May 20, 2013

Animal Planet Kicks Off Monster Week!

From Press Release:

BE AFRAID… BE VERY AFRAID, ANIMAL PLANET’S MONSTER WEEK SLITHERS BACK TO THE SMALL SCREEN MAY 20-27 WITH 24 PREMIERE HOURS OF ALL-NEW SPECIALS

–The Much-anticipated Follow-up to Last Year’s Investigation, MERMAIDS: THE NEW EVIDENCE, Premieres Sunday, May 26, at 10 PM —

May 20, at 8 PM (ET/PT), Animal Planet’s Monster Week is back with all-new stories about the world’s most legendary and mysterious creatures. Monster Week, a week so big it lasts eight days, digs deep into our fascination with the unknown and proves that there are still real monsters out there…

Perhaps the most haunting, lingering imagery from last year’s MONSTER WEEK is the physical evidence linked to the existence of mermaids. In MERMAIDS: THE BODY FOUND, Animal Planet stunned viewers with captivating footage and an in-depth investigation of these fantastical creatures. Toward the tail-end of this year’s Monster Week, Animal Planet revisits this startling, groundbreaking topic in the much-anticipated follow-up special, MERMAIDS: THE NEW EVIDENCE, premiering Sunday, May 26, at 10 PM ET/PT. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Paul Robertson, former NOAA scientist who led last year’s investigation, journalist Jon Frankel probes for the unfiltered story and reveals new evidence of mermaids that only has come forward in the past year. MERMAIDS: THE NEW EVIDENCE follows a two-hour MERMAIDS: THE BODY FOUND The Extended Cut, which airs Sunday, May 26, from 8-10 PM ET/PT.

Also not to be missed this Monster Week is the RIVER MONSTERS season finale, when host Jeremy Wade takes viewers on an epic odyssey in search for the fabled, infamous Loch Ness Monster. Also, tune in to the network premiere of MONSTER SQUID: THE GIANT IS REAL, a first-of-its-kind special, highlighting the most ambitious search ever mounted to find the greatest mystery of the deep – the giant squid. Check out SWIMMING WITH MONSTERS, featuring episodes about the world’s biggest snake, the anaconda, and the world’s deadliest killer, the fiercely territorial and ferocious hippo. Stay tuned for DEVOURED: MAN-EATING SUPER SNAKE RETURNS and MAN-EATING SUPER SQUID, and prepare for an apocalypse of creatures invading beaches, attacking boats and ambushing humans like never before. Can they be stopped, or is this beginning of a monster Armageddon? Then, prepare for an assault in INVASION OF THE SWAMP MONSTERS and INVASION OF THE MUTANT PIGS, world-premiere specials that reveal deadly Floridian reptiles and other invasive species in the Sunshine State as well as out-of-control wild pigs running amok in Texas. These mutant pigs have razor-sharp tusks and a taste for mayhem; they destroy farmland, attack people and cause highway accidents in suburban neighborhoods.

To commemorate Monster Week, Animal Planet L!VE, a 24/7 digital destination with live access to the animal kingdom, is bringing more teeth to Animal Planet’s multi-platform experience with the debut of Piranha Cam. Launching in tandem with Monster Week, Piranha Cam features freshwater fish known for their sharp teeth and omnivore appetites. Visitors can get their fill of these often feared creatures from the safety of their living rooms, laptops, smartphones or tablets by tuning in for regularly scheduled feeding frenzies.

RIVER MONSTERS: Unhooked: American Killers*
World Premiere Monday, May 20, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Unhooked: they’re your favorite RIVER MONSTERS episodes and supersized! Take a peek inside Wade’s journal to find out what really goes on during his monster expeditions. Some of Wade’s most incredible stories aren’t the ones captured on film! How does his camera crew capture some of RIVER MONSTERS’ most horrifying scenes? Get tips, tales and behind- the-scenes buzz on RIVER MONSTERS: UNHOOKED. In American Killers, Wade treks across the United States in search of deadly river monsters living in our nation’s waterways, from the popular Indian River Lagoon in Florida, where unsuspecting water enthusiasts are faced with what could become a modern day “Jaws,” to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, where underwater hunters have reached man-eating proportions and devoured the bodies of numerous drowned vacationers.

RIVER MONSTERS: Unhooked: Face Ripper*
Two-Hour World Premiere Monday, May 20, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Unhooked: they’re your favorite RIVER MONSTERS episodes and supersized! Take a peek inside Wade’s journal to find out what really goes on during his monster expeditions. Some of Wade’s most incredible stories aren’t the ones captured on film! How does his camera crew capture some of RIVER MONSTERS’ most horrifying scenes? Get tips, tales and behind- the-scenes buzz on RIVER MONSTERS: UNHOOKED. In Face Ripper, Wade investigates a horrific death in a Bolivian river. In an area crawling with cocaine smugglers, he treks through the dangerous jungle to discover the fresh water beast that ripped a man’s face to shreds. Wade is astonished when one of his oldest adversaries proves him wrong – but is he already in too deep to learn a new lesson?

MONSTER SQUID: THE GIANT IS REAL*
Network Premiere Tuesday, May 21, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
In this special, filmmakers undertake the most ambitious search ever mounted to find the greatest mystery of the deep – the giant squid. With razor-toothed suckers and eyes the size of dinner plates, these creatures are said to have been around since ancient times. The Norse legend of the sea monsters, the kraken and the scylla from Greek mythology might have derived from the giant squid. This massive predator always has been shrouded in secrecy, and every attempt to capture a live giant squid on camera in its natural habitat – considered by many to be the Holy Grail of natural history filmmaking – has failed… until now. Mankind finally confronts the creature of the deep as the first-ever footage, showing the giant squid in its habitat, is revealed in MONSTER SQUID: THE GIANT IS REAL.

MAN-EATING SUPER SQUID*
World Premiere Tuesday, May 21, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
It’s just like a terrifying nightmare – a deadly kraken (a legendary sea monster) lurks in the dark, ripping apart prey with bone-chilling efficiency, and now it’s headed for shore. Today, the monster’s smaller cousin, the humboldt squid, is breeding out of control, quickly becoming the ocean’s number-one super predator. The stories about krakens are legendary, but could they be real? There have been tales about unsuspecting fishermen who were killed by ravenous squids and sailors who’ve witnessed the epic-sized monster in the flesh. Invading beaches, attacking boats and ambushing humans like never before, these creatures are on a rampage. Can they be stopped, or is this beginning of a monster Armageddon?

SWAMP WARS: Snakation!*
World Premiere Wednesday, May 22, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Chuck and Ernie have captured practically every deadly reptile roaming the Everglades and now are looking for a new adventure. After setting off to Costa Rica for the ultimate “snakation,” the guys test their skills against some of the deadliest animals on the planet, with the ultimate hope of finding the largest pit viper ever – the black-headed bushmaster. But this deadly reptile is almost impossible to find and can kill a human with just one strike. On their quest for the snake, Chuck and Ernie encounter killer constrictors and the deadly Terciopelo, which claims hundreds of lives in Central America each year.

DEVOURED: MAN-EATING SUPER SNAKE RETURNS*
World Premiere Wednesday, May 22, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-14 (L)
An alien species is out of control in America! Latching on with razor-sharp teeth and slowly crushing its victims to death, the Burmese python zeroes in on its prey. With the ability to swallow extremely big prey, the python is proving that even humans are fair game – from small children to full-grown men. Watch as expert snake hunter Steve Masek captures a monster python and nearly falls victim to a deadly attack. Breeding rapidly like a virus, this cold-blooded carnivore kills and consumes anything in its path. Can anything stop this man-eater before it’s too late?

RIVER MONSTERS: Unhooked: Vampires of the Deep*
World Premiere Wednesday, May 22, at 10 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Unhooked: they’re your favorite RIVER MONSTERS episodes and supersized! Take a peek inside Wade’s journal to find out what really goes on during his monster expeditions. Some of Wade’s most incredible stories aren’t the ones captured on film! How does his camera crew capture some of RIVER MONSTERS’ most horrifying scenes? Get tips, tales and behind- the-scenes buzz on RIVER MONSTERS: UNHOOKED. In Vampires of the Deep, Wade heads stateside on a journey that takes him from Vermont, along the Canadian/United States border, to a vast and brooding lake that hides a dark history. Then, Wade ventures cross country and into the heart of a thundering waterfall in Oregon. For Native Americans, it’s a sacred home to underwater spirits, but recently something has risen from the murky depths to attack swimmers. Local stories on both sides of the country paint a nightmarish picture of an invasion of primordial bloodsuckers – true Vampires of the Deep.

SWIMMING WITH MONSTERS: Anaconda
World Premiere Thursday, May 23, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Wildlife naturalist Steve Backshall travels to a remote area of Brazil, where he searches for the world’s biggest snake – the Anaconda. Once on location, Backshall swims under water with the snake in its own territory. It’s a dangerous mission that no human has ever attempted…until now.

SWIMMING WITH MONSTERS: Hippo
World Premiere Thursday, May 23, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Wildlife naturalist Steve Backshall travels to Africa to embark on a dangerous mission to swim under water with the fiercely territorial and unpredictable hippopotamus. No scientific team has ever attempted to study hippos under water…until now.

RIVER MONSTERS: Unhooked: Colombian Slasher*
World Premiere Thursday, May 23, at 10 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Unhooked: they’re your favorite RIVER MONSTERS episodes and supersized! Take a peek inside Wade’s journal to find out what really goes on during his monster expeditions. Some of Wade’s most incredible stories aren’t the ones captured on film! How does his camera crew capture some of RIVER MONSTERS’ most horrifying scenes? Get tips, tales and behind the scenes buzz on RIVER MONSTERS: UNHOOKED. In Colombian Slasher, Wade travels to Colombia, a country known for drug smuggling, remote jungles and hostage-bearing rebels. When a bride is dragged to her death in a less-than-romantic honeymoon in the Amazon, few think a river monster could be to blame. But Wade uses a crucial piece of evidence to concoct a hypothesis on the bride’s death. Can he prove a little known method of killing took this woman’s life and reveal the true horror behind an already tragic story? To complete the puzzle, Wade pushes himself and his gear to the brink in a one-of-a-kind jungle quest.

INVASION OF THE SWAMP MONSTERS*
World Premiere Friday, May 24, at 7 PM (ET/PT)
TV-14 (L)
In Florida, reptiles and other deadly creatures are spreading out of control, entering suburban neighborhoods, and endangering people and pets. Now, Karl Malcolm, nicknamed “The Professor” for his detailed knowledge of wildlife ecology and conservation, leads a special team of hunters, which includes Jana Waller, an avid bow hunter who is keen to explore the danger each invasive creature presents to people and the environment; Benny Spies, a widely traveled outdoor adventure seeker, and Jackson, the team’s lead trapper who can catch just about anything with his bare hands. They are on a quest to catch these killers before it’s too late. In this episode, the team travels to the heart of the Everglades to capture a giant Burmese python, risks life and death in Cape Coral searching for the Nile Monitor (a cousin of the fearsome Komodo dragon), and ventures to the streets of Miami, where a tiny yet deadly African snail is slowly destroying crops and endangering the health of curious children.

INVASION OF THE MUTANT PIGS*
World Premiere Friday, May 24, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-14 (L)
In Texas, more than two million wild pigs with razor-sharp tusks are running amok, destroying farmland, attacking people, causing serious road accidents and plaguing suburban neighborhoods. Now, Karl Malcolm, nicknamed “The Professor” for his detailed knowledge of wildlife ecology and conservation, leads a special team of hunters, which includes Jana Waller, an avid bow hunter who is keen to explore the danger each invasive creature presents to people and the environment; Benny Spies, a widely traveled outdoor adventure seeker; and Jackson, the team’s lead trapper who can catch just about anything with his bare hands. They are hot on the trail to discover why these mutant creatures may soon come to your neighborhood. In this episode, Benny and Trent travel to Waco to take part in a unique form of helicopter hunting involving a net gun while Jana and Karl visit the newly opened fastest road in America, which has seen a steady stream of pig-related accidents since its construction.

RIVER MONSTERS: Top 10 Special
World Premiere Friday, May 24, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Please visit press.discovery.com/us/apl for episode descriptions as they become available.

RIVER MONSTERS: Unhooked: Killer Torpedo*
World Premiere Friday, May 24, at 10 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Unhooked: they’re your favorite RIVER MONSTERS episodes and supersized! Take a peek inside Wade’s journal to find out what really goes on during his monster expeditions. Some of Wade’s most incredible stories aren’t the ones captured on film! How does his camera crew capture some of RIVER MONSTERS’ most horrifying scenes? Get tips, tales and behind- the-scenes buzz on RIVER MONSTERS: UNHOOKED. In Killer Torpedo, Wade travels to Central America, a land known for drug smuggling and remote jungle waterways, to investigate a man-sized killer. Tales of a creature that weighs in at some 300 pounds and measures eight-feet long strikes fear in the heart of all who dare to travel these waters. This beast is said to leap into local boats and cause fatal injuries to the people inside them. The quest for this underwater giant drives Wade beyond his breaking point as he must relearn everything he knows about fishing in order to catch this elusive Nicaraguan river monster.

WORLD’S SCARIEST ANIMAL ATTACKS
Network Premiere Saturday, May 25, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-14 (L)
Please visit press.discovery.com/us/apl for episode descriptions as they become available.

RIVER MONSTERS: Legend of Loch Ness*
Two-Hour World Premiere Monday, May 27, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
For more than 30 years as a professional angler, Jeremy Wade has gone head to head with the world’s most legendary RIVER MONSTERS – all but one – the Loch Ness Monster. He remains reluctant to take on this quest as many others have failed to unlock the true identity of the creature behind this long-living legend. Wade takes viewers along on an epic odyssey, from the depths of Scotland’s Loch Ness to the volcanoes of Iceland and waters of Norway, to track down the world’s-most-famous water-dwelling monster.

Filed under Bigfoot Report, Cryptozoology, Evidence, Eyewitness Accounts, Lake Monsters, Loch Ness Monster, Merbeings, Pop Culture, River Monsters, Swamp Monsters, Television, Videos