Animal Planet Picks Up New Projects from Top Reality Producers

Animal Planet announced today that it has picked up several projects from some of entertainment's top reality producers, including Original Productions, Leftfield Pictures and Pilgrim Studios. Animal Planet president and general manager Marjorie Kaplan announced today two new series - MONEY BARN from Original Productions and Swamp'd! from Leftfield Pictures - and that the previously announced series TOP HOOKER, from Pilgrim Studios, has completed production.

"We're excited to collaborate with some of the best production partners in the business," says Kaplan. "These projects continue to push the range of stories we have to tell our audience."

In the five-part, half-hour series MONEY BARN, Animal Planet explores the great and not so great stuff generations have been stashing in American barns. Today, a group of treasure hunting auctioneers scours thousands of barns in search of forgotten heirlooms to sell at auction. But before the gavel falls, these competing auctioneers will have to outsmart each other and sell themselves to the barn owners for a chance to put the goods on the auction block. MONEY BARN premieres in February.

SWAMP'D! is the place for one-stop shopping in the Louisiana swamp. Open 24/7, P'Maw's Bait Shack - that's Swam'p spelled backwards -- serves a Community of colorful characters living in the small town of Pierre Part. Whether it's selling unique bait or hunting for bullfrogs, there's nothing shop owner and unofficial mayor P'Maw won't do for his customers. P'Maw and his family work together to run the shop, fulfill the odd requests of the locals and take care of his beloved small town in the bayou. Swamp'd! premieres this spring with eight 30-minute episodes.

TOP HOOKER is an in-your-face, full-throttle competition series that splits 10 expert fishers into two teams and pits them head-to-head in a series of wild, never-before-seen fishing challenges. Traveling across California to some of the most remote and most popular fishing holes, competitors struggle through eight hard weeks on the road and 24 off-the-hook challenges - all for just one shot at being crowned TOP HOOKER. Animal Planet throws down the gauntlet with exhilarating dares - from fishing with outlandish tools, catching fish blindfolded, to even netting fish with their mouths! In a nautical game of catch-and-release, who will catch a spot in the next round - and who will be thrown back home? The eight-part TOP HOOKER will premiere later this summer.

For MONEY BARN, Thom Beers, Philip David Segal and Jeff Conroy are the executive producers with Steve Robillard as co-executive producer. For Animal Planet, Dawn Sinsel is the executive producer, and Meredith Centrella is the production coordinator. The development executive for Animal Planet is Kurt Tondorf.

For SWAMP'D!, Brent Montgomery, Dominick Pupa and Will Nothacker are the executive producers, and Meredith Voges is the supervising producer for Leftfield Pictures. For Animal Planet, Keith Hoffman is the executive producer, and Sarah Russell and Jodi Tovay are production coordinators. The development executives for Animal Planet are Kurt Tondorf and Todd Weiser.

For TOP HOOKER, Craig Piligian, Ralph Wikke and Mitch Rosa are the executive producers for Pilgrim Studios. For Animal Planet, Keith Hoffman is the executive producer, and Sarah Russell and Jodi Tovay are production coordinators. TOP HOOKER was developed by Animal Planet's Charlie Foley and Kurt Tondorf.

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 97 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.