AMC's newest TV series, "Small Town Security," explores workaday life at JJK Security & Investigations, a small, family-run security and private investigation company based in Ringgold. It features, from left, Dennis Croft, Joan Koplan (the owner), Irwin Koplan and Brian Taylor.

"Small Town Security," the reality show about the folks who run JJK Security in Ringgold, Ga., will be back for a second season, though people will see a little bit less of star Joan Koplan.

"AMC picked us up, and we are very excited," Koplan said. Filming on eight new episodes will begin next month, she said.

The outspoken star of the show and chief of the agency, Koplan said she was less excited about the way she looks in high definition television, so she has lost some weight.

"I looked terrible, but I'll look better in the next episodes."

She has been thrilled, however, by how the show has been received by fans.

"They love it because it's real," she said. "It's all unscripted. It's a crazy show and people love it. It went from people not liking it to now they love it and they come by all the time to say hello. They say they laugh themselves sick. It's like having a pair of binoculars and looking into other people's lives."

The rest of the cast includes Koplan's husband, Irwin; Dennis Croft; Brian Taylor; Christa Stephens and Lambchop, Koplan's feisty 14-year-old Chihuahua. The show is more about the interactions of the eccentric staff and the conversations they have about things like bathroom habits than actual security-related events.

Koplan said she has been pleasantly surprised at how nice fans have been, and even more surprised at how her newfound fame has made her feel.

"I thought that when this happened it would be like making me feel really good and that I would enjoy people making a big fuss," she said.

"I didn't get anything like that. I start getting embarrassed. When people recognize me, even in Atlanta or wherever, I'm try to be nice and say thank you, but ... I don't act like a star. I'm embarrassed and thankful. It's wonderful the way people are so nice."