight women and eight young hunks come together. Each episode features challenges that will prove whether a connection is genuine or if it's time to leave the manor. Chemistry, jealousy, and drama keep the manor steamy, according to the network.

MILF Manor is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and Spun Gold. Discovery Plus will provide same day streaming of each premiere episode, according to the network. ■

WE tv will launch the sophomore season of its reality series Love During Lockup on October 21, according to a new series trailer.

The series, a spinoff of the network's Love After Lockup franchise, follows the exploits of people who decide to pursue relationships with prison inmates, according to network officials. Season two follows four new couples, an eager bachelor, and a returning singleton who can’t resist the lure of paramours in the clink, the network added.

Love During Lockup is produced by Sharp Entertainment and is executive produced by Matt Sharp, Dan Adler, Alan Madison and Sophie Mallam.  

The Kardashian family will make their return to the small screen in a new documentary series, The Kardashians, which debuts on Hulu April 14.

The 10-episode series follows the lives of Kardashian women Kris, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie as they navigate both their multi-million dollar businesses and their personal lives, according to Hulu. The Kardashians are executive produced by Ben Winston, Emma Conway, Elizabeth Jones and Danielle King. 

The Kardashians debuts nearly a year after E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians ended its 20-season run. In a 2008 Multichannel News video, Kris Jenner along with Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian discuss the family’s evolution from relative obscurity to reality show stars in a short period of time. ▪️

Streaming service UMC will build up its original unscripted series lineup with the development of three new series.

The African-American targeted network will launch this month documentary series A Closer Look, which will spotlight musical artists such as Ralph Tresvant, Brain McKnight and Eric Benét through interviews that will explore their careers and music catalogs, said the company.

Also on tap for 2021 are My Mane Problem, which follows celebrity hairstylist Dr. Boogie (pictured) as she takes on cases of real people with varying hair concerns, and Notorious Queens, which will follow four women who have been labeled “notorious” due to their past romantic relationships work to leave behind their troublesome pasts and cultivate new experiences in all areas of their lives, said UMC. 

TLC is touting the Jan. 5 premiere of reality series Sister Wives' ninth season with a sneak peek trailer.

The new season of Sister Wives finds the group moving to Flagstaff, Ariz., where they find that the ups and downs of their family’s polygamist lifestyle are as dramatic as they’ve ever been, according to the network.

Sister Wives is produced for TLC by Puddle Monkey in association with Figure 8 Films.

USA Thursday unveiled a first-look trailer at the second season of its reality series Temptation Island

The series, which is slated to return in October, follows four dating couples who face new tempting situations where each will decide whether to commit to a lifetime together – or ultimately give in to the temptation, according to network officials. 

Temptation Island is executive produced by David Goldberg, Caroline Baumgard and Scott Jeffress, said USA Network. 

MTV will bring back its freshman reality series How Far is Tattoo Far? for a second season in May, the network said Thursday.

The series, in which participants ask pairs of friends, family members and loved ones to design tattoos for one another that won’t be revealed until after they’ve been permanently inked, will debut its second season May 23, said the network. The series is hosted by Nico Tortorella and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.

We tv will develop a spinoff series from its reality series Love After Lockup, the network announced Tuesday.

The eight-episode spinoff series, Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup, follows five couples featured on the original series – Clint and Tracie; Marcelino and Brittany; Megan, Michael, and Sarah; Scott and Lizzie; and Andrea and Lamar – as they build their post-prison relationships and lives, according to network officials.

Love After Lockup, which chronicles couples making the complicated transition to love on the ‘outside’ when one partner is released from prison, has been a ratings hit for the network, fueling double-digit ratings growth for the network in the first quarter of 2019 across several demos in Nielsen Live + 3 ratings, said We tv. The network recently extended the second season of the series by 10 episodes.

“There was an outpouring of interest from fans who were eager to keep following these unforgettable couples, making it an easy decision to expand this burgeoning franchise with an all-new series,” said Marc Juris, president of WE tv in a statement. "Love After Lockup was a legitimate reality sensation, and Love After Lockup: Life After Lockup will be a must-watch for the show’s passionate fans.”

 USA Network has renewed its reality series Miz & Mrs for a second season, the network said Tuesday.

The series, which features a look at the lives of married WWE Superstars The Miz and Maryse, will return for a 20-episode second season in 2020, said network officials. 

New episodes of the series’ first season launch tonight (April 2), said USA.

Miz and Mrs. is executive produced by The Miz (Michael Mizanin), Maryse (Maryse Mizanin), Gil Goldschein, Farnaz Farjam-Chazan, Kevin Dunn and Russell Jay.

USA Network Tuesday released a video trailer for its new reality series, Temptation Island, which premieres Jan. 15.

The series follows four couples at a crossroad in their relationship who decide to travel to a paradise island to determine if they were truly meant to be together, according to USA Network. 

Temptation Island is executive produced by Banijay Studios North America's David Goldberg and Caroline Baumgard, along with Scott Jeffress.

MTV will bring back its classic reality series The Hills in 2019 after a nine-year hiatus, the network announced Monday at its MTV Video Music Awards telecast.

The Hills: New Beginnings will reunite original cast members, alongside their children and friends, and follow their personal and professional lives while living in Los Angeles, according to MTV officials.

The Hills, a spinoff of the network’s Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, initially aired from 2006 to 2010. The series reboot will be produced by MTV and Evolution Media, according to the network. 

MTV will debut its new reality series Jersey Shore Family Vacation on April 5, the network said Wednesday.

The series, featuring the original cast of the Jersey Shore hit reality series which aired on MTV from 2009-12, will for the first time in the network’s history premiere day and date across Viacom’s international network of MTV channels in nearly 180 countries.

Jersey Shore Family Vacation is executive produced by 495 Productions Founder & CEO SallyAnn Salsano, with Nina L. Diaz and Jackie French serving as executive producers for MTV.

This is being called the golden age of TV programming for scripted shows, in particular.

More shows than ever are being produced, viewers are binge watching them hours at a time through video on demand and streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. And media companies are making piles of cash licensing shows to streaming services, or using them to build their own subscription businesses.

Nonfiction programming has always been a bit of a stepchild in the programming world. People watch, sure. But even the best reality doesn’t get the same acclaim. Nor is it seeing the same kind of demand in this era of peak TV.

All of which leads to the question: What is reality programming’s value in an increasingly on-demand world?

While some nonfiction programming appears on Netflix and Hulu, the opportunities have been more limited.

“With respect to the subscription video-on-demand space, there has been no interest at this particular time in any of the reality types of programming,” one studio executive said.

Unlike networks, which need to fill a programming grid, buyers in an on-demand world are looking for shows that will give their services cachet and recruit and retain subscribers. “Reality is popular on networks, but it’s still viewed as voyeuristic. It’s not necessarily high-end programming,” the studio executive said.

Finding Viewers on SVOD
But as subscription services proliferate and mature, their attitude toward nonfiction could be changing. Viewers are watching more reality shows on demand. Streaming services are showing more interest in creating their own unscripted programming and adding existing shows to their offerings.

According to comScore, the top 10 rated reality programs for the 2016-17 broadcast season garnered more than 66 million VOD transactions, up 26% from the prior broadcast season’s reality programs. The gain came as overall VOD transactions dipped 3% from the prior year.

“I talk to people who produce shows for Discovery, Scripps Networks and A+E [Networks], and they all say they’re getting more interest from SVOD,” MoffettNathanson Research analyst Michael Nathanson said. “Given the price of scripted programming is going up, they’re looking at unscripted, which is less expensive, so they can raise their margins.”

Hulu currently pitches subscribers what it calls the largest offering of unscripted programming available on a streaming platform, with thousands of episodes from Scripps Networks, A+E and NBCUniversal.

“As SVOD programmers, we are always looking for content that will drive subscriber growth and keep viewers engaged,” Hulu vice president of content consumption Lisa Holme said. “We see unscripted series as an excellent driver of engagement and consumption, which correlate highly with retention. In the case of Hulu, we uniquely have a very robust advertising business, and so driving lots of hours of consumption is a priority for us, and unscripted can be a cost-effective way to balance the overall portfolio of content.”

Holme said Hulu subscribers watch a lot of unscripted programming. It accounts for a double-digit share of overall consumption on the service. “Outside of catching up on the latest episode of current series — The Voice, The Bachelor, etc. — we see a lot of viewing of character-based reality and competition-based reality, as well as, more recently, … food, home, travel-related series,” she said.

Prior seasons of broadcast series such as CBS’s Survivor and Amazing Race are popular, too. “People are often surprised that prior seasons of those series, as well as series like [Real] Housewives and [Keeping Up With the] Kardashians are consumed as much as they are on Hulu,” Holme said.

Netflix did not return calls seeking comment on nonfiction programming. Netflix’s reality offerings include Skin Wars, Tornado Hunters, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Undercover Boss.

Audiences as Loyal as Scripted Fans
TV networks say unscripted shows attract loyal audiences just like scripted programs.

“People want to be entertained, whether by scripted or unscripted,” Nancy Daniels, president and general manager of Discovery Communications’ s TLC, said. “They seek out what connects with them. We’ve seen big success with our shows even in this landscape where there are so many choices.”

While it’s harder to get viewers to watch reruns, Daniels said people watch old episodes of series like Little People, Big World to see what the characters looked like when they were younger. “The twins, Jeremy and Zack, have gotten married. They’re having children of their own. But you can go back to when they were 10 years old, starting out,” she said.

While TLC shows still get the bulk of their viewership on the linear channel, the shows that do best on the network also do best on demand or on the TLC Go app. TLC this year created an original spinoff of its 90 Day Fiancé franchise for the app called 90 Day Fiancé: What Now. “It’s been a huge driver for us on Go,” Daniels said.

Off-channel viewing is becoming an important factor in deciding which TLC series get renewed, Daniels said. “We’re not just looking at linear ratings anymore; we’re looking at overall audience engagement,” she said. “That’s certainly been an evolution for us over the last couple of years.”

App viewing is one way Discovery Communications is monetizing its mainly nonfiction programming.

“When it comes to Discovery unscripted, ours has tremendous value,” Discovery Communications chief commercial officer Paul Guyardo said.

Guyardo said that about 40% of what’s being watched on Discovery’s Go apps is library content, as opposed to current series. “Forty percent is a lot bigger than we thought,” he said.

For series on Investigation Discovery, people are streaming episodes they’ve already seen, “to pick up on clues that they didn’t catch the first time,” Guyardo said.

Discovery Communciations is not selling its programming to Netflix. It does have some shows on Hulu. The company is focusing on getting its core networks included on skinny bundles being offered by virtual distributors being rolled out by Hulu, DirecTV, YouTube and others.

Guyardo insists there’s demand for Discovery’s unscripted programing. “It’s our choice not to sell it in pieces, but rather to feature it all on our own digital platform or in skinny bundles, so we’re getting all the shows’ branding and equity.”

He added that Discovery’s programming is a good deal. “If you look at it relative to what distributors are paying for sports or paying for scripted, I would say we are an exceptionally good value.”

Producers said the subscription services are coming to them looking for original unscripted shows.

“Nonfiction may not be as sexy, but it’s very, very cost-effective,” said John Ford, a former Discovery executive and now general manager of NPACT, a trade association representing non-fiction programmers with about 100 member companies. “So you look at broadcast and cable any time of year, you take out sports programming, and many of the top 10, top 15, top 20 programs are nonscripted.

“You can create a pretty good nonscripted show for three or four hundred thousand dollars an hour,” Ford said. “On an hourly basis, you’re spending $3 million to create a scripted show. So you get 10 times the programming for your dollars in nonscripted.”

Ford pointed out there are already documentaries about food and wine on Netflix. Netflix has commissioned the producer of the acclaimed series Planet Earth to make an eight-part series, Our Planet, due to appear in 2019.

Netflix also has some older off-network nonfiction shows as well. “It’s interesting to look, just to troll through Netflix and see all the nonfiction shows that are there,” Ford said. “You’ll find inventory that I was executive producer on back in 2005 and 2006 still lurking in the inventory somewhere.”

Ford said the production of nonfiction programming for Netflix and the other streaming services flies under the radar because the shows don’t involve big stars and budgets. “What’s going on in nonfiction doesn’t necessarily claim the headlines, but I can tell you our members are actively pitching and producing for all of the OTT services,” Ford said.

Digital Is Key to The Workshop
Tom Farrell, CEO and executive producer for The Workshop, said his company is banking on selling shows to on-demand services. Last year, Amazon Prime green-lighted a series about tennis star Novak Djokovic produced by The Workshop, with Farrell as one of the executive producers.

“Everything that we develop has an eye on the digital world now,” Farrell said. “So while we’re still finding homes in the linear space, you would be foolish not to be looking at the digital component of our business.”

Production standards for on-demand shows might be higher than those for networks. “The viewer is so much more demanding because they’re going to it consciously, rather than stumbling upon it setting there on the couch riffing through the channels,” Farrell said. “You make a conscious decision, so I think your expectations are higher.”

Tuesday night’s premiere of BET’s new reality series Gucci Mane & Keyshia Ka’oir: The Mane Event drew 1.5 million viewers, according to network officials.

The series' premiere episode -- in which rapper Gucci Mane and model Keyshia Ka’oir were married in a star-studded live wedding event in front of guests and friends that included Diddy, Rick Ross and Big Sean – drew an additional 100,000 viewers as part of a simulcast on BET Her, said the network.

Overall, the series premiere grossed an average audience of 2.2 million total viewers and 1.4 million viewers 18-49 across premiere and encore airings, according to network officials.

The Gucci Mane & Keyshia Ka'Oir: The Mane Event was also the most talked about entertainment-based TV show of the day, drawing 1.2 million Twitter and Facebook interactions from 635,000 unique accounts, according to Nielsen’s Daily report for series, specials and sports. NBC’s This Is Us was a distant second with 221,000 interactions.

Highly touted Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball won’t play his first nationally televised regular season National Basketball Association game until Oct. 19. But 8 million Facebook Watch users already know who Ball is — along with his loquacious father, LaVar, and his talented siblings — after they tuned in last month to the first episode of the social media site’s new sports reality series, Ball in the Family.

That makes Ball only the latest face both on the court and in a unique content sub-genre. Active and former professional athletes are scoring on the basic cable, reality docuseries field through popular, social media-friendly unscripted shows that focus on the often-unpublicized personal lives of players.

Series such as VH1’s long-running series Basketball Wives — which follows the wives, ex-wives and girlfriends of star NBA players — and E!’s Total Divas, which chronicles the out-of-ring exploits of pro wrestling outfit WWE’s female Superstars, are shining a rare, off-the-field spotlight on famous athletes that’s usually reserved for pop entertainment stars and celebrities.

Related: The Unscripted TV Issue >‘Live PD’ Draws Viewers, and Not All Watch Live

Network executives and show producers said such shows offer a one-two viewing punch by delivering female viewers attracted to the often salacious drama created between athletes and their significant others, and men who want to see their favorite players in a different light.

“We’ve seen tons of reality shows featuring celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, and their celebrity families, but to actually go behind the scenes of an athlete’s life and see what they go through is different,” said Jeff Jenkins, co-president of entertainment and development for Bunim/Murray Productions, which produces Total Divas. “They are trying to support their family; they’re trying to have romantic relationships; they’re trying to advance their careers — rarely do you see that side of them on the screen.”

Glimpse at an Athlete’s Home Team
Indeed, most sports-themed docuseries follow the lives of athletes as they pertain to the on-field action, whether its preparing for a big fight, competing in the heat of the action or basking in the glow of victory or the anguish of a loss. But for most sports-reality series, the field of play is a backdrop to the interactions athletes have with their spouses, girlfriends and families, far away from the bright lights of the stadium.

“Most people just see the athletes when they perform, but there’s a lot of interest in their personal lives,” said Amber Mazzola, president of Machete Productions, responsible for E!’s reality series franchise WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends of Sports Stars). “You see athletes like Tom Brady and [his wife] Gisele [Bündchen] in newspapers in the gossip section — people just love to hear about them on and off the court.”

Related: Reality Joins TV’s Revival Movement

E!’s WAGS L.A. series, which returns for a third season Nov. 1, has spawned two other series — WAGS Miami and WAGS Atlanta — and all of them follow the personal lives of such players as NFL stars Antonio Gates and Julius Peppers and UFC fighter Tito Ortiz. Mazzola said the show has found its niche with E!’s female-skewing fans, and male viewers enjoying a different glimpse at the players. 

“Our audience is still predominantly female, and I don’t think guys are really tuning into the drama of what these wives are going through, but I do think that the fact that these athletes are actually on the show is a draw,” Mazzola added. “I think that a lot of guys tune in because they want to see Julius Peppers or to see Antonio Gates because for them that’s really cool.”

Related: Women Get in the Game

Ball in the Family executive producer and Bunim/Murray Productions vice president of current programming Farnaz Farjam also said that the series, which launched on Facebook Sept. 1, has generated equal amounts of viewer feedback from men and women, although she would not offer up specific gender breakdown numbers.

She did say the first episode of the series drew 8 million streams, which exemplifies the growing audience interest in and fascination for the Los Angeles-based Ball family, much of which has been driven by the often-outlandish comments of father LaVar Ball regarding the talents of his three basketball-playing kids.

Bringing Fans to the Games
Such sports reality shows can turn more female viewers on to live sports content, Farjam said, adding that women may want to extend their experience with the series by watching the star athletes on the field of play.

“Of course guys will watch the games, but if their girlfriends are watching the series, then they’ll be more inclined to watch the Lakers because they’ve fallen in love with ’Zo,” she said.

Related: Spin It to Win It: Cable Networks Find Ratings Gold in Reality-Series Offshoots

Total Divas also generates strong co-viewing numbers for E!, as the cast of female WWE Superstars attract predominately male pro-wrestling fans as well as the network’s core female audience, according to Bunim/Murray’s Jenkins. Nearly four in 10 viewers (38%) of Total Divas' audience are male, the highest male composition across any of E!’s original franchises. Total Divas spinoff series Total Bellas has the second highest male compositon on the network with 32%, according to network officials.

The network will launch season seven of Total Divas on Nov. 1, with the season finale marking the show’s 100th episode.

E! hopes the upcoming season can match or surpass last year’s average 1 million viewers in Nielsen live-plus-3 ratings.

Other entertainment networks are looking to jump into the sports reality arena. Hallmark Channel will launch its first-ever, personality-focused reality series with the 2018 debut of Meet the Peetes, which focuses on the lives of former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and his wife, actress Holly Robinson-Peete.

“When we think about programming that makes people feel good, celebrates the human spirit and family by telling a great story, Meet the Peetes fits all of those criteria,” Hallmark Network executive VP of programming Michelle Vicary said. “It is a family story about a father who was an NFL football player and a mom that’s an actor, but its also a family story that focuses on a mom and a dad that have an autistic son and have made it their life’s work to bring awareness around autism.”

Hallmark also hopes the series will add male viewers to its normally female-skewing audience. Along with the series, Rodney Peete will be involved in the network’s annual Super Bowl counterprogramming special, Kitten Bowl, according to Vicary.

“Rodney Peete is much beloved by sports fans, so I hope that men who are fans of his will come with their wives and sit and watch the series,” she said.

Bunim/Murray’s Jenkins believes that more networks are beginning to see the appeal of athlete-based reality series and will look to develop future series in the genre. One issue that could sack the genre’s forward momentum is whether athletes — as well as the organized sports they play for — will be willing to risk tarnishing their respective brands by airing an athlete’s potentially controversial personal life on television.

“I think if the individual athletes and the individual athletic organizations make themselves open to it, absolutely viewers, buyers and production companies want to do more of this type of programming,” Jenkins said, adding that the company is working on a potential reality docuseries with a retired Los Angeles Lakers player, although he would not reveal specifics.

“The fine line for those athletes and for those other organizations, however, is whether they can balance the image and brand and still allow a documentary crew to follow the ups and downs of a particular individual and organization.”

That, of course, would mean athletes and teams experiencing the kind of “winning” or “losing” only reality stars know about.

WE tv will bring back its iconic reality series Bridezillas in 2018, according to network officials.

The series, which follows unhinged brides preparing for their nuptials, initially aired for 10 seasons on WE tv from 2004 to 2013. A Bridezillas spinoff series, Marriage Boot Camp, has produced eight seasons since launching in 2013, according to the network.

“From the beginning, Bridezillas was nothing short of pop culture phenomenon and a brand-defining show for WE tv. Years after saying goodbye to our last Bridezilla, we have been asked consistently to bring this show back by viewers and fans,” said Marc Juris, president of WE tv in a statement. “With its built-in fanbase and continued cultural relevance, the Bridezillas franchise is a strategic growth asset that we can leverage across our business and we are thrilled to be bringing it back to WE tv.”

Bridezillas is executive produced by Laura Halperin along with Lauren P. Gellert, Kate Farrell and Angela Molloy.

Bravo has greenlit a limited series chronicling the reunion of 90’s female R&B group Xscape, network officials said Thursday.

The four-part series, Xscape: Still Kickin’ It, will focus on the exploits of Xscape members Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and sisters La Tocha and Tamika Scott and they reunite for the upcoming 25 year anniversary of the group’s first album release.

Each episode will document the group as they attempt to heal past wounds and reconcile after nearly two decades apart, culminating with a performance at Essence’s 2017 Festival.

Xscape: Still Kickin’ It will be produced by Truly Original and Monami Entertainment, with Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Lauren Eskelin, Lorraine Haughton-Lawson and Thomas Jaeger, Mona Scott-Young and Stephanie Gayle serving as executive producers.

E! Entertainment has greenlit a sophomore season of Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian, the network announced Monday.

The non-fiction series will feature Kardashian and several health, beauty and style experts as they provide tips and guidance to men and women who want transform their lives, said network officials. The series is  produced by Khlomoney Entertainment and Rogue Atlas Productions in association with Lionsgate Television and Ryan Seacrest Productions.

Eli Frankel, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Ryan Seacrest and Larissa Matsson serve as executive producers for Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian. The series renewal comes on the heels of E!’s greenlighting of new reality seriesLife Of Kylie, starring Kris Jenner.

“We are thrilled Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian is coming back with a vengeance for another season,” said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Programming & Development, of E! in a statement. “As the first season has shown, we were blown away by the evolution of the participants and Khloé’s unique ability to connect, inspire and encourage others.”

FYI will take another bite out of its culinary-themed series Food Porn when the series returns for its second season next month. 

The series, which follows New York restaurateur Michael Chernow as he uncovers the nation’s most mouth-watering dishes, will return for its sophomore campaign on  May 14, said network officials.

Food Porn is produced by Loud TV and Bethenny Frankel’s B Real Productions, with Frankel, Nick Rigg, David George, Karen Kunkel Young and Brent Montgomery serving as executive producers.

"Next to experiencing a great meal is capturing an amazing food picture,” said Frankel in a statement. "But, even the best picture can’t tell the whole story, and I’m obsessed with the next season of ‘Food Porn,’ which continues to bring these posts to life and recognizes some incredible chefs and dishes."

Cable networks are looking to breathe new life into classic reality series in an effort to get a leg up in a very crowded and competitive television environment.

Iconic reality series such as Trading Spaces (TLC), Cold Case Files (A&E), Cash Cab (Discovery Channel), Cold Justice (Oxygen), Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Netflix) and Biography (A&E) will return to the small screen later this year and into 2018, hoping to trade on their familiarity with viewers to recapture old fans and draw in new viewers, according to network officials.

“There’s a nostalgia about it,” TLC president and general manager Nancy Daniels said of Trading Spaces, the network’s popular home design and decorating series that ran from 2000-11. The network will resurrect the series next year.

“It’s a brand that people know and love,” Daniels said. “In a world where it’s so hard to break through with something new, to have something that has an automatic, built-in fan base is a gift.”

Indeed, the reality genre is joining its scripted brethren in creating updated versions of classic shows. Decades-old sitcoms such as One Day at a Time and Full House have been resurrected into more contemporary versions by Netflix, while movies such as Lethal Weapon and Westworld were turned into successful scripted series this past fall by Fox and HBO, respectively.

Discovery Channel Group president Rich Ross said bringing back a well-known franchise like Discovery’s unscripted game show series Cash Cab — which will return to the network later this year after a five-year hiatus — provides a network with a built-in marketing advantage that other new shows don’t give it.

“There is no doubt that familiarity gives you a leg up in a crowded universe, and when you don’t have to resell a premise its much easier,” he said. “It’s a simple premise, but seemingly timeless.”

Other networks are bringing back shows that resonate with some of TV’s hottest programming-genre trends. A&E this past February relaunched its documentary series Cold Case Files after an 11-year hiatus, amid the growing popularity of true crime programming within the TV marketplace.

Advancements in crime-solving technology — along with good, old-fashioned detective work — have created new interest in the series, Elaine Frontain Bryant, A&E executive vice president and head of programming, said.

“Good ideas are good ideas, and when they can be revamped in new ways and come back as fresh, it can work again,” she said. “The show had been off for several years, but given this renewed interest in crime programming, we thought this was the perfect time to bring it back.”

The surge in popularity for home improvement-themed content in recent years was the catalyst for TLC’s decision to resurrect Trading Spaces, according to Daniels.

“The home and property shows are huge and everybody has their favorites,” she said. “We absolutely think there’s still a rabid consumption of property shows, and with Trading Spaces we can draw in those viewers that are nostalgic about the show as well as new viewers.”

TLC is just starting the process and has not made any decisions on the reboot, Daniels said, including who will host the reality series. She did not rule out bringing back the original Trading Spaces cast, including host Paige Davis.

“There’s such an affinity for it, and it just felt like the time was right,” Daniels said.

Prison-themed scripted series on television have arrested viewers for decades, most recently with the success of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and HBO’s The Night Of. Unscripted and documentary shows that take viewers behind bars — from the 1970s documentary Scared Straight and A&E’s Beyond Scared Straight to more recent shows, like MSNBC’s Lockup — have provided an even more realistic view of the penal system.

A&E has found ratings success in a pair of prison-themed documentary series. Sophomore series 60 Days In, in which individuals volunteer to go undercover in jail to fully experience the life of an inmate, is currently the channel’s most-watched show. It also finished 2015 as cable’s most watched new unscripted series, averaging nearly 3 million viewers (per Nielsen live-plus-3-day ratings). A second prison-themed series, Behind Bars: Rookie Year — which follows rookie corrections officers during their first year on the job in one of the most dangerous prison systems in the U.S. — launched its second season last week.

Greg Henry, co-founder and co-president of production company Lucky 8 TV and executive producer of 60 Days In and Behind Bars, spoke with Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about the success of the A&E shows, as well as the nuances between fictional and nonfiction portrayals of penitentiary life. An edited excerpt follows.

MCN:Why have you and A&E been so successful in redefining TV’s prison-themed genre?

Greg Henry: Obviously, shows about prison have been made over and over again over the past couple of decades, but there is this moment where there’s a demand to look at that world in a new way. For us, it’s about finding new ways to enter this world. Most of the prison shows will tell you the stories about the inmates — and they are very important stories to tell — but until we start putting ourselves into those situations and seeing this world through the eyes of everyone involved in the system like we do with Behind Bars, I don’t think it gains as much attention.

I think that’s why our shows have resonated with people. With 60 Days In, we’re literally taking viewers and putting them behind bars, so I think there you’re getting a never before seen view of the world that was really reserved for scripted television. By providing that differentiated lens, the shows are grabbing viewers that have been out there watching prison programming throughout the years, but it also grabs the folks who watch [A&E forensic docuseries] The First 48 and Beyond Scared Straight, because they are now having a very visceral and personal response to the world.

MCN:What do you think of scripted shows likeOrange Is the New Black? Do they provide a realistic view of prison life?

GH: The scripted shows will always become a reference point where everyone will say, “She’s just like that girl from Orange Is the New Black.” What’s actually funny is that those characters and shows will also become the reference point for people behind bars. I think the shows that are well-done — and I think that Orange Is the New Black is very well done — where maybe they fall short is because they are scripted, it becomes hard to have a conversation about incarceration.

MCN:Having said that, as a producer do you address some of the inequities in the U.S. penal system that have been the subject of debate in recent years?

GH: I hope so. These shows are meant first and foremost to attract the viewer and entertain and fully engage the viewer. From that aspect, you can’t avoid talking about incarceration. In the case of Behind Bars, you see a system that is underfunded and overworked.

There are states where a starting salary for a correction officer, if you are head of household, the household qualifies for food stamps even though you’re working full-time. In the case of 60 Days, for me the fundamental question is who should be incarcerated? Once you put someone behind bars for even a week, it’s going to change them.

Our participants came out of the other side having trouble sleeping and organizing their day. There are millions of people arrested each year, but at the end of the day the question is who should be held for days, weeks and months? Right now, the judicial system is so backed up that if you’re going to go to a trial in any of the major cities you might be there for two months. So within these personal stories, if you want to and you’re open to it, there is a much larger conversation that can be had at the end of the day.

The made-for-TV couple from this season’s edition of The Bachelor — Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell — will be getting the hottest and most buzzworthy wedding gift that television can give: a spinoff series.

Their new series Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After — premiering this fall on Freeform, sister cable network to The Bachelor’s home of ABC — will join a multitude of spinoffs from successful reality series franchises across the cable dial. In many cases, these off shoots perform as well or better than their parent shows in the ratings.

More than one-third of cable’s top 30 reality shows for the period of June 1, 2015, to May 31, 2016, were reality franchises and their respective extension shows, according to Nielsen. Such extensions, which can potentially cannibalize viewers from their parent series, were once considered a risky play for networks. Now, they are sought-after content with built-in brand recognition and an audience base that can be lured in without a great deal of marketing effort.

“Spinoffs are so big these days because it’s so hard to launch new series today … there’s so much content to choose from and it’s so hard to reach people with new ideas and a new series,” Shari Levine, executive vice president of production for Bravo, said. “When you are doing a spinoff you’re delivering a show to a ready-made viewer that’s somewhat susceptible. You don’t have to explain the concept to them. Half of the marketing is done for you.”

Related:'Deadliest Catch’ Hooks a Spinoff [subscription required]

For some cable franchises just one or two spinoff shows aren’t enough to satisfy the appetite of loyal viewers. Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise — which follows the lives of affluent housewives from various parts of the country — has branded a whopping nine separate series over the past decade.

GETTING HARDER TO ‘KEEP UP’

E! later this year will launch its limited reality series Rob & Chyna, focusing on the lives of celebrity couple Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna, another spinoff from the long-running series Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

VH1’s Love & Hip Hop, which chronicles the lives and relationships of hip hop and R&B musicians, has spawned three spinoff series: Love & Hip Hop: New York, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop Hollywood.

And the Atlanta version has spun off two series of its own, K Michelle: My Life and Stevie J & Joseline: Go Hollywood. And despite all the iterations from the original franchise, it seems viewers are singing the praises of virtually all of these series. Current seasons of Love & Hip Hop, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop Hollywood all finished among the top 15 most-watched reality series over the past year, according to Nielsen. The sixth season of parent franchise Love & Hip Hop averaged 3.3 million viewers (on a live-plus-7-day basis), topped only by the fourth season of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, which drew 3.6 million viewers.

Brand recognition is paramount when trying to break through in crowded television marketplace, E! and Esquire Network president Adam Stotsky said. Once a brand is established with viewers, he said, the ability to extend it over a multitude of programs gives networks a leg up on the competition.

E!’s Kardashians empire remains strong and fertile, according to Stotsky. Flagship Keeping Up With the Kardashians is still among the most-watched shows on cable, averaging 2.9 million viewers over the past year, besting all of its franchise extensions, which include I Am Cait, Kim and Khloe Take the Hamptons and Dash Dolls, as well as new series Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian, to launch later this year.

“Given that competitive landscape and the marketing challenges faced in launching new franchises and brands from scratch, working off an existing base where viewers know who these characters are and the world they live in is like makes for an easier entry point for consumers, and alleviates some marketing pressure for the networks,” Stotsky said.

Still, a franchise extension isn’t a slam dunk. Producers must still find a viable new setting, location or character around which to build a spinoff series.

“You have to listen to your audience because they vote with their thumbs on the remote controls everyday,” Stotsky added. “It’s a balancing act — on the one hand, the opportunity to extend versus the risk of cannibalization and oversaturation, and that’s something we monitor.”

Discovery Channel decided to bring back contestants from its popular survival-themed series Naked and Afraid, challenging them to endure a much longer and tougher survival challenge in the buff via sophomore spinoff series Naked and Afraid XL, Denise Contis, executive vice president of development and production for Discovery, said. The result was another hit series for the network, with Naked and Afraid XL garnering 3.8 million viewers during its freshman run, beating out its predecessor’s 2.7 million viewers.

“The spinoff is authentically motivated by the contestants themselves, who are looking to push themselves even further,” Joe Boyle, executive producer of both series, said. “Instead of just that process of learning to work with one other human being, they’re learning to survive and work with a number of other human beings and the ramifications of that. It gives us a much larger playing field in terms of character development.”

EXTENSIONS OF ANOTHER KIND

Other networks are doing more unconventional franchise extensions. AMC, which this July will debut the Stephen David-produced Making of the Mob: Chicago — a spinoff of last year’s Making of the Mob: New York — also looked to basic cable’s top-rated scripted series, zombie thriller The Walking Dead, to beget Talking Dead, the reality genre’s most-watched series over the past year. The live recap talk show, hosted by Chris Hardwick, drew 6.3 million viewers during the period, according to Nielsen.

TV One is doing the complete opposite of AMC: It’s spinning off an episode of Unsung, its unscripted docuseries on popular R&B artists, into an original telefilm. An Unsung episode on the 1990s R&B singer Miki Howard served as the basis for Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story. Its June 12 debut drew more than 2 million viewers across multiple viewings, setting a network ratings record for an original film, said D’Angela Proctor, head of original programming and production for the African-American-targeted TV One.

As long as networks are serving viewers with unique content that fits within the confines of a particular franchise, there’s no such thing as too many spinoff s, Bravo’s Levine said. Along with the Housewives franchise, Bravo has already built multiple shows around such franchises as Million Dollar Listing, Married to Medicine and Below Deck.

“As long as it’s working, there isn’t a limit, but I don’t think you know until you actually do it,” she said.

Freeform has greenlit a The Bachelor spinoff titled Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After, starring the series's most recently engaged couple, former Bachelor star Ben Higgins and fiancée Lauren Bushnell.

The Freeform reality series will follow the couple as they navigate the real world after the spotlight, and lush settings, of The Bachelor. Higgins will explore politics while Lauren establishes her post-Bachelor identity.

The series is scheduled to air in October, Karey Burke, Freeform's executive VP, programming and development, said. 

“Ben and Lauren are the biggest Bachelor couple of the last 10 years,” Burke added. “Their romance captured everyone’s attention, and we are delighted to continue their story on Freeform.”

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

BET Networks has tapped former Oxygen programming executive Brie Miranda Bryant as it senior vice president of unscripted, original programming, the network said Tuesday. 

Bryant will be responsible for overseeing all unscripted development and production for the network, reporting to Zola Mashariki, the network’s executive vice president and head of original programming.

Most recently, Bryant was the vice president of development & production at Oxygen Media where she was responsible for developing such hits as The Preachers Franchise (LA Detroit and Atlanta editions), The Prancing Elites Project and Sisterhood of Hip Hop.

“Brie is a talented creative executive with a knack for identifying complex, real life experiences and transforming them into rich and nuanced stories that audiences can’t get enough of,” says Mashariki in a statement. “Her ability to stay ahead of pop culture trends makes her the perfect person to lead our unscripted team.”

Whether she’s at the Jersey Shore or having a Party Down South, reality show producer SallyAnn Salsano has her finger on the pulse of the reality TV viewer. As president of 495 Productions, Salsano has produced some of the most-watched and discussed reality series on cable in recent years, including MTV’s 2009 hit Jersey Shore, which for six seasons was the network’s most watched show and spawned several Salsano-produced spinoffs, including Snooki & JWOWW and The Show With Vinny. Most recently, Salsano has produced CMT’s most watched series ever, Party Down South, which last Thursday (Jan. 28) launched its fifth and final season. Salsano spoke about her thriving production company as well as the reality category at large with Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead. An edited transcript of the interview follows.

MCN:This must be a bittersweet week for you with the launch of the final season of CMT’sParty Down South. Did you think the show would become the big hit that it did?

SallyAnn Salsano: I would say that I’m excited. It’s great to go out on top as the No. 1 show on the channel. On the flip side, I think the party is still going to go on. These kids have so much life left in them — this particular cast is just warming up.

MCN:You’ve carved out a niche in the reality genre with shows likeParty Down SouthandJersey Shore. What’s behind the appeal of these shows?

SAS: I think sometimes people underestimate how much people like to see other people in situations that they’re in. Sure, maybe these are heightened situations, but if you think back to any one of our lives, we’ve all done a lot of the stuff these people have done — just not on television.

I think the shows are really a modern-day after-school special. When I was a kid, I used to run home to watch those specials and say, “Oh no, Johnny broke up with his girlfriend because he cheated and here’s what happened.” Looking back at them now, they feel a little preachy, whereas with these [reality] shows, it’s a way to get a real sense of what’s happening without someone being judgey or feeling like you’re being talked down to.

MCN:A number ofJersey Shorealumni have gone on to do other projects. When you look at producing a show, are the characters more important to the show’s success than the situations they’re put in?

SAS: I think it’s the characters for sure, then it’s the environment you create for them. I think the success comes from the group, and they become super successful because they feed off of each other. It’s so real-life, and real-life situations — you can do a show like this 500 times as long as you have a different cast. You’re going to get different stories and different things that appeal to different age groups.

MCN:Industry observers are calling this period the Golden Age of Television because of all the quality scripted series offered across multiple platforms. Can the same be said about the reality category?

SAS: I think it’s all an ebb and flow. I think the success of shows like Empire made everyone say, “Oh my God,” and flip to that side. In the end it all balances out, and I honestly think that there’s enough room for all of us.

On the flip side, the only people that talk about scripted vs. reality shows are people that work in the business. If you ask the average person what are your favorite TV shows, they’re not like, “In scripted I watch this and in reality I watch that.” They just say their favorite TV shows. It doesn’t matter to them. It’s still casting, it’s still editing — its just a different way of doing it.

MCN:So what’s next for 495 Productions?

SAS: We have [WE tv’s] Ex-Isle up now, and I love it because a lot of people in their lives are in a relationship with someone, but then you break up but you kind of keep them on the back burner as your backup plan. But sometimes that backup plan does not allow you to get on with your life. It’s the modernday booty call — when the need calls, they just call their ex. This is a show where we get people together to say, look how wrong you are for each other … why are you torturing each other?

We’re also in production on a new season of Blue Collar Millionaires on CNBC and we have a new show on Lifetime (The Mother/ Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition, premiering March 1).

Amid the multitude of female-skewing holiday movies and specials airing in December, networks such as WE tv and Oxygen are giving viewers the gift of new, original regularly scheduled programming.

Women-targeted programmers said they aren’t afraid of competing against one-off holiday movies — and they’re eager to take advantage of reruns airing on broadcast networks.

“There are a lot of Christmas movies and Christmas specials, but that’s not for everybody,” Jerry Leo, executive vice president, program strategy, Lifestyle Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, said. “I think the reality fan is still looking for other options.”

Two new reality series on NBCU’s Oxygen — Finding My Father, which tracks young women searching for their biological dads; and Rich in Faith, which follows Pastor Rich Wilkerson of Vous Church in Miami and his wife, DawnChere — both fit into the religious, heartwarming, family themes of the Christmas holiday, Leo said. In prior years, new seasons of Project Runway and The Real Housewives of Atlanta drew big numbers against holiday fare, he added.

“Hopefully the holidays will actually help us by creating that kind of environment and vibe for the shows,” Leo said.

WE tv last week launched the fourth seasons of two popular reality series, Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars and Tamar and Vince, the Braxton Family Values spinoff.

The holiday season provides a great opportunity to siphon off viewers who have been watching broadcast TV, WE tv president Marc Juris said. “On Thursday, when [ABC’s] Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder are in reruns, maybe 5 million women become available.”

Launching new and returning shows in December also allows the network to promote its January fare, he said. The network on Jan. 7 will debut reality series Growing Up Hip Hop. On Jan. 8, Ex Isle, starring Carmen Electra, will show individuals how to get over an ex.

“We want to use every opportunity in a crowded marketplace to bring in new viewers and to re-establish ourselves with our super-fans,” Juris said.

Still, women-targeted networks will face tough competition from holiday fare on Hallmark Channel and ABC Family.

ABC Family, with its “25 Days of Christmas” programming stunt, was easily the most watched network among women 18- 49, women 25-54 and women 18-34 during the first week of December (Nov. 30 to Dec. 6).

Undaunted, Leo said Oxygen plans to run its original content each week throughout the holiday season without any breaks.

“We don’t take our foot off the gas for even one week during the holidays,” he said. “If you’re into the storyline, you want to stay with it.”

The Real Housewives franchise continues to deliver big ratings numbers for Bravo.

Tuesday night’s season five premiere of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills garnered 2 million viewers, an increase of 25% over the show’s season four premiere, said network officials.

The premiere also marked the most watched season debut for the show in more than three years, according to the network.

The Beverly Hills debut comes on the heels of Nov. 9 The Real Housewives of Atlanta season seven premiere, which set a Bravo ratings record for a series debut with 4.5 million viewers.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premiere along with a 1.4 million viewer showing for Watch What Happens Live immediately after Housewives helped Bravo earn its best Tuesday primetime performance in more than two years, said the network.

UP network will launch a new reality series in January that follows the exploits of a family with 19 children.

The 13-episode series, Bringing Up Bates, premieres Jan. 1 and focuses in on the everyday life of the close knit, Tennessee-based Bates family with 19 children and their new grandchild, said network officials.

Bringing Up Bates will be the second reality series focused on a family with 19 or more children following TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting series.

UP Entertainment will produce the series along with Figure 8 Films.  Bill Hayes, Kirk Streb and Matthew Hightower will serve as executive Producers for the series. 

“Bringing Up Bates lets us look in on the daily lifestyle of a wonderful, loving family – that happens to be larger than most – and that has experiences we can relate to and some that are very unexpected,” said  Charley Humbard, president and CEO of UP in a statement. “This series fits perfectly with UP’s brand promise to always uplift and entertain viewers and it represents the latest example of our commitment to produce original series, movies and specials for the whole family.” 

Great American Country will follow the lives of alligator farmers in its new reality series, Growing Up Gator, the network said.

The six-episode series, which debuts Oct. 24, chronicles the exploits of third-generation alligator farmers Britney, Kasey and Chelsea Brooks as the look to relocate gators from public places where they might otherwise pose a threat, said network officials. Produced and created by Miami-based 2C Media for Great American Country, Growing Up Gator is executive produced by Chris Sloan and Carla Kaufman Sloan. Calvin Simmons serves as co-executive producer.

“In this show, you have three young ladies who are fearless when it comes to facing down alligators” said Steven Lerner, senior vice president of programming and development for Great American Country, HGTV and DIY Network in a statement. “The entire Brooks family works together to address the community’s need to remove alligators from public spaces where they could cause harm or be harmed themselves. It’s a courageous pursuit, and it’s a lot of fun to watch in Growing Up Gator.”

WE tv will launch an online-based series that will bridge the gap between seasons of its reality series SWV Reunited, the network announced Wednesday.

The six-part online series series, In Between, will continue to follow R&B group SWV members Coko, Taj and Lelee through videos, blogs, photos, behind-the-scenes footage, animated GIF’s and Tapestries. The online episodes will run exclusively on WEtv.com and roll out over consecutive Mondays beginning July 7, said network officials.

“In this age of fragmented viewing, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to keep viewers engaged longer and with more WE tv content,” said Marc Juris, WE tv’s president in a statement. “In Between not only bridges seasons but also seamlessly connects our linear and online audiences, giving them a platform to continue the conversation year round.”

SWV Reunited averaged 1.2 million viewers in its freshman season and will return for its sophomore campaign Aug. 14, said network officials.