River Monsters

Jeremy Wade hosts River Monsters and boy does he know what he's talking about. This guy is sharp, multilingual and a great fisherman. Its so refreshing to see a reality host know his stuff and be able to interact so well with both the fish and the local guides, ranging from Tilanders to Amazons to Africans to Alaskans.

So whats the show? Well, each week Wade begins the show by investigating a rumor or myth about a freshwater creature. This bit is a kinda dull for me due to the cheesy editing that seems to insist that the viewers get pointless shots of pointless reenactments of disaster. Why do reality shows insist on doing this? So unnecessary when you have such great content otherwise.

Rant over. So Wade investigates and goes all over the world to find these beasts. As mentioned before, he has command of several languages and to see him investigating by himself w/ only a camera man in a foreign land is way cool. Finally, he tries to catch the river monster and this bit rocks. No question Wade is in his element and eager to find the result and do you know what? He does catch most of these crazy creatures. To see him holding a giant catfish or stingray that he JUST CAUGHT ON FILM during a long battle is super cool. Watch the show. When he says at the beginning that he's an "Extreme angler" he's telling the true.

This is a great fishing show apart from the overdramatization, which for me is a major negative.

Some drama scenes are annoying and plain unbelievable. The plot of every episode starts with a mystery man-eating monster but in the end there is no monster (duh) except for some seriously big fish. I guess this helps attracts non-fishermen to a show that would otherwise attract mostly fishermen.

On a positive note, the host is a good fisherman with excellent knowledge of the fish he targets and the ecosystems they live in. This portion of the show is by itself highly educational and enjoyable to watch.

But this show is great. Watched every episode and would like to see more.

I love this show. Jeremy Wade is an absolute monster at catching river monsters! I like it so much my brother and I made a spoof of it, of us catching our own River Monster. Great Great Show love it.

Years ago, the Discovery, A & E, and Nat Geo networks opted to eliminate true reality programming , in favor of scripted fiction on the paranormal. UFOs, crypto-zoology, treasure hunters, and rich Alaskans "living off the grid." Viewership and revenue went up; they're cheap to produce and can be rerun ad nauseum. The only cost was their reputation.

River Monsters is one of a handful of authentic programs left. You really can't script catching fish. It is informative, not only about the prey being sought, but the places and people who appear. Wade is an excellent teacher, and the programs include other experts on specific species.

I agree that the reenactments are a little too much, including one that parodies the flight from the ocean in Jaws I. But this is part of the entertainment side of each episode. Animal Planet has been showing old programs once a week, for those who missed their original run.