Dog the Bounty Hunter's 'Dog Unleashed': What to Know About the Now-Canceled Show
Duane 'Dog' Chapman's return to television has been delayed after Unleashed Entertainment [...]
Duane "Dog" Chapman's return to television has been delayed after Unleashed Entertainment announced that Dog Unleashed has been canceled. Last week, the company announced that all production on Dog Unleashed was halted due to a breach of "contractual agreements." The Dog the Bounty Hunter star has still not commented on the situation, but he removed references to the series from his Instagram page.
"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the decision to cancel the production of Dog Unleashed on our much-anticipated streaming platform Unleashed Entertainment," Unleashed Entertainment CEO Mike Donovan said in a statement to PopCulture on Friday. "We greatly respect the incredible work of Duane Chapman (AKA Dog the Bounty Hunter) tracking down and bringing fugitives to justice." The company "received reports of actions taken by Mr. Chapman during the show's production that breach our contractual agreements."
— Unleashed Streaming Network (@Unleashed_US) March 29, 2021
It is still not clear what those actions were, but Donovan wrote that there was a "thorough investigation" into the production. Chapman was "given an opportunity to take part in the inquiry, but chose not to participate." Donovan later noted that the company "cannot in good conscience continue to work with those who do not share our values."
Dog Unleashed was expected to debut on April 1 on Unleashed Entertainment's new Unleashed streaming platform, which focuses on crime reality shows. In January, Chapman excitedly told fans on Instagram when the show would premiere, but he has since deleted the Instagram post with the announcement. Chapman's show was the main attraction for many subscribers, but Donovan still plans to launch the service, even without his biggest star.
While Unleashed was in production, Chapman often shared behind-the-scenes photos, hinting that the series would be similar to his past work. In July, he traveled to Virginia to find a wanted fugitive who was indicted by a grand jury. His fiancee, Francie Frane, joined him on the hunt, suggesting she would have appeared on Unleashed.
Since Unleashed announced his show was canceled, Chapman, 68, has not commented. On Saturday, he returned to Instagram to wish his Jewish fans a happy Passover. Chapman's recent Instagram posts also promote his Dog Unleashed CBD brand. On Twitter, Chapman removed the Dog Unleashed logo he was using as the cover photo for his profile.
Dog Unleashed would have been Chapman's return to television after WGN America declined to order a second season of Dog's Most Wanted. That show aired in fall 2019 and covered his wife Beth Chapman's cancer battle, airing after she died in June 2019. Chapman got engaged to Frane in May 2020. In October 2020, Chapman told PopCulture their wedding might be filmed, but it is unclear where that would air if Chapman does not have a show.