• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 15, 2013

Adam Carolla, a sort of renaissance man in entertainment, apparently has a diversity of interests outside the business. An avid car collector, he is also a talented construction contractor.
 
“Legit-sky,” said Sharon Levy, Spike’s head of development.
 
The comedian is putting his skills to work in a network pilot, “To Catch A Contractor,” where he takes on a role not dissimilar from the local news' “On Your Side” reporters looking to uncover fraud. After a person has been ripped off by a builder, Carolla “hunts down the shoddy builder and gets retribution for the owner.”
 
Levy made sure to note Carolla’s get-even efforts won’t come without humor.  
 
Carolla has a long history at Viacom working on shows at MTV and Comedy Central, but this would be his first go-round at Spike, which is hoping the former co-host of “The Man Show” will help its efforts to attract more female viewers.
 
Also in the works at Spike are two shows in the cooking genre. “Covert Kitchens” with chef Graham Elliott focuses on how one-night-only, pop-up restaurants get the job done. “Frankenfood” has chef Eric Greenspan overseeing battles between a pair of fledgling chefs to get their concoctions on a restaurant menu.
 
Levy said “Bar Rescue,” one of the shows in Spike’s multi-gender efforts, draws about 50% female viewers. The network is calling on star Jon Taffer to star in a spinoff, “Hungry Investors,” where owners of restaurants who have potential but are struggling compete for an investment.
 
With his car expertise, Carolla might also be able to play a role in “Auto Body Avengers,” where undercover work nabs “unscrupulous” auto repair shops.
 
Levy said much of Spike’s programming falls under a “smart-edged, real stakes” umbrella, where there’s an effort to take viewers deep behind the scenes. It can be tough to remember which cablers run reality series, but Levy says she’s confident that Spike has a unique approach in terms of conveying information and providing access.

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