Canadian talent takes the spotlight this summer as Animal Planet celebrates first-class documentary programming in June! Start with the return of the channel’s #1 hit series WHALE WARS (June 8), as Canadian skipper Paul Watson and his crew continue their struggle against Japanese whalers – will they end the hunt once and for all? Then, get set for the debut of the delightful new Canadian docusoap PUTTIN’ ON THE DOG (June 21), set in Ontario cottage country. And then, finish the month with a serious look at how climate change impacts species all over the globe on ANIMALS’ GUIDE TO SURVIVAL (June 27). Plus, don’t forget to grab the popcorn and settle in for “Family Feature Saturdays” as Animal Planet presents animal-themed movies, including The Leopard Son (June 4), Secret Life of Elephants (June 11), Fluke (June 18) and Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course >(June 25).
Programming highlights for Animal Planet in June include:
RETURNING SERIES
WHALE WARS – Season 4
Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT, beginning June 8 (Special Sneak Preview of the Season Premiere on June 5 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT)
Captain Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society return for a fourth adrenaline-fueled season of WHALE WARS, waging a life-or-death battle and masterful chess match to find and stop Japanese ships from hunting whales in the name of research. After a death-defying campaign and the addition of another ship, Sea Shepherd returns to the Antarctic. Labeled activists and heroes by some and eco-pirates by others, the crew once again sets sail for its next whale defense campaign called “Operation No Compromise.” With the whaling quota higher than ever, Sea Shepherd embarks on a new mission with surprise tactics and new crew members on a desperate mission to declare victory and end whaling once and for all. Programming note: The Season 4 premiere will air in a simulcast with Discovery Channel on Sunday, June 5 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT and re-aired in its normal timeslot on Wednesday, June 8.
NEW SERIES
PUTTIN’ ON THE DOG
Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT, beginning June 21
Shane Carr and Carl Milson are equal partners in business and life, the proud proprietors of A Touch of Love, Toronto’s most elite doggy daycare and spa. Lifelong animal lovers, Carr, an award-winning groomer; and Milson, an inventor/entrepreneur, they have distinguished themselves by providing city dogs and their nutty owners with a zen haven for pets to rejuvenate, relax and socialize. But now, faced with losing their longtime location and unable to find a suitable spot to re-open in the city, Carr and Milson have decided to pack their bags and move their business up to Muskoka’s cottage country!
ANIMALS’ GUIDE TO SURIVAL
Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT, beginning June 27
For tens of thousands of years, animals have adapted to life in their various natural habitats: forests, mountains, plains, deserts, oceans, lakes and icebergs. But now, their survival skills are being severely tested. With the climate changing faster than ever before, animals have to change the way they live and survive too. Don’t miss a minute this summer on Animal Planet, as the animals’ guide to survival is rewritten.
FAMILY FEATURE SATURDAYS
The Leopard Son
Sat., June 4 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
Shooting for more than two years on the arid plains of the African Serengeti, veteran wildlife cinematographer Hugo van Lawick follows a young leopard cub’s journey through life. Sir John Gielgud (Arthur) provides the voice of van Lawick as he recounts the leopard son’s progress, likening it to his own son’s path to maturity. From the cub’s first lessons of hunting through playing with his mother’s tail up to his ultimate test of survival – his first kill.
Secret Life of Elephants
Sat., June 11 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
The highly-popular BBC documentary provides an intimate window into what it’s really like to be an elephant by focusing on several dozen of these creatures. Stripping away their incredible size and their unique appearance…elephants are surprisingly like humans. They exhibit distinct emotions, from sadness to anger and from jealousy to concern for their loved ones. Living in family groupings – herds – elephants make difficult decisions that affect all the members of the family. They seem to want nothing more than to survive and keep their loved ones close.
Fluke
Sat., June 18 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
This 1995 movie follows the story of workaholic Thomas Johnson (Matthew Modine, And the Band Played On) as he reexamines his life from a new perspective. When Johnson dies in a car accident, he comes back to life…as a dog! Remembering some of who he was, he returns to his wife and son to protect them from the man who caused his accident. But, as time goes by, he remembers more of his life and realizes he wasn’t such a good husband and father.
Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course
Sat., June 25 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
Based on the famous nature documentary series, The Crocodile Hunter, this feature film stars Steve Irwin and his wife Terri Irwin. The Irwins play themselves filming an episode of The Crocodile Hunter while trying to protect a crocodile from poachers. What the Irwins don’t know is that the crocodile is involved with a missing top-secret U.S. satellite beacon, and the poachers are actually American special agents sent to retrieve it. In the Outback and through the bush, the Crocodile Hunter is out to save the croc and relocate him.
