The changing of the guard in A&E’s unscripted lineup continues. Following the cancellation of Dog The Bounty Hunter in May after eight seasons, the cable network is ending another veteran docu-reality series that helped put it on the map, Gene Simmons Family Jewels. “We could not be more proud of the unparalleled run of Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” A&E said in a statement. Added the Simmons clan, “It has been a wonderful life-altering experience for our family and after seven successful seasons, we feel it’s time to move on.” As with Dog The Bounty Hunter, the cancellation of Family Jewels comes amid a ratings decline as the show, like all aging series, has become increasingly expensive. In the most recent season this summer, Family Jewels averaged around 1 million viewers, down from the record 3 million who tuned in for the season finale last summer featuring the KISS frontman’s proposal to longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed. A&E is riding high on the success of its new flagship unscripted series, Storage Wars, and breakout Duck Dynasty.
