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CMT's 'Redneck' reality TV series embraces its Shreveport family, launches new series

CMT

A spin-off cable TV reality series about a Shreveport family premieres Saturday, Jan. 18, on CMT. Two years ago, CMT launched “My Big Redneck Vacation.” It sent the country-to-the-core Clampet family on hoity-toity vacation adventures, like in the Hamptons. 

Now, this family that prefers to fish and hunt will spend much more quality time in their native north Louisiana. CMT’s cameras invade their double-wides to reveal home life drama in this latest 13-episode series “My Big Redneck Family," according to Lewis Bogach, CMT’s vice president of production.

"After three seasons of them doing '[My Big Redneck] Vacation,' it became apparent that it was just more fun to stay home. The fish out of water thing, we just felt like we couldn’t go anywhere with it anymore," Bogach said, from his Nashville, Tenn., office where CMT is based.

Bogach estimates the CMT crew spent several months shooting the half-hour episodes in Shreveport. They’ll be back for a couple more days of shoots to complete the series. Bogach considers this series reality sitcom, and he’s enthusiastic about the finished product.

“It has a more polished feel. But it’s all reality. We just took time in how we were shooting and cutting it, and it just feels really different," Bogach said.

CMT found a great family to work with, according to Bogach,  and the characters are endearing. He said "Duck Dynasty" exposed the marketability of Deep South storytelling, but he says the Clampets could have come from anywhere – as long as the story is ripe.

“My Big Redneck Family” premieres Saturday, Jan. 18, at 9 p.m. on CMT.

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.