A+E Networks' History (DStv 186) has renewed 6 of its shows and has ordered 5 new shows including a reboot of Ax Men that ended in 2016 that is being revived as Ax Men Reborn.
The Curse of Oak Island has been renewed for a 6th season, with its spin-off, The Curse of Civil War Gold that has been renewed for a 10-episode second season.
Truck Night in America has been renewed for a 2nd season, with a 6th season for Alone, an 8th season for Mountain Men, and a 10th season renewal for Swamp People.
Besides the additional season orders, History is also doing 5 new shows.
Yamashita’s Gold like The Curse of War Gold, follows treasure hunters looking for a mythical treasure allegedly buried by World War Japanese soldiers in the Philippine jungle.
American Butcher (working title) follows master butchers carving their way through historical challenges.
In Knight Fight modern-day warriors battle using era-specific weaponry and armour while in Brothers in Arms two Army veterans who are experts at historical military weaponry go on an adventure.
"History is committed to delivering entertaining, compelling and informative programming and the solid performances of our new non-fiction launches this year prove this content is resonating with our loyal audience," says Eli Lehrer, History executive vice president of programming.
"Yamashita’s Gold, Knight Fight, Brothers in Arms and American Butcher are the perfect companions to our existing slate of signature hit series, as we continue to invest in quality series rooted in history that our audiences trust."
Here are more programme specifics around the new History series:
American Butcher
Throughout history, the skilled craft of the butcher has been a lynchpin to survival.
In early civilizations when foodborne diseases were claiming lives, it was the butcher with their sharp tools and sharper skills who kept death at bay – eventually becoming a fixture in every town across America.
Today, there are thousands of people who cut meat but only a select few with the skills and expertise to be considered a Master Butcher.
This extreme competition series sees the best-in-class butchers battle each other in a showdown designed to put their skills, strategy and technique to the ultimate test, carving their way through painstaking challenges, and using their expert knowledge to adapt to every historical twist.
Ax Men Reborn
The logging families of the Pacific Northwest have been torn apart since the long-running series Ax Men.
Untimely deaths and a changing economic landscape have threatened family businesses. For these new generation of loggers, now is the time to start wielding the ax as the timber industry is on the upswing again and the old guard is looking for redemption.
Brothers in Arms
With almost twenty years of military and law enforcement experience between them, Rocco Vargas and Eli Cuevas are about to combine their talents and embark on a new adventure.
They are the new owners of Banditos Armory in the historic town of Ogden in Utah. Their goal is to take their expertise and passion and become the best one-stop shop for all things military.
From fixing and testing a Cold War Russian tank, one of only a few in America, to solving the mystery of an unidentified Japanese WW2 contraption that Allied troops had never seen before – and didn’t know how to fire.
There’s little that the team at Banditos won’t do to investigate, restore, build, and test the most innovative, iconic machines in military history.
Knight Fight
Knight fights live on in the form of the full-contact Armored Combat League - often referred to as "Medieval MMA" or "Knight Fight Club".
Rooted in historical traditions, these modern-day warriors battle in heavy plated armour with real steel weapons. Now, for the first time, these modern knights are set to wage war in this 8-episode series.
Each episode will feature 6 fighters who will customise era-specific armour and weaponry and engage in a series of full-contact battles to see who has the skill and the strength to win the ultimate Knight Fight.
Yamashita’s Gold (working title)
In the closing months of WWII, legend has it that Japanese soldiers – led by General Yamashita, along with Allied POWs – constructed secret tunnels underground in dozens of locations and buried treasure worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Yamashita had the entrances blown up, trapping the soldiers inside to keep his secret. It’s a grand mystery that involves a secret cadre of princes called the Golden Lily, booby-trapped tunnels marked by ancient Japanese symbols, and real-life characters like Douglas MacArthur, Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and FDR.
One Filipino farmer witnessed the operation and for the first time, he has entrusted his secrets to a group of dedicated investigators and engineers who are using the latest technology to search for the treasure – and the truth.
