‘Live PD’ Is Coming Back on TV This Summer as ‘On Patrol: Live’

The Reelz version, tentatively titled “On Patrol: Live,” is from the same producers and host of “Live PD.” It features roughly the same format of simultaneously following police officers in different U.S. cities live over the course of three hours, Reelz and the show’s producers said. The show averaged nearly 2 million viewers when it was on A&E, which is co-owned by

Walt Disney Co.

DIS 0.15%

and Hearst Corp.

Reelz Chief Executive Stan E. Hubbard said in an interview that he had been chasing the show practically since A&E pulled the plug, calling it a “no-brainer.” Reelz has agreed to a multiyear commitment for the show. The pact is “the biggest commitment we’ve ever made,” Mr. Hubbard said.

The show will debut on Reelz this summer, Reelz and the show’s producers said. As they did on A&E, new episodes will air on Friday and Saturday nights. Reelz is part of Hubbard Media Group, a closely held broadcaster based in St. Paul, Minn.

The deal marks the culmination of efforts by “On Patrol: Live” host and executive producer Dan Abrams to resuscitate the show, either with A&E or somewhere else.

“I have been patiently waiting and quietly advocating, but it was a question of finding the right partner,” Mr. Abrams said in an interview.

A&E canceled “Live PD” as shows perceived as glorifying law enforcement were under scrutiny and protests against police violence were on the rise. A&E called it a “critical time in our nation’s history” that led them to decide to end the show. Ratings for A&E fell sharply after it pulled “Live PD.”

When it announced its decision two years ago, A&E left the window slightly ajar for the show to return. A&E does still monetize old episodes of “Live PD” by running them on

Alphabet Inc.’s

YouTube.

Mr. Abrams said while he understood the pressure that A&E was under, he still feels “Live PD” shouldn’t have been pulled off the air.

“At a time when people have a lot of questions about law enforcement, it allows the audience to see in real time what police officers do and how they do it, including the nuances and the uncertainty about what happens next,” Mr. Abrams said.

An A&E spokesman declined to comment.

While the general format of the new show will be similar to “Live PD”—including featuring Mr. Abrams’s “Live PD” on-air colleague Sean Larkin. There will be some new innovations as well, including having citizens ride along with police during the show and the addition of recurring law enforcement veteran Curtis Wilson as a full-time commentator.

“Live PD” wasn’t the only police-themed show to meet its demise in the summer of 2020. The long-running reality show “Cops” was canceled by the Paramount Network.

Fox

Nation, a subscription streaming platform operated by Fox News, last year acquired close to 50 previously unseen episodes of the show. Fox News parent Fox Corp. and The Wall Street Journal parent

News Corp

share common ownership.

Reelz will be a smaller stage for the police reality show than A&E was. Reelz is available in about 39.9 million homes, compared with 71.1 million for A&E, according to Nielsen. Reelz relies heavily on true crime and scandals. Among its more popular shows is “Autopsy The Last Hours Of…” which explores celebrity deaths.

Mr. Hubbard said he doesn’t need “On Patrol: Live” to have the same-size audience “Live PD” had on A&E for it to be a success for Reelz. He said he expects the popularity of the show to help boost the network’s distribution.

“If we can do a quarter to a third of A&E’s audience, that is a home run for us,” he said, adding, “This is a game changer for Reelz.”

He said he isn’t worried about any potential backlash.

“We don’t shy away from much,” Mr. Hubbard said.

Write to Joe Flint at [email protected]

The Reelz version, tentatively titled “On Patrol: Live,” is from the same producers and host of “Live PD.” It features roughly the same format of simultaneously following police officers in different U.S. cities live over the course of three hours, Reelz and the show’s producers said. The show averaged nearly 2 million viewers when it was on A&E, which is co-owned by

Walt Disney Co.

DIS 0.15%

and Hearst Corp.

Reelz Chief Executive Stan E. Hubbard said in an interview that he had been chasing the show practically since A&E pulled the plug, calling it a “no-brainer.” Reelz has agreed to a multiyear commitment for the show. The pact is “the biggest commitment we’ve ever made,” Mr. Hubbard said.

The show will debut on Reelz this summer, Reelz and the show’s producers said. As they did on A&E, new episodes will air on Friday and Saturday nights. Reelz is part of Hubbard Media Group, a closely held broadcaster based in St. Paul, Minn.

The deal marks the culmination of efforts by “On Patrol: Live” host and executive producer Dan Abrams to resuscitate the show, either with A&E or somewhere else.

“I have been patiently waiting and quietly advocating, but it was a question of finding the right partner,” Mr. Abrams said in an interview.

A&E canceled “Live PD” as shows perceived as glorifying law enforcement were under scrutiny and protests against police violence were on the rise. A&E called it a “critical time in our nation’s history” that led them to decide to end the show. Ratings for A&E fell sharply after it pulled “Live PD.”

When it announced its decision two years ago, A&E left the window slightly ajar for the show to return. A&E does still monetize old episodes of “Live PD” by running them on

Alphabet Inc.’s

YouTube.

Mr. Abrams said while he understood the pressure that A&E was under, he still feels “Live PD” shouldn’t have been pulled off the air.

“At a time when people have a lot of questions about law enforcement, it allows the audience to see in real time what police officers do and how they do it, including the nuances and the uncertainty about what happens next,” Mr. Abrams said.

An A&E spokesman declined to comment.

While the general format of the new show will be similar to “Live PD”—including featuring Mr. Abrams’s “Live PD” on-air colleague Sean Larkin. There will be some new innovations as well, including having citizens ride along with police during the show and the addition of recurring law enforcement veteran Curtis Wilson as a full-time commentator.

“Live PD” wasn’t the only police-themed show to meet its demise in the summer of 2020. The long-running reality show “Cops” was canceled by the Paramount Network.

Fox

Nation, a subscription streaming platform operated by Fox News, last year acquired close to 50 previously unseen episodes of the show. Fox News parent Fox Corp. and The Wall Street Journal parent

News Corp

share common ownership.

Reelz will be a smaller stage for the police reality show than A&E was. Reelz is available in about 39.9 million homes, compared with 71.1 million for A&E, according to Nielsen. Reelz relies heavily on true crime and scandals. Among its more popular shows is “Autopsy The Last Hours Of…” which explores celebrity deaths.

Mr. Hubbard said he doesn’t need “On Patrol: Live” to have the same-size audience “Live PD” had on A&E for it to be a success for Reelz. He said he expects the popularity of the show to help boost the network’s distribution.

“If we can do a quarter to a third of A&E’s audience, that is a home run for us,” he said, adding, “This is a game changer for Reelz.”

He said he isn’t worried about any potential backlash.

“We don’t shy away from much,” Mr. Hubbard said.

Write to Joe Flint at [email protected]