Could this be the year for action hero comebacks?

Back in January, Sylvester Stallone reintroduced audiences to his iconic John Rambo character. Earlier this month, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s JCVD opened stateside. Now Steven Seagal is looking to get his face back out in the mainstream.

Although he’s currently known for his straight-to-video releases, the Under Seige star has been taking down bad guys in his real life for some time now. For approximately 20 years, the martial artist has been a fully-commissioned deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. In addition to assisting in the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, the expert marksman has worked with the local SWAT team and helped fellow officers with hand-to-hand combat techniques.

Hoping to highlight “all the positive work being accomplished” in the state, Seagal will be joining forces with A&E on a reality series about his work in the area. In Steven Seagal: Lawman, viewers can ride shotgun a la Cops as Steven responds to local calls. They’ll also watch him pursue his musical interests when he’s off the job. (The actor moonlights as a guitarist.)

Lawman should find a home on the cable channel’s schedule sometime in late 2009.