El Rey Network President and GM Daniel Tibbets has announced the English-language lifestyle network will premiere two new, original unscripted TV series in the first half of 2017: Man at Arms and Rite of Passage.

Season one of the Man at Arms TV show consists of eight hourlong episode featuring craftsmen reproducing iconic weaponry. The Rite of Passage TV show follows Australian producer, reporter and cameraman, Tim Noonan, on his 12 episode journey of self-discovery, as he tries to unlock what it means to be a man.

Learn more from the El Rey Network press release.

EL REY NETWORK TO DEBUT TWO NEW UNSCRIPTED ORIGINAL SERIES ‘MAN AT ARMS’ AND ‘RITE OF PASSAGE’

Pasadena, CA (January 13, 2017) – El Rey Network, the English-language lifestyle network targeting “Strivers,” will air two original unscripted series in the first half of 2017, “Man at Arms” and “Rite of Passage”. Both series were announced today by network president and general manager, Daniel Tibbets.

“As we expand our slate of original programming, we are looking for series that are reflective of the interests, hobbies and lives of our audience; content that’s driven by characters that are representative of how they live, work and play,” said Tibbets. “Both ‘Man at Arms’ and ‘Rite of Passage’ explore tradition, craft and ritual… and feature characters who are making their own paths, in addition to being wildly entertaining. These are all tenets that our viewers can relate to and enjoy.”

El Rey Network will bring the popular and celebrated digital series “Man at Arms” to television in a co-production deal with DEFY Media, the studio that created “Man at Arms”. El Rey Network has ordered eight original, one-hour episodes of the series. Iconic weapons and armor have played a starring role in some of the most memorable scenes in movie history and can be found throughout pop culture, from movies to video games to comics to TV shows. In each episode of “Man at Arms”, a team of expert craftsmen skillfully reproduce famed weapons and armor from scratch, using both the technology that would have been available at the time such weapons and armor were originally created, as well as state-of-the-art technologies beyond the original forgers’ wildest imaginations, to create historical, modern, and mythological works of martial art. Each masterwork is then tested by experts for its strength and real-world functionality. Whether it slices, shoots, smashes, stabs, blocks, parries, or disarms, viewers will get a first-hand look at what kind of force each marvelous masterpiece can unleash. DEFY Media’s award-winning digital series, which recently celebrated its 100th episode, consistently averages over 1.5MM views per episode and has built a vast and passionate fan community.

“Man at Arms” will be produced by DEFY, led by heads of Television/OTT Production and Development Jared Hoffman and Chris Pollack, Chief Content Officer Barry Blumberg, and El Rey Network. Hoffman and Pollack will also serve as series executive producers and showrunners.

The deal was brokered by David Sherman at WME.

“Rite of Passage” features multi-award winning Australian producer, reporter and cameraman, Tim Noonan, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery as he tries to unlock what it means to be a man. In this 12-part documentary series, Noonan seeks out communities in the world’s harshest locales, immersing himself in the culture, and participating in the extreme rituals that define the transition to manhood. Noonan finds himself taming a wild bucking bronco, amongst the anaconda infested plains of Venezuela, bonding with tribesman of the Siberian Tundra, venturing out on a dangerous crocodile hunt on the Bijagós Islands of Guinea Bissau, and in Cameroon, West Africa, crawling headfirst into the lair of a giant rock python to wrestle the monster snake from its den. Ultimately he discovers that no matter where we are, there are common themes to which we can all relate. “Rite of Passage” is produced by Seven Productions, a division of The Seven Network in Australia.

About Tim Noonan

Tim Noonan is his own producer, reporter and cameraman. He has traveled the world capturing the beauty of some of its most remote and inaccessible people and places. With little back-up and in environments where anything can go wrong, at any time, Noonan goes where few filmmakers go and has been regarded as one of Australia’s best and bravest newsmen. Noonan’s career is studded with achievements across both television and film. He has won two prestigious Walkley Awards for his cinematography in Australia and is a two-time TV Logie Award nominee (the Australian equivalent of the Emmys(R)). In 2013, he was a finalist for ‘Journalist of the Year’ for the coveted Kennedy Awards. In 2003, Noonan’s film Pens at Ten Paces, won two Warner Brothers New Filmmaker Awards before going on to win the Australia’s Shortcut Film Festival. The film also placed him as a finalist in the New York International Student Film Festival, while a short film he co-animated, Rendezvous, won the award for ‘Best Animation.’ Noonan also won ?Best Director’ and ?Best Open Film’ for his film “Operating Instructions” at the 2006 Warner Brothers New Filmmaker Awards. It made the official selection for the St Kilda Film Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival, Australian International Film Festival and was nominated for 10 awards at the Queensland Short Film Festival.

About DEFY Media

DEFY Media is the top digital producer and programmer for 13-34 year olds, and the largest owner of YouTube channels and leading media brands across the comedy, lifestyle and gaming verticals. Each month, DEFY-produced content generates 800 million video views and reaches 125 million viewers across our 70 million YouTube subscribers, 80 million unique web visitors and consumers of our apps, which have been downloaded over 25 million times. DEFY Media brands include Smosh, recently named by Variety as the top brand for 13-17 year olds, Break, known for its top program “Prank It Forward”(TM), and Screen Junkies, home to the highly influential Emmy-nominated digital series “Honest Trailers”. The world’s top brands partner with DEFY to build immersive advertising solutions that deliver unparalleled access to this influential audience. With uniquely integrated capabilities in content development, studio production, distribution and promotion, DEFY Media is built for content delivery in the digital age. Please visit us at www.DEFYMedia.com.

About Seven

Seven Productions is Australia’s largest production company. Producing more than 700 hours of programming every year, Seven Productions is recognized as a leader in the production of scripted, entertainment, reality, observational documentaries, game show and children’s programming – with major projects including My Kitchen Rules, Border Security, House Rules, Home And Away, and A Place To Call Home. Seven Productions is a division of The Seven Network – a key business of Seven West Media, Australia’s leading multi-platform media company which has a market leading presence in broadcast television, magazine and newspaper publishing and online.

About El Rey Network

El Rey Network is a 24-hour, English-language lifestyle network targeting “Strivers,” working and middle class male viewers who hold strong core beliefs about the importance of family, independence, hard work, craftsmanship, and legacy. Founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network features action-packed programming, relatable heroes and aspirational stories that embrace today’s America. El Rey’s slate is anchored by signature series including the original drama “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series,” the one-on-one interview program “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair,” and “Lucha Underground,” a lucha libre wrestling series produced by Mark Burnett. El Rey Network’s lineup also showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and television series including genre, action, and sci-fi/ horror. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.

[Press release via The Futon Critic]

What do you think? How do you like the sound of these new El Rey Network TV shows? Do you plan to check them out?