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DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER BACK ON TV: A&E to begin new season in July after pulling show in the wake of his racist tirade.
*Duane Chapman is finally out of A&E's dog house. After pulling his show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" when it was discovered that he used the N-word in a profanity-laced telephone conversation, the network has decided to bring it back this summer.
Filming has already begun on the fifth season, according to the Associated Press. Reruns of the show will start airing June 25, with new episodes, including ones from the fourth season that have not previously aired, coming a few weeks later.
A press conference announcing the show's return was held Wednesday with Chapman and his family appearing side-by-side with A&E executives and a representative from a civil rights organization. The message: Chapman deserves a second chance.
"It's not about ratings," A&E spokesman Michael Feeney said. "We know his heart. We know him and know he's not a racist."
Niger Innis, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality, said Chapman's use of the racial slur was wrong. But he noted that Chapman "took ownership of the harm it caused" and "sought to turn his life around."
Chapman said he has received counseling and reached out to blacks, speaking at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and participating in a toy drive.
"There was one perfect person, and they called him Jesus Christ," Chapman said. "You have to ... realize that everyone is human, and you can err."
His wife, Beth, said her husband's use of the racial slur was not a reflection of the family's feelings and vowed it would not set them back.
"We're Chapmans, and we're fighters," she said. "And brother, we're not going to settle in our setbacks. We're going to have a comeback."
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