Great American Country Goes Gator Farming

Great American Country will follow the lives of alligator farmers in its new reality series, Growing Up Gator, the network said.

The six-episode series, which debuts Oct. 24, chronicles the exploits of third-generation alligator farmers Britney, Kasey and Chelsea Brooks as the look to relocate gators from public places where they might otherwise pose a threat, said network officials. Produced and created by Miami-based 2C Media for Great American Country, Growing Up Gator is executive produced by Chris Sloan and Carla Kaufman Sloan. Calvin Simmons serves as co-executive producer.

“In this show, you have three young ladies who are fearless when it comes to facing down alligators” said Steven Lerner, senior vice president of programming and development for Great American Country, HGTV and DIY Network in a statement. “The entire Brooks family works together to address the community’s need to remove alligators from public spaces where they could cause harm or be harmed themselves. It’s a courageous pursuit, and it’s a lot of fun to watch in Growing Up Gator.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.