Animal Planet

After Mother Jones reported late last month that Animal Planet’s staged reality show Call of the Wildman resulted in “Drugs, Death, Neglect” for some of the animals. While the article included a statement from the network and an interview with a representative from the production company, I was surprised by the comments Animal Planet’s president… continue reading

Animal Planet’s series Call of the Wildman has been revealed to not only be staged, faking its animal rescues by planting animals and using them as props in a scripted series. It’s even caused death to one of the animals it is supposed to be about saving. The network’s press release for the show’s second… continue reading

The Animal Planet competition series Top Hooker concludes its first season a week from Sunday, and it’s been a surprisingly engaging series, especially since it’s about a sport not exactly known for producing a thrill every minute. Like another Pilgrim Studios-produced competition, Top Shot, it also appeals to people who aren’t enthusiasts of the sport…. continue reading

Two nonfiction programs, a documentary and a three-part series, focus on saving endangered animals in Africa: Animal Planet’s Battleground: Rhino Wars and PBS’ broadcast of the National Geographic special Battle for the Elephants. Tonight’s one-hour special is based on an article in National Geographic magazine, “Blood Ivory” by Bryan Christy, which looks at how religiosity… continue reading

Animal Planet will air a competition reality series called Top Hooker, and although the network has focused more on humans than animals in recent seasons, the show is sadly not about prostitutes. Instead, it’s a competition between people who catch fish, and it has a brilliant name. The good news is that it’s produced by… continue reading

Over Memorial Day weekend, Animal Planet aired Mermaids: The Body Found, a clever if obviously fake documentary about mermaids. There was even an accompanying marketing campaign with shocking video and fake evidence of a government cover-up. The Discovery Channel re-aired the documentary Sunday, and the presumably wider audience prompted everything from an increase in Google… continue reading

Animal Planet and its growing collection of people-centered reality series will soon give television yet another series about cupcakes. The 12 half-hour episodes of Sweet Avenger, which debuts this summer, follows vegan cupcake baker Danielle Konya. How is this related to animals? Danielle says in the network’s press release, “I want to show people that… continue reading

Animal Planet’s focus on people-centered reality TV continues with a show that’s currently being filmed in Arkansas and focuses on a taxidermy business that freeze-dries dead pets so their owners can keep them around forever. So, yes, it’s about dead animals. Xtreme Taxidermy and its owner Daniel Ross are currently being followed by camera crews… continue reading

Last Saturday, Animal Planet launched its You Watch, We Give campaign, which raised money for the nonprofit organization featured on its reality series Pit Bulls and Parolees based on the number of viewers who tuned in. Ratings doubled for that episode, and the network is giving $50,000 to Tia Torres’ Villalobos Rescue Center. Animal Planet… continue reading