Alligator hunters, raccoon wranglers and crawfish catchers in Louisiana’s critter-filled swamps and bayous are increasingly common on television.
Since the introduction of the History channel’s wildly popular “Swamp People” in 2010, roughly a dozen other Louisiana-based reality shows have made their television debuts, among them the Travel Channel’s “Girls, Guns and Gators,” A&E’s “Billy The Exterminator,” the History channel’s “Cajun Pawn Stars” and the Discovery Channel’s “Ragin’ Cajuns.”
The reason for the recent boom in Louisiana-based reality TV is two-fold, said Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne. Not only do reality shows filmed in Louisiana take advantage of the state’s TV and film tax credit program, but Louisiana has a rich culture that makes for great entertainment, he said.
“There’s no question it’s a combination of the two,” said Dardenne, who sponsored the original 2002 bill granting tax credits for television and film production in Louisiana.
While some reality shows are far-fetched or have little to do with Louisiana, some are actually good for the state’s image, Dardenne said. Shows such as “Swamp People” and “Ragin’ Cajuns” feature aspects of Louisiana life not found in any other state. They also educate people on issues including coastal erosion and conservation, Dardenne said.
“It captures this interesting, fascinating, very unique aspect of Louisiana life with its beautiful landscape and a strong streak of adventure,” Dardenne said. “It’s not something you’re going to find anywhere else. It’s indigenous to Louisiana.”
Other reality shows filmed in the state in recent years include MTV’s “The Real World”, A&E’s “Steven Seagal: Lawman” and TLC’s “Trashmen” about a New Orleans garbage collection company. Recently, “Bayou Billionaires” and “My Big Redneck Vacation” premiered on CMT, featuring families from north Louisiana.
History channel spokesman Chris Meador said authentic storytelling is an important component in its programming and one reason for the success of “Swamp People.” Last season the show drew in more than 4 million viewers, making it one of the network’s most watched shows.
News coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the BP oil spill in 2010 has actually increased people’s interest in the Gulf Coast region, priming audiences for Louisiana-based programming, Meador said.
“No matter what they go through down there they come back better and come back stronger,” Meador said. “While everything that happened happened, they’re continuing with the lives that they’ve always led, that their parents led. I think it’s an amazing story and symbolic of the American story. It’s the great American success story.”
With the premiere of the third season of “Swamp People” set for Feb. 9, History is building a swamp in New York’s Chelsea Market this week. It will include alligators, turtles and dozens of 15-foot-tall cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. A wooden dock has been constructed to jut out over the roughly 6,500 gallons of water containing the swamp critters.
Dardenne is traveling to the promotion using BP oil spill funds acquired by the state to help promote Louisiana. Dardenne arranged to bring along a Louisiana woodcarver, a basket weaver, a man who makes paint from Louisiana soil, a Cajun band and a naturalist to talk about the state’s unique and fragile ecosystem.
Dardenne said Louisiana is spending roughly $50,000 of the BP oil spill funds to supplement the swamp at Chelsea Market. It will be open to the public from Thursday through Feb. 12.
Stars Among Those Who Lost Their Homes In L.A. Area Fires; Jamie Lee Curtis Pledges $1M To Relief Effort
Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and R&B star Jhené Aiko, and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events. Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens. Thousands of structures have been destroyed but damage assessments are just beginning. More than 180,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt. Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards. That fire had been largely contained without damage to Hollywood landmarks. Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry: Stars whose homes have burned in the fires Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost. The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years. "Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this," the Crystals wrote in the statement. After her learning her Pacific Palisades home was lost in the fires, Melissa Rivers says she was... Read More