CNBC Announces First Reality Series

'Treasure Detectives,' 'Car Chasers' to premiere March 5

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/20/2012 4:08:47 PM

CNBC has greenlit two new reality series to air in primetime starting Tuesday, March 5, as well as an additional development slate of four new unscripted projects.

The two series are Treasure Detectives, a one-hour weekly show from Endemol USA about a fakes and forgeries detective and his team of investigators who dig into the history of potentially counterfeit items using high-tech science; and The Car Chasers, about two gamblers who travel the country looking to buy and sell classic and exotic cars.

Treasure Detectives and The Car Chasers are the first reality series to be added to CNBC's lineup since the network said last summer that it was looking to expand into new formats in primetime.

The four projects in development (all working titles) are The Next Big Big Thing, starring music exec Charlie Walk; Money Talks, about the world of sports gambling; Liquidate Your Life, where people sell off their possessions to start a new life; and The Big Fix, about a fixer of failing businesses.

"The conflict between fear and greed and buy and sell plays out on our air everyday so there is great opportunity to extend those themes into primetime," said CNBC president and CEO Mark Hoffman in a statement. "Reality is ever-expanding and with our unique content focused on money, CNBC is well-positioned to influence the genre."

The programming expansion comes as CNBC is posting year-over-year ratings declines, down 14% in total viewers and down 15% in the key adults 25-54 demo in 2012, the network's lowest-rated year since 2005.