Scott Sternberg, whose company produces reality shows such as “Shootout” on AMC and “The Academy” on Fox Reality Channel, loves documentaries.

Now with a half-dozen projects on air, his 17-year-old company, Scott Sternberg Productions, is forming a new division to produce documentaries dealing with topics including religion, relationships, fashion and disease—topics Mr. Sternberg said matter to Americans.

With his company having so much unscripted programming on air, “now seemed like a good time” to push a documentary agenda, Mr. Sternberg said. “I’ve got these pet projects and pet ideas. Let’s see if I can move them to fruition.”

The first documentary on Mr. Sternberg’s slate is “I Can’t Take It Anymore.” It’s about four young adults raised as Hasidic Jews and the challenges they face as they leave home, examining the conflict between secular and religious society.

The documentary division also is working on an untitled project about Morgellon’s disease, a mysterious skin disorder that affects an estimated 10,000 American families, according to Mr. Sternberg.

Documentary filmmaking is not a business one goes into to get rich, he said.

“Hopefully they’ll make a couple of pennies,” Mr. Sternberg said. “It’s not going to go into the retirement fund.”

But the reality business has been good to Mr. Sternberg, with talk shows, game shows, reality competition shows and clip shows in production.

Sternberg Production’s upcoming shows include “The Singing Office,” launching on TLC later this month; “Raw Nerve,” a talk show with William Shatner slated to appear on A&E Television Networks’ Biography channel; and a game show for GSN called “Catch 21.”

The company also is producing the syndicated game show “The Limit,” with Debmar-Mercury, and the magazine show “Hollywood Uncensored.” Last year it produced “Hey Paula” for Bravo.