Animal Planet Renews Hit Series HILLBILLY HANDFISHIN'

Water, water everywhere. Seventy percent of the Earth is covered by water, so isn't it fitting that Animal Planet, the world's only entertainment network dedicated to the animal kingdom, dives head first into the deep end, too?

Animal Planet is the biggest fish in the TV pond with larger-than-life characters and a continued slate of aquatic-themed hit programming, including RIVER MONSTERS, WHALE WARS and TANKED.

Now, Animal Planet announces the renewal of an even bigger version of last summer's smash hit HILLBILLY HANDFISHIN' for a second season with some added elements. All-American noodling originals Skipper and Jackson are back in business at Big Fish Adventures this summer and are on the lookout for thrill-thirsty city slickers, who are ready to stick their hands and feet into murky, underwater caves, hoping to pull out the monster of all catfish. Returning with seven one-hour episodes, HILLBILLY HANDFISHIN' brings first-time noodlers from around the country to rural Oklahoma to catch catfish without rods or bait, and this round, they're upping the ante! In each episode, Skipper and Jackson captain their own troops of noodling newbies and pit them against the other in multi-rounded, themed competitions, including nighttime and blindfolded handfishing. There are rewards for the winners and punishments for the washouts. Making things bigger and more interesting, Skipper and Jackson jump the pond and leave Oklahoma to try out fishing holes in Texas and Louisiana. With more than just "local" bragging rights on the line, these catfish cowboys pull out all the stops to noodle the biggest fish of the season.

Additionally, Animal Planet announces summer companion miniseries HILLBILLY HANDFISHIN': WORLD SERIES (wt), which is not for the noodling neophytes. In this three-part series, Skipper and Jackson wade across the country to locate the top expert handfishers in all of America.

Making this summer one heck of a splash, FISH AMERICA (wt) introduces viewers to avid outdoorsman and professional wrestler Showtime ERic Young as he takes a road trip across the country to track down some of the most creative, unusual and dangerous fishing rituals, including a hunt for massive bass from a speeding kayak in Texas' whitewater rapids and a stop in Florida, where anglers capture 300-pound sharks "MacGyver-style," using only a pair of women's pantyhose. Young is on a mission to learn the methods of America's fishing masterminds while embracing the madness of local traditions that have been practiced for years. And no matter how long it takes and how many bumps and bruises he gets along the way, the buck doesn't stop until he catches the ultimate fish - including the one that got away...

HILLBILLY HANDFISHIN' is produced by Half Yard Productions for Animal Planet. Sean Gallagher and Abby Greensfelder are executive producers for Half Yard Productions. Keith Hoffman is executive producer for Animal Planet.

FISH AMERICA (wt) is produced by part2 pictures for Animal Planet. Gregory Henry and David Shadrack Smith are executive producers for part2 pictures. Vaibhav Bhatt is supervising producer for Animal Planet. Charlie Foley is senior vice president of development for Animal Planet.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

To post a comment, you must register and login.