International reality TV show scheduled for Hawkins police chief

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) -

Reality TV shows have become common and very popular, and now one will be shot in East Texas ... but with an international flair.

Later this month film crews will arrive in Hawkins to shoot a reality series on the city’s police Chief Manfred Gilow, himself a German immigrant.

It was January this year that a German news crew arrived in Hawkins to shoot a documentary on chief Gilow. And that drew more interest.

“They pitched it to a major TV production in Germany. They told me this TV show bought your show and it has 8.5 million viewers. And I thought are you serious? I said look I don’t know if I can offer you enough to film in Hawkins with my job,” he says.

But the deal was offered and signed, with Gilow and the city all in.

“I just think it’s positive for Hawkins,” Manfred says.

Gilows’ story captured the imagination of the Germans, and crews will shadow him on the job and off.

"Working traffic, answering calls, then they go home with me and have cameras set up," the chief says.

And there could be an economic impact on Hawkins. Germans are already expressing interest in tourism here.

"I get from 7 to 10 emails a week from Germans," Gilow says.

It will not interfere with his duties, and city officials foresee this could be a huge economic boost to several East Texas communities.

"We're 250 percent excited about it right now. In fact we hope it would help the economic deal of all Wood county and around the area," says Hawkins mayor Tom Parker.

"Some have already been here and where do they stay, what hotel? So they had to pick Tyler," says Manfred.

Crews will shoot the reality show through July, with a major cable channel set to carry the initial eight episodes of the series., which is tentatively titled ‘Z Germanator’.

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