River Monsters

I could care less about fish, but Jeremy Wade is 100% legit. He is entertaining and intriguing and the locales are exotic and beautiful. He also hosts two other shows which are just as good: Mysteries of the Deep and Dark Waters.

Probably my favorite television show. The host, Jeremy Wade, is extremely passionate, knowledgeable, and respectful to the animals he interacts with. The fish themselves are extremely fascinating. Although some episodes don't feature particularly large or dangerous animals, the process of catching them are enjoyable to watch.

This show takes place all over the world, from the north-wesern parts of Alaska to secluded rivers in Africa and jungles in Thailand. You even get a bit of a feel for local cultures as Wade investigates fish markets, local legends, and questions fishermen. Although not the focus of the show, he even gives some great fishing tips.

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 show is for all of us fisherman out there. We would all love to catch at least one of these monsters in our lives. Besides all the great fish, it's really Jeremy Wade the Biologist/Fisherman/Host that makes it the most entertaining. I hope this show goes on for a long time as it's always interesting to hear all of the stories of these monster fish & how in some cases they've killed or maimed people. The only thing that makes me sad is it seems most of the big fish aren't here in U.S. (Bummer) Although he only covers the freshwater fish right now, I can just imagine how big the fish can be when (hopefully) he switches to the monster fish in the ocean. That can be another series in itself which would again be entertaining as long as Jeremy Wade is the host. I enjoy showing people the fish he catches. My favorite fish so far he has caught has been the huge Aripima he caught out of the Amazon & the other fish w/the huge teeth The Goliath Tiger Fish. The Teeth look like they were tacked on because it doesn't look like it belongs here in this time, but more in the Jurassic era. If you have a chance to look those fish up, you will be quite impressed w/these fish. If you enjoy fishing even a little bit, or just like seeming huge fish you will enjoy this show.

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.