Upfronts 2012: Animal Planet to Launch Competition Reality Series

Network sets 11 new series, specials

By R. Thomas Umstead, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/5/2012 3:20:34 PM

Complete Coverage: Upfronts 2012

Animal Planet will jump into the reality competition waters with a new fishing-themed series, part of a slate of 11 new series and specials slated for the 2012-13 season.

The new competition series, Top Hooker, will pit two teams of 10 expert fishers in a series of head to head, never-before-seen fishing challenges, said network executives. Extreme anglers will also be the subject of a second new series, Fish America, in which pro wrestler Eric Young travels the country to fish hand to hand with other unique fisherman.

The network will continue to offer natural history programming with Frontier Earth With David Salmoni, a six part series that will follow large predator expert Salmoni as he unfolds the plights of the world's most enigmatic animals. Other new series in the genre include Polar Bear Family And Me, The Afterlife: Elephant, The Afterlife: Hippo, Rhino Wars, Wild Arabia and Wild Hawaii.

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