New season of 'Alaska State Troopers' reality show set for January release
Portions of the upcoming season were filmed in Mat-Su over the summer.
What you need to know:
- “Alaska State Troopers” will premiere its ninth season Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. PT on A&E. Ten episodes will be available on demand.
- Alaska State troopers were spotted filming the show in Mat-Su in July.
- Alaska public safety officials hope the new season will help boost trooper recruitment across the state.
- Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.
PALMER — A new season of the reality TV show “Alaska State Troopers” is set to premiere in January, nearly six months after crews were spotted filming with troopers in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
The new season of “Alaska State Troopers” will be available Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. PT on A&E, according to a news release. Ten episodes will be available, A&E officials said in an email.
“In America’s largest and wildest state, just 400 Alaska State Troopers are responsible for patrolling hundreds of miles in Fairbanks and the Mat-Su Valley and serve more than 230 remote villages only reachable by boat or plane,” a promotion in the press release states.
“From the endless light of summer to the deep freeze of winter, each one-hour episode captures these men and women as they patrol the vast frontier by land, sea and air. Alaska is the final stop for fugitives on the run, where danger is vast, distances are brutal, and backup can be hours away. From multi-agency criminal takedowns to life-saving search-and-rescue missions, the series showcases a range of calls Alaska State Troopers face that are as immense and unpredictable as the state itself.”
Film crews spent several months with troopers around the state, Alaska public safety officials said in an email Monday. That included the Mat-Su, where filming took place in July and August.
The show, now in its ninth season, returns to streaming with a new slate of producers. The project is the first for Anusia Films and executive producer Anna Rodzinski, according to the release. Rodzinski worked as a writer on the show’s initial run, according to the Internet Movie Database.
“Alaska State Troopers” last filmed in 2014, with a final episode airing on National Geographic in 2015, according to the database.
Public safety officials said they agreed to the new season in part to help with trooper recruitment, which continues to be a challenge statewide.
“Ultimately, this new series is a strategic partnership we hope will build understanding, reinforce public trust and highlight the vital role that troopers have in every corner of our great state,” Alaska Department of Public Safety spokesman Austin McDaniel said in July.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com