River Monsters is a wildlife documentary TV programme produced by Icon Films for the Animal Planet Channel. It is presented by Jeremy Wade, a biologist, and an extreme angler. In the series, Jeremy Wade either tracks down vicious underwater creatures that he is out to show to the public, or he attempts to debunk aquatic legends and lethal attacks that are otherwise unexplained. Many of the animals featured in River Monsters are otherwise unknown to the general public.
History[]
The first filmed episode of River Monsters, Killer Catfish, featured the first underwater footage of the rare and elusive Goonch Catfish, and the episode in a sense launched River Monsters. While the episode titled "Piranha" was released prior to Killer Catfish, it did not receive nearly as much popularity. In 2017, a River Monsters fan favorite episode poll was released on Animal Planet, and "Killer Catfish" received the most votes, followed closely by "Lair of Giants", and "Pack of Teeth". While filming "Killer Catfish", the crew was frustrated by a lack of success, and they actually returned to England, where, as Wade stated in his book River Monsters, Harry Marshall of Icon Films decided against the advice of the whole production team, that Wade should return to India in search of the Goonch Catfish.
River Monsters was only intended to be a seven-part series that ran for one season, however, after the enormous success of Season 1, a second season was produced. In this season, the first episode released was "Demon Fish", an episode concerning the Goliath Tiger Fish.
Notable Moments[]
The Goliath Tiger Fish: Jeremy Wade had actually searched for this beast before, in fact, he had spent around 25 years trying to catch a large individual. In the 1994 book Somewhere down the Crazy River, written by Paul Boote and Jeremy Wade, one of the fish mentioned was a 38-pound Goliath Tiger Fish. Due to the fact that Wade had suffered from Malaria on a previous Congo mission and the sheer inaccessibility of the area, he was reluctant to return. However, at the end of three weeks, Wade captured the beast. Since the filming of "Demon Fish", Wade's Goliath Tiger Fish has become a legend, and although he was unable to release it because of injuries it sustained during its struggle on the line, Wade still preserved its head.
Later, in Season 5, Wade traveled to Chernobyl to search for a Wels Catfish, another River Monster that received a huge surge of popularity in Season 1. The Chernobyl episode, titled "Atomic Assassin", featured Wade fishing the cooling pond below the ill-fated Reactor No. 4, and even in the pipes feeding water to the reactor. In the end, Wade was able to bring in a Wels, although it was not nearly as large as the largest individual caught in Season 1.
Later in Season 5, Wade searched for a Tarpon in Nicaragua. In this episode, he was shown using relatively lightweight gear as well as a very lightweight raft. He had heard from a Tarpon fisherman living in the area that in order to catch one of these fish, a fisherman would have to remain as quiet as possible. After bringing in a Tarpon, only for it to escape once it had reached the boat, Wade brought in an even larger individual to show to the camera.
Another noteworthy moment in River Monsters history happened in Season 7, where Wade searched for the infamous Muskellunge. This fish is also known as the "fish of ten thousand casts", and in the episode "Canadian Horror", Wade narrowed down several reports of Lake Monsters as well as several attacks to this creature. However, Wade counted over 15,000 casts, before he returned to fishing normal gear in hopes of catching any fish. He fished near a spot regarded as sacred by several First Nations, and he accidentally hooked a Muskellunge near this spot using his lightweight gear. After an incredible struggle, he brought the creature in. This episode has been sighted as one of the high points of Animal Planet's views, and has received huge popularity from River Monsters fans.
In 2017, Season 9 was released, and it was the last River Monsters Season to be produced.