And you thought cats were the only ones who had nine lives…
Bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman is proving that he has as much staying power as his feline friends. The reality TV show star has been given yet another chance from execs at A&E, the cable network that broadcasts his show “Dog the Bounty Hunter” following his boot from its lineup last year.
Network execs just confirmed that “Dog” will return to the air this summer, months after his show was pulled because of the reality star’s brouhaha featuring his use of a racial slur in a profanity-laced tirade. Network bigwigs also revealed that filming has already begun on the fifth season of “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” However, the new shows won’t air for a while. Reruns of the show will start June 25, with new episodes, including ones from the fourth season that have not previously aired, coming later in the summer.
The hit reality TV show, which features Chapman and his posse chasing down bail jumpers in Hawaii was pulled from the air in November when a taped phone conversation in which Chapman used a racial slur in reference to his son’s African American girlfriend was leaked to the press.
Late today Dog, his family, A&E executives and a representative from a civil rights organization held a carefully choreographed press conference to announce that “Dog” was getting a second chance.
“It’s not about ratings,” A&E spokesman Michael Feeney said. “We know his heart. We know him and know he’s not a racist.”
Though, later Feeney did admit that viewer demand for the show weighed heavily in the decision to bring Chapman’s show back.
As for “Dog” he insists he is now a “changed man” and was “ashamed” of his racial comments. Chapman also claims he has received counseling and has reached out to the African American community by speaking at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and participating in a toy drive.
“There was one perfect person, and they called him Jesus Christ,” Chapman told reporters. “You have to … realize that everyone is human, and you can err.”
What do you make of “Dog’s” comeback? Do you think A&E should have kept him off the air?