Real mall cops heading to TLC

Are the people who keep order in shopping malls really as funny as portrayed by Kevin James in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”? We’ll find out when TLC begins airing “Mall Cops: Mall of America.”

Produced by September Films, the series shares the story of the men and women who work the security team at America’s largest shopping mall, the Mall Of America in Minnesota, which welcomes more than 40 million visitors a year.

Twelve half-hour episodes of the reality series have been ordered.

Earlier this fall, TLC premiered a one-hour special, also titled “Mall Cops: Mall of America,” which achieved an average HH rating of 1.0 and was viewed by an average of 1.2 million P2+ viewers. This strong performance secured the series order.

Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, is, at 4.2 million square feet, the largest mall in the US. With over 500 stores, a 7-acre indoor theme park, a 1.2 million gallon aquarium, a secondary school, a wedding chapel and huge celebrity events, Mall of America is a mini city – and needs to be protected as one. Cameras will take viewers behind the scenes as the mall’s cops handle the tasks both routine and extraordinary as they working in such a remarkable setting.

“Mall Cops: Mall of America” is produced by DCD Media-owned September Films. Executive producers are Peter Davey and Sheldon Lazarus.