
AMC has greenlighted 2 unscripted series, Kevin Smith’s Secret Stash and JJK Security, about a private security firm. Additionally, the network announced that, just like Season 1 did, the second season of The Walking Dead will launch with a 90-minute premiere episode. It will once again kick off AMC’s two-week long Fearfest on Sunday, Oct, 16. The 13-episode second season will be split in 2: 7 episodes airing in the fall and the remaining 6 launching Feb. 12.
Secret Stash, executive produced by Kevin Smith, Charlie Corwin’s Original Media and Elyse Seiden (Red State), is set in Smith’s iconic comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. AMC has ordered 6 hourlong episodes of the series, which aims to capture the world of the neighborhood comic book store and fanboy culture, for a 1Q 2012 launch. “Draper. Meth. Zombies. This show couldn’t be on a better network,” said Smith, referring to AMC’s flagship dramas Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. “AMC is to television what Miramax was to cinema back when I first got in the game: they’re the premier destination for any story-teller looking to spin an offbeat yarn that no other outlet has the stones to touch. And as if I didn’t love them enough, now they’re putting my friends on TV! I’m ecstatic, proud, and extremely lucky to be in bed with a network I watch religiously anyway. And if they’d pushed just a little harder in the negotiations, I’d have done this show for no payment beyond early access to every episode of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Walking Dead.”
JJK Security, executive produced by Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver from Left/Right (This American Life), revolves around the slightly off-kilter characters who work at a small, family-owned private security company in rural Georgia – a one-stop shop for services that range from private investigations to personal protection to neighborhood patrols, and everything in between. AMC has ordered 8 half-hour episodes of the series, which is looking to bring to the reality genre the sensibility of the Coen Brothers, Christopher Guest and Robert Altman movies. Launch is slated for 3Q, 2012.
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But we’ll only hear the zombies.
Forget Kevin Smith. Anyone who’s seen the JJK sizzle knows that AMC’s got something very unique and special here.
Jeez Smith, get a room!
who’s Kevin Smith?
@jay
Lol! Zing!
I am so damn sick of these “split seasons!” 5,6,7 episodes is not enough. This is how shows lose viewers and get cancelled. TNT & USA (and now AMC) i’m talking to you.
I 100% agree a month off is fine but 3 is annoying.
I like the split season for The Walking Dead. We got like 6 episodes last year, so 7 this fall is nice. It gives us some time between the second (and if renewed) third season, instead of waiting for an entire year!
Tell ‘Em Steve Dave (the podcast featuring the guys that work at Smith’s store) is one of the most consistently funny podcasts out there. I can’t wait for this show. Congrats to all!
I absolutely HATE split seasons. I believe that is the reason why The Event, Flashforward, and V all lost viewers as bad as they did.
Split seasons can work for shows (Doctor Who for example). I think it will work for Walking Dead as long as they have a killer cliffhanger.
cant wait for Secret Stash. love the TESD and TESD Overkill podcasts! and def cant wait for Walking Dead <3
Seriouslly a split-season on 13 episodes? That is ridiculous! The reason split-season shows work is because there are more episodes to work with…
always thought reality tv was perfect for Kevin smith unique sense of humor. and the split season of walking dead could work by giving fans something to look forward for the rest of the season and maybe end up lasting long enough for the governor to appear.
The Walking Dead spilt season probably has more to do with the 2012 premiere of Mad Men than any production schedule. AMC probably wants to maximize new eyeballs on their prestige show.
AMC’s brand value and street cred took a huge hit this year when its maddening, frustrating first season of THE KILLING came to an insulting end.
Though it was nice that AMC President Charlie Collier valiantly reigned in showrunner Veena Sud’s asinine post-finale comments in damage control. AMC: take a page from Matt Weiner’s book and hire stronger creatives.
Funny everyone crying about spilt seasons when South Park has been doing it for years now. I’ve not seen anyone complain about that, not has it hurt the show.
As a long-time, weekly comic book store-visiting comic book fan (and the target demographic for this show), I must say that I was very excited to visit Kevin Smith’s comic book store in NJ while visiting the area. Unfortunately, I found it to be one of the least impressive comic book stores I have ever been to. It was badly-stocked, ugly and forced a loud, annoying, steady stream of Kevin Smith movies upon its customers.
And, as Kevin Smith’s overly verbose comic book writing career as equally hated by readers as it is loved by others (and Kevin Smith fans who still like his movies), most real comic books fans would agree that a comic book store reality show is a wonderful idea… however, one set in Kevin Smith’s rather lousy store is definitely not.
Bad move, AMC.
You clearly don’t get it. I’m sure AMC’s main consideration was how well stocked the store was. I don’t know what magical comic book store you are fortunate enough to frequent, but most stores are pretty much EXACTLY like Secret Stash. And as for complaining about the ambient Smith movies, it’s his store, who cares. Plus, Smith comes with a guaranteed audience and is well established in show business, how many comic book owners can say that? I would have been surprised if they had done a show and it wasn’t Secret Stash, tbh.
I’ve seen the reel for JJK and it’s a joke. How that show and Mad Men can exist on the same network is beyond me. AMC beats out MTV in the race to the bottom.