Mike Rowe returning in July with new 'Dirty Jobs' episodes

June 24 (UPI) -- Author and television personality Mike Rowe's new, four-episode show, Dirty Jobs: Rowe'd Trip, is scheduled to premiere on Discovery Channel on July 7.

The limited series is a followup to Rowe's reality show, Dirty Jobs, which explored various unusual, messy and necessary occupations. It ran eight seasons and wrapped in 2012.

Each episode of Rowe'd Trip will feature a specific theme, including Infrastructure, Innovator, Isolation and Animals.

"Dirty Jobs Forrest Gumped it's way on the air in 2004 and changed my life forever. What began as a simple tribute to my grandfather, has evolved into the granddaddy of 'essential work' programming, and I'm humbled everyday by the number of people who continue to watch," Rowe said in a statement.

"Personally, I've missed the camaraderie more than anything else -- the fun of traveling with a tight-knit crew, meeting the finest people you could ever hope to know, and shooting in all 50 states many times over," Rowe added. "Looking back at my favorite moments with the old crew while hitting the open road was the perfect way to reunite, especially at a time like the one we're all living through now. I know that fans of the show will have as much fun watching, as we did filming."

Rowe is the author of the best-selling book, The Way I Heard It, and is currently the host of Facebook's Returning the Favor.