With careers in wrestling, movies, radio and government under his belt, Jesse Ventura is adding a line to his résumé: professional conspiracy theorist.

A television production company announced Tuesday that the former Minnesota governor will host "Conspiracy Theories With Jesse Ventura" on cable's truTV, a Turner Broadcasting System channel.

The launch of the program was initially announced last September, but apparently only a pilot was produced.

"Now I get to be a detective and seek the truth," Ventura was quoted as saying in a news release at the time.

Talking about dark conspiracies is not exactly virgin territory for Ventura. In his books and repeated TV interviews, he has repeatedly maintained that the assassination of John Kennedy and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were hatched by conspirators unknown to the general public.

His most high-profile dabbling in the Kennedy conspiracy occurred in 2002, when he led a trade mission to Cuba and directly asked Fidel Castro if he had anything to do with the assassination.

"He said to me, 'We would never be so crazy to do something like that,'" Ventura said. "I agree with him. Why would they? That would be suicide for the country of Cuba." But he has continued to characterize the assassination as a conspiracy.

According to truTV, the channel plans to send Ventura around the world to investigate a variety of unnamed conspiracies. It has ordered seven episodes, with the first due to air in October.

In a press release, truTV characterized the show this way: "Jesse Ventura, a man who has lived a dangerous life, is about to explore mysteries behind the most compelling modern-day conspiracy theories. ... Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces."

Marc Juris, an executive vice president and general manager of truTV, was quoted as saying the channel "received a very positive response when we showed a preview of 'Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura' at this year's advertising upfront presentation, so it's very exciting to be able to green-light it for a full series."

Ventura's television track record has been rocky, despite his ubiquitous appearances on cable news shows. His stint as an announcer for XFL football crashed when that league did during his tenure as governor. A show he hosted on MSNBC in 2003 was canceled after a two-month run.

Ventura, who toyed with a U.S. Senate run last year, currently splits his time between Minnesota and Baja California.

Bob von Sternberg • 612-673-7184