Guntucky to air after premiere was delayed in wake of Newtown massacre

CMT’s reality show Guntucky, centered around a family owned gun range, is set to air after the premiere was originally pushed back in the wake of the Newtown tragedy.

The network intended to start airing the show on January 26 but delayed this scheduling without any explanation. The initial press release for the show was put out on December 12, 2012, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary school, in which 20 children and 6 adults were fatally shot, occurred just 2 days later.

Starcasm followed up on the story and received a direct response from CMT’s development chief Jayson Dinsmore.

“We indeed delayed the airing of the show out of respect for the tragedy in Connecticut late last year. We’ve reviewed the show content from every angle and stand behind the show 100%. From a scheduling perspective, we’ve now slated Guntucky for late Spring.”

The show’s focus is on the Knob Creek Gun Range and the Sumner family which owns and operates it. Knob Creek is a popular destination for gun enthusiasts and is best known for its annual Machine Gun Shoot held each year in April and October.

Via the show’s official website:

Guntucky chronicles the Sumner family’s adventures as they shoot from the hip and fire from all cylinders in business and in life, banding together to run their Knob Creek gun shop and shooting range. The Sumner children and grandchildren were born with guns in their hands, and now it’s their turn to learn how to run the family business under Gran-Pa and Gran-Ma’s tutelage. Guntucky follows three generations of Sumners as they’re gunning for sales and each other behind closed doors, the shop’s floor, the range outdoors, and ’round town in Kentucky.

CMT has also added the following disclaimer:

All activities depicted in Guntucky involving firearms were conducted in accordance with applicable legal requirements, under the strict supervision of trained professionals. These activities should never be attempted or imitated in any way.

In our initial report, we discovered footage from 2006 of the Machine Gun Shoot’s wildly popular night shoot, “where, after dark, gasoline-filled metal drums and explosives are set up in and around the targets, and tracer ammunition is used.” The clip has over 500,000 views. The poster via YouTube explained that the video was initially shot for a segment to appear on NBC but it was scrapped because, “Columbine happened right after so the execs killed it for sensitivity reasons.”

The Machine Gun Shoot is also a marketplace for the buying and selling of Class III firearms. Via Knob Creek’s site:

The Military Gun Show has drawn dealers from across the country to buy, sell and trade rifles, pistols, shotguns, and machine guns. They also will be selling ammo, military surplus, hard to find gun parts and much more. The show is set up in a large lighted pole barn adjacent to the firing line and Clubhouse. Security is on patrol at all times. Knob Creek cordially invites you to come and support the second amendment, “the right to keep and bear arms.”

Here’s a promo for Guntucky in which they boast, “Knob Creek ain’t your everyday shooting range. It’s more like a theme park for gun lovers!” Range supervisor Steven Sumner adds, “In Kentucky, the Second Amendment comes first.”

The new premiere date is April 21 with back-to-back episodes beginning at 9:30 EST.