| River Monsters | |
|---|---|
| Format | Nature Documentary |
| Starring | Jeremy Wade |
| Narrated by | Jeremy Wade |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 21 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Discovery Production |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Animal Planet |
| Picture format | SD: 576i 16:9 HD: 1080i |
| Audio format | SD: Stereo HD: Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Original run | 5 April 2009 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
River Monsters is a documentary television series that airs on Animal Planet, hosted by Jeremy Wade and produced by Icon Films of Bristol, UK. The first season aired from 5 April to 17 May 2009. A second season began airing on 25 April 2010. The third season began on 10 April 2011.
After the show garnered high viewers and good ratings in the third season, on 9 June 2011, Animal Planet renewed the show for a fourth season, to be premiered in spring 2012.
Contents |
River Monsters travels worldwide with host, biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade to explore freshwater mysteries and local folklore, possibly debunk these myths and track down these harrowing tales. The show has taken viewers to Germany, Australia, Papua New Guinea, India, Brazil, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, The Republic of Congo, Alaska, Florida and Texas.
In the first season, Wade's weekly quest had him in search of Piranha, Goonch catfish (during his investigation of the Kali River goonch attacks) , Alligator gar, Wels catfish, Bull shark, Piraiba/Candiru, and Arapaima, all supposedly deadly creatures shrouded with mystery. The show also focuses on explaining the creature's feeding habits.
Rebroadcasts of the episodes with captions showing behind the scenes commentary from the host about the particular episode can also be seen on both Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, these episodes going by the title "River Monsters: Unhooked".
The second season of River Monsters began airing on 25 April 2010, although the first episode ("Demon Fish") appeared on the Discovery Channel on 28 March 2010. The new season will consist of 7 episodes and will take viewers to the Congo river and other new locations. In the episode, "Death Ray", Wade catches a pregnant female Giant freshwater stingray which gives birth while it was being examined by Wade & a team of biologists. This season features the sturgeon, Wade's biggest catch yet.[1]
Note that the air dates listed here are for the original Animal Planet premier of each episode, not their Discovery Channel debut.
| No. in series |
Title | Original air date | Unhooked air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Piranha" | 5 April 2009 | 5 May 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Red-bellied piranha, Black Piranha, Amazon River Dolphin, Payara, Cuiu-Cuiu catfish Jeremy Wade journeys to Brazil, following reports in which a bus crashes into the Amazon River, and all the passengers are eaten by piranha. He investigates this and other stories in order to determine if the piranha really deserve their reputation and what exactly triggers a feeding frenzy. |
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| 2 | "Killer Catfish" | 12 April 2009 | 23 May 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Goonch catfish, Mugger crocodile, Indian Flapshell Turtle Jeremy arrives at the Kali River in India, where a number of mysterious drownings have occurred. He investigates the possibilities of the culprit being whirlpools or crocodiles, but determines neither fit. Wade eventually finds out of a little-known catfish species that can grow to a large size: the Goonch, or Giant Devil Catfish. He reasons that, since funeral pyres are done at the shore of the river, the fish feed off the burnt human remains. This would allow them to reach man-eating size, as well as giving them a taste of people. Jeremy then must face off against a large goonch which may just be the Kali Killer |
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| 3 | "Alligator gar" | 19 April 2009 | 9 May 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Alligator gar, American Alligator Wade travels to the Trinity River in Texas to discover the truth behind the Alligator Gar: a massive predator blamed for horrifying attacks on people. Reports claim this fish is more dangerous than a man-eating shark. With huge jaws and two rows of needle-sharp teeth, the gar proves an elusive opponent. Finally hooking a large gar, Jeremy finds out once and for all if the Alligator Gar deserves its reputation as a river monster. |
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| 4 | "European Maneater" | 26 April 2009 | 26 May 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Wels catfish The Wels Catfish is one of the largest catfish in the world. Medieval reports claim it is an aggressive man eater that will swallow you whole. After new reports surface of attacks in Germany, Jeremy Wade dives deep into the mystery of these fish. His investigation leads him to Spain, where a group of catfish were introduced into the Rio Ebro. Numerous factors led to these creatures taking over the ecosystem and possibly growing to man-eating size. There, Jeremy finds that these river monsters have no fear of man, and faces a potential maneater. |
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| 5 | "Amazon Assassins" | 3 May 2009 | 28 April 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Arapaima, Surubí catfish, Cobra Grande, Spectacled Caiman The Amazon has many river monsters. Anacondas, Caimans, Piranha, and Jaguars all call this place home. Years ago, Jeremy Wade traveled here looking for Arapaima: a 10 foot long fish that has been known to ram predators with the force of a car crash. The trip resulted in Jeremy feeling the full force of one of these blows. Now, Wade has returned to Brazil to once again face off against this fish and determine if the Arapaima deserves to be on the Amazon's already large list of monsters. Journeying to the few spots where fishing for these fish is allowed, he encounters an Arapaima farm where the fish do something surprising. Jeremy then searches for a legend with its roots buried deep in folklore. Then, he finally comes face to face with the legendary giant, whose body could become a living missile. |
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| 6 | "Amazon Flesheaters" | 10 May 2009 | 2 May 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Piraíba catfish, Jaú catfish, Redtail catfish, Candiru, Candiru-Acù, Payara Following a report of a fisherman swallowed whole, Jeremy Wade travels to South America in search of the Amazon's largest catfish: the Piraiba. Arriving there, Wade not only tries to catch this monster, but discovers that it belongs to a whole family of Amazonian killers. He finds the Candiru, a small blood-sucking catfish that has entered a man's body in the most horrifying of places, and the Candiru-Acù, a small catfish that swarms around and drills holes in dead or dying animals (including humans), eating them from the inside. |
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| 7 | "Freshwater Shark" | 17 May 2009 | 12 May 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Bull shark, Queensland grouper, Saltwater Crocodile Sharks are perhaps the most dangerous and feared of all fish, but these predators are confined to the oceans, right? The Bull Shark, the most dangerous and aggressive shark, has been known to swim miles up rivers. Jeremy Wade follows reports of attacks in rivers to Australia to find out why and how far these fish swim upstream. While fishing for bull sharks, Wade finds something even more shocking and terrifying than a full grown shark. |
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| No. in series |
Title | Original air date | Unhooked air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | "Demon Fish" | 28 March 2010 | 16 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Goliath tigerfish Jeremy Wade travels deep into the jungles of the Congo in search of a little known predator that may be the most terrifying monster of all: the Goliath Tigerfish. This creature combines all the traits of all the monsters Wade has faced before: the jaws and teeth of the piranha and alligator gar, the boldness of the wels and piraiba catfish, the build of the arapaima, and the reputation of the bull shark. The search for the elusive tigerfish pushes Jeremy to his mental limit as he tries to uncover the truth behind a number of violent attacks. |
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| 9 | "Death Ray" | 25 April 2010 | 20 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Giant freshwater stingray, Mekong giant catfish, Siamese giant carp Jeremy Wade ventures to the Mekong River in Thailand to find what may be the largest freshwater fish: the Giant Freshwater Stingray. Armed with a 10 inch, venom-coated barb, this fish grows to 16 feet long and its venom has no known antidote. Unlike South American freshwater stingrays (which usually don't get very big and deadly), this creature is a true monster. As this behemoth can nearly glue itself to the bottom of the river, once Jeremy hooks one, it may be his biggest challenge yet. |
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| 10 | "Killer Snakehead" | 2 May 2010 | 9 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Giant snakehead, Bullseye snakehead, Silver carp Journeying to Florida, Jeremy Wade encounters the Bullseye Snakehead, which were introduced to the state from Southeast Asia. With razor-sharp teeth and the abilities to breathe air and "walk" on land, these aggressive predators spawned numerous rumors of being man-eaters. Jeremy then learns of another species, the Giant Snakehead, which is reported to be the largest and most dangerous of the snakeheads. Arriving in Thailand, Wade uncovers stories of attacks, even a death. He then dives deep into a murky river right in the middle of a school of young snakehead, hoping to find their parents. |
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| 11 | "Congo Killer" | 9 May 2010 | 6 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Kamba Catfish, Tsuni Catfish, Marbled lungfish, Mongusu Jeremy Wade travels to the Congo, the only river to ever defeat him. He had once traveled there, only to catch nothing. Now he's back, investigating reports of fishermen being dragged to their death by a malevolent river spirit. Wade suspects the Tsuni/Vundu Catfish, which are known to grow to large sizes. While staying with local villagers, he faces their superstitious beliefs as they blame his arrival for the disappearance of the chief's brother. After using traditional Congolese fishing methods, hearing of how one fisherman died, and finally facing a Catfish, Jeremy begins to wonder if the real danger isn't the fish itself. |
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| 12 | "Alaskan Horror" | 16 May 2010 | 19 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: White sturgeon, Northern pike, Sockeye salmon, Beluga whale, Grizzly Bear Deep in the Alaskan wilderness, Lake Illiamna is supposedly the home of a monster. Reports claim it grows 20 feet long and is responsible for the disappearance of many fishermen. Investigating the identity of this creature, Jeremy Wade faces cold-water fishing for the first time. He investigates the possibility of the monster being a Pike or a Beluga whale, but none would match the description. Wade then tries to find out a possible food source: Salmon. This results in the first salmon he has on the end of his line, only to have it stolen by a bear. After hearing an eyewitness's encounter, Jeremy is able to determine the identity of the monster: a White Sturgeon. These fish grow to 20 feet long and are known to leap out of the water, which could result in people going missing. Fishing for sturgeon, Wade faces what may be the biggest fish he's ever caught. |
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| 13 | "Rift Valley Killer" | 23 May 2010 | 19 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Nile Perch, Semutundu catfish, Nile Tilapia, Nile crocodile, Hippopotamus In the heart of Africa's Rift Valley, lives the Nile Perch, Africa's largest freshwater fish. Growing to 6 feet long, this fish is considered a prize and is what many people brave countless perils to catch. Jeremy travels to the birthplace of humanity and the oldest and most dangerous fishing spot to find this legendary creature. He faces off against Crocodiles, Hippos, and Gangs to find the perch, and is amazed at the dangers people face everyday in order to catch this fish. He then takes on these perils in order to land monster perch. |
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| 14 | "Hidden Predator" | 30 May 2010 | 12 August 2010 |
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Featured Animals: Bull shark, Smallspotted Grunter One year ago, Jeremy Wade was investigating the Bull Shark in Australia and caught a small pup, proving that the sharks were breeding in the local rivers. Around the same time, a group of scientists in South Africa made a shocking discovery: the largest Bull Shark ever caught, and it was found in a river. Now the team is back, and they've brought Jeremy with them in hopes of finding out if this was a horrifying fluke, or if the sharks have made the river their homes. Jeremy discovers that the largely populated river is full of sharks, yet nobody has ever been attacked. Wade realizes the reason why these fish are in this river as well as why there have been no attacks, and catches two of his biggest catches yet. |
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| No. in series |
Title | Original air date | Unhooked air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | "The Mutilator" | 10 April 2011 | 29 May 2011 |
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Featured Animals: Red bellied pacu, Saltwater crocodile Deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, two separate deaths have attracted the media: two men were found to have bled to death in the Sepik River as a result of something attacking and biting off a certain male body part. Jeremy Wade travels to this unexplored river to uncover the creature responsible. While fishing for a possible food source, Wade makes an unusual discovery: a Pacu. These fish are related to the Piranha and are from South America, where they use their strange human-like teeth to eat nuts and fruits. A local villager reveals that the pacu were introduced into the Sepik in order to help the fishing industry, but instead have taken over. Then, while fishing for predators, Jeremy finds out these fish have made the horrifying leap from eating plants to eating meat. |
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| 16 | "Flesh Ripper" | 17 April 2011 | 24 May 2011 |
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Featured Animals: New Zealand longfin eel After reading reports of flesh-eating eels in New Zealand, Jeremy Wade journeys to a land which he always thought a safe place to swim. Upon arriving, he quickly learns of the savagery of these fish. Armed with razor-sharp teeth which prevent escape, these eels spin and tear off bits of flesh like a crocodile. Although he already knows they have the ability to cause serious harm, Wade still must determine if they have the attitude to attack a human in order to find out if they deserve their reputation. The only way to do this is to put himself on the menu. |
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| 17 | "Silent Assassin" | 24 April 2011 | 26 May 2011 |
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Featured Animals: Short-tailed river stingray, Speckled Piranha, Surubi catfish, Golden Dorado On Argentina's Paraná River, a young girl was killed by a river stingray. Venturing to a country he's never been to before, to face a fish he's never heard of before, Jeremy travels to this river in order to find the killer: the Shorttail River Stingray, which grows to 6 feet across. Unlike Thailand's Giant Freshwater Stingray, this fish isn't long or wide. Instead it's thick and heavy, with a short, clublike tail with which it delivers its venomous sting. After hearing many more reports of attacks, Jeremy faces this tank-like fish in what is his longest battle to date. |
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| 18 | "Chainsaw Predator" | 1 May 2011 | 28 May 2011 |
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Featured Animals: Freshwater Sawfish, Bull shark, Saltwater Crocodile, Barramundi 25 years ago, Jeremy Wade was in a hardware store in the Amazon when he came across a weapon more sinister than any he'd seen before. It was a yard long and studded on each side with 2 inch long teeth. This strange weapon was the snout of a Sawfish: a 20 foot relative of the rays which has been known to swim hundreds of miles upriver. Reports claim this shark-like fish hacks boats apart and saws people in half. Wade travels to the Fitzroy River in Australia in order to find out if this critically endangered creature deserves its reputation as a river monster and why it swims so far up rivers. After being plagued by sharks, (which, ironically, he had previously traveled to Australia to find, yet didn't catch one for weeks) Wade uses the simplest of tactics to reel in a 7-foot monster. |
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| 19 | "Electric Executioner" | 15 May 2011 | 23 May 2011 |
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Featured Animals: Electric Eel, Black Piranha, Spotted River Stingray, Redtail catfish, Marbled swamp eel (Synbranchus marmorata). Jeremy Wade returns to the Amazon to search for a mysterious and deadly killer with a reputation to match it's awesome ability. Hearing the stories of three cowboys dying at the same time without any bite marks on them, he rules out piranhas and stingrays. After hearing a witness's claim, he concludes that the killer was an Electric Eel: an 8-foot, snake-like fish that possesses the bizarre ability to produce up to 600 volts of electricity. Following stories of "invisible powers", he journeys all over Brazil, searching for the elusive fish. Jeremy then comes across a story that confirms the eel's ability to kill a man, but he still tries to find out if it can kill three as the story claims. After searching through the smallest of ponds he can find in the dry season, he finally finds a large eel in a pond that is little more than a mud-puddle. After fishing it out, Wade makes a startling discovery that could possibly explain three men dying at once. |
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| 20 | "Cold-Blooded Horror" | 22 May 2011 | 25 May 2011 |
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Featured Animals: Japanese Giant Salamander, Chinese Giant Salamander, Chinese/Japanese Hybrid Salamander, Giant Lake Biwa Catfish, Amur Catfish, Fugu Pufferfish For the first time in his life, Jeremy Wade travels to Japan to learn more about its legendary river monsters. In a Tokyo fish market, he interviews many fisherman and uncovers two seemingly unbelievable stories: the Namazu, an enormous catfish that supposedly causes the numerous earthquakes in Japan whenever it wriggles its huge body; and the Kappa, a gremlin-like beast that drags children underwater and devours their souls. On Lake Biwa, Wade investigates the origin of the namazu legend as well as searches for a connection between catfish and earthquakes. After finding a reasonable explanation, he turns his attention to the Kappa. After visiting a shrine to the creature, he finds an alleged mummified kappa and starts wondering if the kappa isn't a fish, but something else entirely. Wade speaks with a scientist about what other creatures live in Japanese rivers, and he learns of a creature known as the Hansaki, which can grow to 6 feet. Diving into a swift-moving stream, Jeremy comes face-to-face with the strangest and most unexpected river monster he's ever met. |
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| 21 | "Jungle Killer" | 30 May 2011 | 1 June 2011 |
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Featured Animals: Wolf Fish, Redeye Piranha, Redtail catfish, Spectacled Caiman, Trahera Everyone knows the piranha is the deadliest fish in South America, but is there a little-known fish that is even more vicious and aggressive than the supposed "flesh-eating piranha"? After receiving a report of a diver being brutally attacked, Jeremy Wade travels to Suriname, where he interviews the victim and hears his idea of the culprit. The man claims the fish was a Wolf Fish: a large, aggressive predator with razor-sharp teeth. Wade travels deep into the remote jungle in search of a monster fish and uncovers more reports of their savagery. After a "shocking" event and a plague of piranha and caiman, Jeremy comes face-to-face with what is perhaps South America's most vicious fish. |
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| No. in series |
Title | Original air date | Unhooked air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Amazonian Giant" | 27 May 2011 | |
| Featured Animals: Arapaima, River stingray, Black Piranha, Redtail catfish | |||
| 2 | "Himalayan Giant" | 27 May 2011 | |
| Featured Animals: Goonch, Golden mahseer, Dwarf snakehead, Carp, Indian flapshell turtle, Mulley Catfish, Flathead catfish | |||
| Title | Original air date |
|---|---|
| "River Monsters:Killer Catfish-Special Cut (2 hours)" | 31 May 2009 |
| Featured Animals: Goonch catfish, Mugger crocodile, Indian Flapshell Turtle, Golden mahseer | |
| "River Monsters:The Deadliest" | 3 April 2011 |
| Featured Animals: Piranha, Bull shark, Queensland grouper, Giant snakehead, Goliath tigerfish | |
| "River Monsters:The Most Bizarre" | 8 May 2011 |
| Featured Animals: Piraíba catfish, Payara, Silver carp, Candiru-Acù, Redtail catfish, Candiru, Alligator gar, Marbled lungfish, Amazon River Dolphin | |
| "River Monsters Goes Tribal" | 29 May 2011 |
| Featured Animals:Mullet, Grey reef shark, Needle fish | |
River Monsters had the best series premiere in Animal Planet's network history by delivering 1.3 million viewers. It was also its most watched regularly airing primetime telecast in over six years.[2] The second episode of Animal Planet's River Monsters delivered a 39% boost in total viewers (1.866 million) compared to the series premiere. Those numbers made it the best performing regularly scheduled primetime telecast in Animal Planet's history.[3] The first season of River Monsters made it the best performing show in Animal Planet's history with every episode averaging over 1 million households. The season finale delivered about 1.47 million households.[4]
Its second season premiere episode became the network's best season premiere ever. It drew in 1.7 million total viewers.[5]