Animal Planet's Gritty New Series "Raw Nature" Has Fearless Filmmakers Turn Cameras on Themselves during Wild Encounters

Five-Part Series by Renowned Reality Producers Thom Beers and Bertram van Munster Provide Viewers with Heart-Pounding Adventures and Innovative Digital Media Content

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 10, 2008 – Traditional animal filmmaking – with an authoritative “Voice of God” narration – has been a staple for decades. But in Animal Planet’s new series RAW NATURE, viewers get an unprecedented and immersive look at the intersection between human nature and animal instinct. The fearless filmmakers of RAW NATURE strike out across the globe to give first-hand accounts of dedicated wildlife professionals working to help animals survive human encroachment. They file these exhilarating field reports in the moment and on camera, putting viewers as close to the heart-pounding action as possible. RAW NATURE premieres Tuesday, April 29, at 9 PM (ET/PT) and airs for five consecutive weeks.

The series gets dangerously close to the deadliest of creatures in a way few have. From Komodo Dragons, whose spit will kill you, to charging white rhinos and giant anacondas, RAW NATURE ’s mission is to find it, see it, film it and survive it. In the midst of the thrill ride, however, is a strong emphasis on conservation, preservation and an understanding that the world needs to ensure its own survival. Among other stories, the series showcases a man who’s dedicated his life to rescuing poached sloth bears forced to entertain and dance on the streets of Agra, India, and a biologist in Sumatra who’s doing everything she can to help save the orangutan population from total extinction.

Executive producers Thom Beers (DEADLIEST CATCH, ICE ROAD TRUCKERS) and Bertram van Munster (THE AMAZING RACE, OPRAH’S BIG GIVE) shepherd filmmakers Matt Renner, Mitch Tanen, Gianny Truttman and Anneli Gericke, who are used to documenting the action, not being part of it. And their brushes with nature don’t always go so well – as they wake up to creatures too close for comfort, fall off trucks while filming and even have some animals smitten with them unexpectedly.

“RAW NATURE fits perfectly with our “Jaws & Claws” Tuesday night programming,” notes Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet Media. “It’s a striking new entertainment perspective on animal adventures with non-experts. I think our viewers really will connect with these producers who are caught off guard with the natural world and would themselves react in much the same way.”

RAW NATURE is produced for Animal Planet by Original Productions, Inc. Thomas Beers and Bertram van Munster are the executive producers for Original Productions, and Erin Wanner is the executive producer for Animal Planet.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the U.S.; online assets AnimalPlanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web servicePetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust video-on-demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

Source: Discovery Communications

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