• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, March 31, 2015

Esquire Network, the magazine branded cable network launched in September 2013, is adding five new original series to its lineup this year, the NBCU men’s lifestyle TV property announced. The new series include “Comedians of L.A.,” “Going Deep with David Rees,” “Somm,” “The Agent” and “United States of Burgers.”

“Comedians of L.A.,” produced in partnership with NBCU Lifestyle Networks sibling Oxygen, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the careers of successful and aspiring standup comedians working the Los Angeles scenes. The show is actually half of an unusual dual series intended to give a “his-and-hers” point of view of the subject matter.

The companion show, Oxygen’s “Living with Funny,” shows their lives at home, centering on the comedians’ relationships with generally long-suffering wives or girlfriends.

The second new series, “Going Deep with David Rees,” follows the eponymous humorist and cultural observer as he dissects familiar everyday practices to cast them in a new, unfamiliar light -- often with a pronounced satirical edge.

“Somm” takes the viewer inside the rarefied world of the master sommelier, of which there are only 200 in the world. It follows the efforts of six aspiring entrants to gain membership in the super-exclusive club, dispensing some practical wine knowledge for viewers along the way.

“The Agent” does the same for the world of professional sports agents, bringing viewers an up-close view of four top sports agents navigating the professional football business on behalf of their clients, often going to extraordinary lengths to get them recruited.

Finally, “The United States of Burgers” is a six-part reality cooking competition series, pitting accomplish amateurs and aspiring professionals against each other in the quest to perfect the quintessentially American food item.