Following the successful debut of Howie Mandel’s new reality venture, Mobbed, FOX has ordered eight more installments. The network isn’t calling Mobbed a TV show yet, just a bunch of specials. If the future installments also perform well, it could certainly become a regular TV series.

Here’s the press release from FOX:

HOT FROM FOX…
PREPARE TO BE “MOBBED” AGAIN, AMERICA!
FOX Orders Eight Additional One-Hour Episodes

On the heels of its successful debut last night, it was announced today that eight additional installments of the unscripted special MOBBED, hosted and executive-produced by Howie Mandel, will air on FOX.

“MOBBED exceeded our expectations in every way last night,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “The show clearly connected with viewers, and we look forward to working with Howie and his team as they travel across the country to capture more of the shocking surprises, grand-scale performances and extraordinarily heartfelt moments featured in the first episode.”

“Doing this project was a huge undertaking – it was like doing television without a net,” said Mandel. “And I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that FOX is giving us an opportunity to keep pushing the envelope.”

The debut episode of MOBBED was the most-watched unscripted telecast to follow an AMERICAN IDOL episode in over two years in Total Viewers and outperformed FOX’s prior season average so far in the Thursday 9:00 PM hour by +36% among Adults 18-49.

In MOBBED, Mandel and thousands of strangers will help individuals across the country plan extraordinary surprises for friends, family members, loved ones or co-workers. These unknowing participants will be shocked and stunned by surprise performances that lead up to fantastic reveals that include a husband learning that his wife is pregnant, an applicant finding out that she got the job and a soldier returning home from war, among others.

Throughout each hour, the individuals will be shown prepping for the event – rehearsing their routines and refining their announcements – all while receiving guidance from host Mandel. Then, on the day of the big event – with the hidden cameras rolling – the detailed plan comes to fruition and suddenly explodes into a song-and-dance spectacle they are sure never to forget. What begins as a few dancers evolves into a grand-scale performance that wraps up with a life-changing announcement for the participants like nothing ever seen on TV.

Shine International will distribute the MOBBED format and finished episodes internationally.

MOBBED is produced by Alevy Productions and Angel City Factory. Howie Mandel, Chris Cowan, Jean-Michel Michenaud, Mike Marks, Darryl Trell, Howard Kitrosser and Michael Rotenberg serve as executive producers. It is based on a format created by Mandel, Trell and Kitrosser.

About Alevy Productions
Alevy is Howie Mandel’s Universal-based company that is run by Mike Marks. Alevy has produced “Howie Do It” and has several other projects in various stages of production, including “Flipping Dixie” and a hidden-camera presentation. They are also in development on a game show based on the bestselling iPhone App “The Impossible Quiz” and a scripted drama executive-produced by Bryan Fuller, as well as half-hour projects for Canadian television.

About Angel City Factory
Angel City Factory was set up in July 2009 in the United States by Banijay Entertainment with award-winning executive producers Chris Cowan and Jean-Michel Michenaud, the creators of “Temptation Island,” “Joe Millionaire” and “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance.” Cowan and Michenaud have produced and delivered hundreds of hours of network television over the past decade, including “Trading Spouses” and “Duel.”

About Shine International
Shine International is the sales and distribution arm of Shine Group, a leading independent production and distribution company focused on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights through scripted and alternative television formats. Shine International distributes programming from the growing library of programming of the Shine Group, including Reveille, Kudos, Dragonfly, Princess Productions, Brown Eyed Boy, Shine TV, Shine France, Shine Germany and Shine Australia as well as Metronome, along with a broad array of programming acquired from independent producers and U.S. networks, to more than 150 countries worldwide.

What do you think? Would you like to see Mobbed become a regular weekly series?

Image courtesy FOX.