Upfronts 2014: Animal Planet Ventures Into Scripted
Animal Planet made its 2014-15 upfront presentation Thursday and unveiled its slate of new and returning programming for the upcoming season. Among the new original programming being touted is the network’s first original scripted effort, Revenge of the Whale, a two-hour retelling of the story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, starring Martin Sheen.
The network also announced The Yao Ming Project, a special that will follow former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming on a trip around the world on a personal mission to expose and end the trade of illegal ivory.
Other specials include The Last North, Primates: Clash of the Kingdom, Snow Wolf Family, Surviving the Kill Zone, Walking the Nile, Wild Asia, Wild Australia and Wild Mexico.
On the new-series side, Animal Planet will feature Ice Lake Rebels, about a group of libertarians who reject modern life to live on houseboats in Canada’s frigid northwestern region. Other new series include Deadly Islands, Pool Master, Redwood Kings, Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters and My Tiny Terror.
Returning series for Animal Planet include America’s Cutest Pet , Finding Bigfoot, Gator Boys, Ice Cold Gold, My Cat From Hell, North Woods Law, Pit Bulls & Parolees, River Monsters, Tanked, Too Cute! and Treehouse Masters. Event programming for the upcoming season includes Holiday Best Fest, Monster Week 3 and Puppy Bowl XI.
On Tuesday, Animal Planet unveiled a digital slate that includes supplementary programming connected to My Cat From Hell, River Monsters, Tanked, Treehouse Masters, Pit Bulls & Parolees, Finding Bigfoot, Too Cute! and Puppy Bowl XI.
Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter
The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below