Reality TV Shows About Louisiana [VIDEO]
Living in the Bayou State means that there's a pretty good chance that you'll come upon some television or movie cameras eventually. Louisiana has become a hot spot for filming, and these major productions bring a lot of money into our state. And it's not just the economic impact either, you have to admit that it's pretty cool that we get to share our unique culture and heritage with the world.
And since we've become "Hollywood of the South" I thought I would round up some of the reality television shows filmed here in our beautiful state. Some of them might make you cringe, but most are really respectful of our people and culture. My favorites are below, but let me know if I left out any of yours.
Billy the Exterminator. This show ran on the A&E Network from 2009-2016, and followed the adventures of the Bretherton family in Benton, Louisiana. The family are the proprietors of Vexcon Animal and Pest Control, and showed how they tried to relocate captured animals and use natural methods of control in the Shreveport - Bossier City area. It was a wild show, and ran for over 100 episodes. Billy Bretherton had also previously been seen on the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" series with Vexcon.
Cajun Justice. This reality series ran on the A&E Network in 2012, and followed the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois Jr. A lot of the show featured crazy situations that could only be found in the 2,000 square miles of swampland in the area (Think alligators and Rougarou). The show got a lot of flack from locals for "misrepresentation" of the cajun culture, and was cancelled when Sheriff Bourgeois was replaced by Jerry Larpenter. Producers say that got a big lesson in how Louisiana politics run when they were cancelled after one season.
Swamp People. This reality series on the History Channel debuted in 2010, and is still going strong to this day. It follows the Landry family, and other local hunters and fisherman during alligator hunting season in Louisiana. Since the season is only 60 days each year, it is a fast paced show on how these hardworking Cajuns make a living in the Louisiana swamps and bayous. A cultural phenomenon, for sure, and it made Troy Landry into a bona fide superstar.
Cajun Pawn Stars.This series ran for four seasons on the History channel in 2012 and 2013. It was based on the wildly popular "Pawn Stars" show (which is still on the air) at the famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. The Cajun version was filmed at the Silver Dollar Pawn & Jewelry Center in Alexandria, Louisiana, and followed the lives of Jimmy "Big Daddy" DeRamus and his family. The store is known for the 100,000 items in its 20,000 square foot showroom.
Duck Dynasty. The popular show about the adventures of West Monroe's Robertson family ran on the A&E Network from 2012 - 2017. It was based on their Duck Commander family business, which turned into a 400 million dollar cultural phenomenon while they were on the air. Several family members have starred in spin offs of the original show, and the opening theme song was famously performed by Rock 'n Roll legends ZZ Top.
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