Nat Geo Wild is continuing its relationship with Cesar
Millan, committing to a new U.S.-based series with the Dog Whisperer helping troubled dogs find a new home (his last Wild
series, Leader of the Pack, was
filmed in Europe). The net is also planning two follow-up specials to the
bio-doc Cesar Millan: The Real Story,
which was Wild's third most-watched telecast ever.
"Cesar continues to be a huge part of the identity for Wild,
the fan base that he's brought to us," said Geoff Daniels, executive VP and
general manager of Nat Geo Wild. "What we wanted to do was bring him back to an
American audience to do the shows here and really get him more engaged with
what he does best."
The network on Monday announced The Incredible Dr. Pol and Fish
Tank Kings will return with new seasons in 2013-14. It has also picked up
new series Jobs That Bite! where host
Jeremy Brandt spotlights people with jobs like tagging sharks, wrangling
ostriches or farming eels.
Wild is planning to do one big special each quarter with
ordered titles including Animal Fight
Night, How Human Are You? and Kingdom of the Apes. The network will
also present the fourth year of Big Cat
Week, including the special Man vs.
Cheetah, for which the network is in talks with the NFL for a player's
participation.
The new programming comes as Wild is "really honing in on
who we are as a brand," Daniels said. In 2012, the network was up 31% among
adults 25-54 and improved 28% in total viewers compared to the prior year.
