Spike Orders 10 Episodes of New, Original Series "Diamond Divers"

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As Spike TV continues to fortify its primetime lineup with distinctive original series, the network announces the pick-up of 10 episodes of the original series, "Diamond Divers," featuring a crew of rugged divers and sailors from Washington state who head to South Africa in search of incredible fortune under the sea.  The announcement was made today by Sharon Levy, executive vice president, original series, Spike TV.

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"Diamond Divers" is produced by Studio Lambert ("Undercover Boss" and "The Pitch").  Eli Holzman serves as executive producer along with Stephen Lambert, CEO, Studio Lambert; Duke Straub, Colt Straub and Royal Malloy of American Chainsaws; and Liz Bronstein, president, The Lizard Trading Company.  Chris Rantamaki, vice president, original series, Spike TV, will oversee the project for the network.

"Diamond Divers" follows an intrepid nautical crew from Washington state that travels to the infamous Skeleton Coast off the dangerous coast of South Africa, renowned for shipwrecks, to mine for diamonds.  The enterprising crew is contracted by the international company Panda Marine, a diamond mining and exploration company specializing in marine mining.

Battling some of the roughest waters on earth with looming danger of sharks, poachers, and unpredictable weather, the crew will literally be risking life and limb with every voyage to find treasure.  Fortunately, the experienced captain and crew are well-equipped for the daunting mission.  Cinematically shot, the show will chronicle all the immense danger the men will face in securing some of the untold riches along with the drama that unfolds between the various crew members.    

The crew is led by Captain John, a big-game hunting, Harley-Davidson riding, hardscrabble, financially-ambitious boat captain.  The other crew members include the captain's son, Jason, a master diver with the occasional temper like his father; J.R. The Mechanic, an ex-Marine who can build anything; Marty, the high-energy, mohawked-expert diver who has problems with authority; and Doc, a former Navy medic, who at 59 is the oldest and probably the wildest of the group.      

The show goes into production this fall and will air on Spike TV in 2012.

About Spike TV

Spike TV is available in 99.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.   Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Studio Lambert 

Studio Lambert is a fast-growing independent television production company based in London and Los Angeles.   It specializes in creating and producing entertaining, non-scripted programs for the UK, US and international markets.  It produces programs for a wide range of American and British networks including the Emmy nominated worldwide hit, Undercover Boss. Chief executive Stephen Lambert is responsible for creating ground-breaking programs in Britain and America such as "Wife Swap," "The Secret Millionaire," "Faking It" and, most recently, Undercover Boss.   The US team is led by Eli Holzman, the former head and co-founder of Miramax Television, who created the award-winning hit "Project Runway." Eli also developed and launched "Beauty & the Geek" and co-created Bravo's "Work of Art: America's Next Great Artist."  Studio Lambert is backed by All3Media, a global group of production companies and an international distribution company.

SOURCE Spike TV