ATLANTA, June 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- GRIT -- the first-ever male-centric, over-the-air broadcast television network which airs on the digital broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage -- has licensed the broadcast television rights to all eight seasons and 203 episodes of the popular series Walker, Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris in a multi-year agreement with Sony Pictures Television announced today.
GRIT will debut Walker, Texas Ranger in July and will air episodes back-to-back Monday through Friday nights between 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. (Eastern).
"Walker, Texas Ranger is an iconic series and Chuck Norris, in many ways, is GRIT personified," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting, which owns and operates GRIT. "The show continues to be enormously popular and has now found the perfect home."
Norris stars as Texas Ranger Sgt. Cordell Walker, a Marine Corps veteran and a modern-day Wild West sheriff of sorts. Clarence Gilyard, Jr. plays Walker's partner and best friend Jimmy Trivette, a former Dallas Cowboys player who uses a more-modern approach to crime solving. Sheree J. North is Alex Cahill, the assistant district attorney and Walker's love interest. Noble Willingham plays retired Texas Ranger Captain C.D. Parker, Walker's buddy and ex-partner who owns a bar-restaurant and gives Walker advice on some cases. Nia Peeples joined the cast in later seasons as Texas Ranger Sydney "Syd" Cooke, a rookie Ranger.
Action-oriented GRIT targets men 25-54 with a heavy focus on western, war and action theatrical motion pictures and off-network series. GRIT is currently available in 93 million homes; check here for local channel information.
GRIT is part of Katz Broadcasting, which includes ESCAPE, the first over-the-air network designed for women and LAFF, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy. Katz Broadcasting was established in 2014 by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. Katz is President and CEO of the company while also still serving as COO of Bounce TV, the nation's first and only over-the-air television network for African Americans.
