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Dog Whisperer with
Cesar Milan will move to Nat Geo Wild with 10 new episodes to air in early
2012. The series previously ran on sister network National Geographic Channel.
The existing 141-episode library will also move to Wild
starting this April, with Dog Whisperer
continuing to air on NGC through the third quarter. The series will also be
reformatted to center episodes around themes like dogs with phobias, home
wrecker dogs and dogs of military families to widen the appeal of the series.
The addition of the popular series will help heighten the
profile of the young cable network (Wild launched in March 2010) and provide it
a launch pad for new programming.
"What we want are people that have the ability to connect
with audiences, who bring authenticity," says Geoff Daniels, SVP, Nat Geo Wild
of Milan's move to the network. "We thought the fit there was really strong."
Among Wild's six new series in production are Bush Cowboy with Matt Wright, about an
Aussie who helps rescue dangerous animals in the outback, America the Wild with Casey Anderson, about a naturalist exploring
the national parks, and the special Animal
Superpowers (hosted by Patrick Stewart) exploring the science behind animal
mutants.
Three series will return to the schedule next season -- Swamp Men, Dangerous Encounters and Caught
in the Act. Wild will also present its second annual Big Cat Week
primetime-programming block, which seeks to raise awareness for endangered
felines.
