Posts with tag animal planet
Posted Jul 11th 2008 8:39AM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Reality Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, OpEd, Documentary, TCA Press Tour, Reality-Free
I attended the TCA Cable Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton yesterday where I learned about the following shows:
Whale Wars on Animal Planet
Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy on Discovery
Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust on TLC
Ricky Gervais Comedy Special on HBO
Little Britain, USA on HBO
Generation Kill on HBO
And there's more. Believe me, there's more.
Okay, you've got whale pirates, mummies, bikinis, Ricky Gervais, vampires, and Marines. Unfortunately, none of those shows combine all six of those things / people. After the jump, find out about these new shows and the people who make them...
Continue reading Animal Planet, Discovery, TLC, and HBO - TCA Report
Posted Feb 6th 2008 10:00AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, Children, Documentary, TV Squad Lists
Growing up as a child of the television generation, I was always mesmerized by any shows having to do with nature or animals. I'd glue myself to the set as Marlin Perkins and Jacques Cousteau took me on fantastic adventures far removed from my own life of domesticated animals.
But I always loved the domestic animals as well. Dogs and cats have always been a part of my life and I'm enriched by their presence in our world. What I didn't have when I was growing up was an Animal Planet exploring the world of animals from pets to deadly predators. From sentimental to educational to outright odd and scary, Animal Planet explores both the worlds of the wilds and the inner cities -- as long as there are animals involved. And, it's not just for kids.
Continue reading Seven reasons I watch Animal Planet
Posted Feb 1st 2008 3:28PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Programming
I'm not into football, but I do watch the Super Bowl every single year. I watch it for the new expensive commercials (which we'll be covering here at TV Squad). But if you're the type of person who doesn't like the game or the commercials, here's what you can watch instead on Sunday (not just during the game at night but during the all-day pre-game show too). Puppies and Klingons and Beatles, oh my!
Continue reading What to watch on Sunday if you don't like football
Posted Dec 2nd 2007 6:40PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: OpEd, Documentary, Software
Would you play a
Meerkat Manor video game? I sure would--I would love to play as Flower leading her massive group of offspring around. I'm sure the fight scenes would be good too. Those meerkats have some pretty sweet moves.
Well, if you love
Meerkat Manor and you love video games, you're in luck because Activision (the same people who brought you the immensely-popular
Guitar Hero 3) has teamed up with Discovery Communications. The two companies are in talks to produce a series of video games based on cable network's shows.
They decided on
Meerkat Manor for the first game (it is Animal Planet's highest-rated show) and more titles will be released in early 2008. I wonder what other shows they will turn into video games? Discovery Communications has several cable networks so they have a wide array of shows to serve as the basis for a multi-media project (i.e. Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel). I have a few suggestions:
Man vs. Wild (or
Survivorman if you like him better),
Orangutan Island and
Deadliest Catch.
Posted Oct 3rd 2007 1:06PM by Liz Finn-Arnold
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Early Looks
Breathtaking vistas? Wild animals? Vibrant culture?
Life Is Wild, the new fish-out-of-water drama on the CW promises all these things, and yet, doesn't quite deliver. It's more of a "Life Is Mild" -- a generic family drama set in a lush South African locale -- that strips all the color out of the scenery by weighing down its story with bland characters played by nondescript actors stuck in unoriginal situations.
For real excitement and back-stabbing familial drama in the South African wild, check out the spectacular
Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. My family may be late to the game (
Meerkat Manor is now in its third season), but those meerkats have us absolutely riveted. And maybe that's why I had a hard time getting excited by
Life Is Wild. There's no real sense of danger. Unfortunately, this fictionalized African drama just can't compete with the real life-and-death struggles of those photogenic meerkats.
Continue reading Life Is Wild -- An early look
Posted Apr 10th 2007 8:04AM by Adam Finley
Filed under: News, Documentary
I've listed a few upcoming series and specials for folks like myself who enjoy nature, but don't actually want to go outside. Here's a few you might find interesting:
On April 11 at 8:00 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel, Explorer will examine exactly what happens when a person is struck by lightening. "Struck By Lightning" uses brain imaging and CGI to follow the path of a lightning bolt through the human body.
NGC's Naked Science looks at evidence that a meteorite not only killed off the dinosaurs, but may have also been what caused them to spring up in the first place. How is that possible? I have absolutely no idea. "Dino Meteor" debuts April 12 at 10:00 p.m.
Continue reading Flora and fauna: a few program highlights for nature lovers
Posted Mar 24th 2007 7:40AM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Cable, News, Video, Celebrities
Animal Planet host Jeff Corwin was tossed by an elephant while filming a segment with CNN's Anderson Cooper. Corwin is a regular correspondent for Cooper's show,
Anderson Cooper 360, for a segment called "Planet in Peril". The duo was in Cambodia at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center when one elephant put Corwin's arm in his mouth and shook him.
On his blog, Cooper describes what happened to Corwin as being "tossed like a ragdoll". Corwin also
posted on the blog, and describes the incident in very little detail and a non-alarmist way. It's apparent from his post that he's more concerned with the plight of the Cambodian elephants than with what happened.
The
video is on Cooper's blog (and
on YouTube) right now, and once you watch it, you'll be amazed to know that Corwin was generally okay. His arm wasn't even broken, just badly twisted and bruised. After the incident, Corwin continued filming with Cooper and then went to get checked out by a doctor, who put him in a sling. He may have some ligament damage, but will have to wait to know for sure when he returns to the U.S. I was actually very impressed with Cooper's reporting because he didn't let the incident overshadow the real reason for being with the elephants.
Video after the jump (the attack happens at 2:40 into the video):
[Thanks, Tim UF!]
Continue reading Jeff Corwin attacked by elephant - VIDEO
Posted Feb 7th 2007 10:03AM by Julia Ward
Filed under: Cable, Programming, Discovery, Documentary
There are so many jobs I'd love to have. I'd love to ghostwrite
Melanie Griffith's blog "In 2 Me C." I'd love to join Jackie Chan's stunt team, but mostly, I'd love to produce
Puppy Bowl. Sadly, the job has already been taken by Discovery Productions' Molly Hermann. For those of you who turn a blind eye to Super Bowl counter programming, the
Puppy Bowl is the annual Animal Planet alternative to the blockbuster sporting event.
Puppy Bowl is the furry equivalent of those Yule Log or Aquarium DVDs that you pop in your player to create party time ambiance. It's like watching a traffic camera trained on one corner for three hours. Puppies come. Puppies go. Puppies drink water from a see-through bowl with a "water cam" attached to its underside. This year,
Puppy Bowl included a Puppy Tailgate party and a Kitty Halftime Show to spice things up, but mostly, it really is just puppies running around in front of a handful of still cameras for three hours. It's the most adorable Warhol film ever.
Washington Post readers were lucky enough to chat with Hermann online prior to
Puppy Bowl airtime. She provided some behind-the-scenes details to the annual pooch extravaganza. Among the shocking revelations:
Continue reading Behind the scenes at Puppy Bowl
Posted Dec 2nd 2006 4:45PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Programming, Celebrities, Discovery, Documentary
Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel are planning on simultaneously airing a two-hour tribute to Steve Irwin on Sunday, January 21. The first hour-and-a-half will be the world premiere of Irwin's final documentary, called
Ocean's Deadliest. This is the special that he was filming with adventurer Philippe Cousteau when Irwin was
struck in the heart by a stingray barb and died. Thankfully, the video of his death
will not air. Instead, the special is about Irwin and Cousteau's expedition to find the deadliest sea creature off the Australian coast.
Ocean's Deadliest will take them on different adventures that include wrangling a giant crocodile, watching great white sharks feast, and capturing deadly sea snakes. Cousteau narrates. As with all of Irwin's work, the documentary is meant to raise awareness about the roles of these dangerous creatures in our ecosystem.
The last half-hour of the special will be a tribute to Steve Irwin's life and legacy, featuring interviews with his wife and daughter, and others who knew him. It will also include some of his most exhilirating moments on film and some never-before-seen footage.
The tribute to Steve Irwin airs January 21 at 8 pm on both Animal Planet and Discovery.
Posted Nov 24th 2006 11:02AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Cable, Documentary
If you, like me, are a sucker for interesting Animal Planet, Discovery, or National Geographic specials, you'll want to keep an eye out for this one. Using a combination of 4-D ultrasound, CGI, and tiny cameras, a team has been taking pictures of various animals as they develop in the womb. The results are pretty amazing, and will be the focus of a two hour documentary on the National Geographic channel called
In The Womb: Animals. Adam, wrote about the special a couple weeks ago, and linked to the
videos. Now, The Daily Mail has more on the special, including
a gallery that shows some new pictures with an elephant, dolphin, and dog. The special is scheduled to air Dec. 10. on National Geographic, and sometime in 2007 on Channel 4 in the UK.
[ via
boingboing ]
Posted Nov 6th 2006 12:01PM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Cable, Industry, Web
Discovery Communications recently formed Animal Planet Enterprises, a new multiplatform company with a strong focus on providing resources for pet owners. Besides maintaining the Animal Planet network and online sites like AnimalPlanet.com and Animal Planet Beyond, the new company has also acquired sites like PetFinder.com, Pets Incredible and PetVideo.com. The online and mobile aspects of the company will also include resources and tools for pet owners.
I grew up with all kinds of cats and dogs, but I currently don't own any pets of my own. I have to ask, though, do those of you reading this who have pets think you would use a "resource" like this? I think it'll be interesting to see if the animal lovers Animal Planet caters to will embrace this new company.
Posted Sep 6th 2006 8:04AM by Richard Keller
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, TV Royalty, Programming, Discovery
The partnership between Animal Planet (owned by Discovery Communications Inc.) and the late Steve Irwin can be traced to the network's inception in 1996. Back then, Irwin's series The Crocodile Hunter was one of the initial offerings of the fledgling network. The pairing of the two resulted in Irwin becoming an international star and Animal Planet reaching 160 countries across the globe. That's why it's no surprise that Animal Planet channels around the globe will honor Irwin on Sunday, September 10th with an all-day marathon of Best of the Croc Hunter programming.
Continue reading Animal Planet plans tribute to Steve Irwin
Posted Jun 13th 2006 1:38PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Cable
Gah. This really has to mean that reality TV shows are starting to run out of ideas. (Of course, I think I said the same thing six months ago.)
Former
Saved By The Bell star Mario Lopez will host a new show on Animal Planet called
Dancing Pet Stars, where humans will dance with pets and be judged a la
American Idol.
Wow. Is there really anything else to say about this show? I didn't think so.
[via
TV Tattle]
Posted May 16th 2006 3:06PM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Video, Podcasting, Discovery
Programs from the Discovery Channel and some of its associated networks are now available through iTunes. The shows include Mythbusters, Shark Week, The Save-Ums, Extreme Engineering, Breed All About It, The Most Extreme, Passport to Europe, World's Best, America's National Parks, and Kenny the Shark. The episodes will cost the usual $1.99. Personally, I like the idea of having Mythbusters and Shark Week being made available, but I'm not to sure people will be that interested in downloading and watching something like America's National Parks, much less paying to watch it. Then again, everyone isn't me.
[via Digg]
Posted Mar 30th 2006 9:47AM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Cable, Talent
Sean Astin is lending his voice to an intriguing new series
from Animal Planet. It's called
Meerkat Manor, and it's part documentary, part soap opera. I'm not sure how
exactly they're going to pull this off, but Astin will narrate thirteen episodes that follow the life and times of a
meerkat family. The
press
release promises all the goodies we've come to expect from soap operas: from backstabbing to love affairs to family
feuds. Apparently meerkats are quite the dramatic bunch. The writers even gave all the little fellas names like Zaphod
(Beeblebrox?) and Shakespeare, and they're all part of the 'Whiskers' family.
The series begins Friday, June
9 at 8 pm (ET) on Animal Planet.
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