truTV Taps Fifth Season of "Black Gold"

truTV has ordered a fifth season of its hit series Black Gold. Produced by Thom Beers' Original Productions (Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers), a FremantleMedia company, Black Gold follows roughneck crews in the oil fields of Texas as they struggle against the elements, equipment and sometimes each other to bring in the next big gusher. truTV has ordered 10 episodes for the fifth season, slated to begin airing this winter.

"Black Gold has been an important part of the truTV lineup since we re-branded the network in 2008, and last year it really proved its value with the most-watched season yet," said Marc Juris, executive vice president and COO of truTV. "We look forward to working with Thom Beers and his Original Productions team as we head back to Texas for a new season of Black Gold."

When it comes to drilling for oil, there is no room for error. Each crew must work through conflicts, handle dangerous equipment and balance the demands of their jobs and their families. This past season, legal troubles threatened the possibility of driller Brandon becoming a full company man; motorman Cheston set out to make a name for himself in the oil industry; floor man Tank came back for redemption and revenge; tool pusher Oscar sought to prove his worth in his new job; Josh finally got his shot as a driller; Twist tried his hand as a derrick man; and supervisor Freddy worked to keep Rig 28 and his ramshackle roughnecks in line while trying to zero in on the pay zone.

In its fourth season, Black Gold averaged 1.6 million viewers, capping what turned out to be its most-watched season yet. The series also ranked among cable's Top 5 entertainment programs in its Wednesday 10 p.m. timeslot among key male demos.

Black Gold is executive-produced by Original Productions' Thom Beers, Philip D. Segal and Jeff Conroy, Sarah Whalen is co-executive producer and Brent Henderson is series producer.

About Original Productions

Founded by Thom Beers, Emmy(R) Award winning Original Productions produces authentic non-fiction programming featuring everyday heroes in extraordinary situations, including Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, Ax Men, Black Gold and instant rating hits Storage Wars and Bering Sea Gold. Beers' steadfast focus on top-notch storytelling with engaging personalities in high-risk circumstances has produced more than 1,400 hours of original programming. Additional information is available at http://www.origprod.com and http://www.freemantlemedia.com.

About truTV

truTV, one of cable's fastest growing brands, offers a wildly entertaining look at the real world through outrageous characters, unpredictable situations and irreverent storytelling. Currently seen in 92 million U.S. households, truTV features such popular original series as Hardcore Pawn, Full Throttle Saloon, Lizard Lick Towing, Storage Hunters, Impractical Jokers, Operation Repo, South Beach Tow, Black Gold and World's Dumbest. In addition, truTV is a partner in airing the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name In Session.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.