News

Exclusive: Animal Planet has acquired worldwide television rights to Participant and Terra Mater Factual Studios’ documentary film Watson. The film chronicles Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson, who has spent his life sailing the globe to keep the oceans and their inhabitants safe.

The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was runner-up for the Documentary Audience Award. Additional screenings this year will include the Zurich Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, and Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, among others. It will also premiere on Animal Planet later this year, and in select theaters this fall.

Captain Watson and his crews have confronted whaling vessels from Europe to the Southern Ocean, seal hunters in Canada, and shark finners in Central America. Watson blends interviews with Captain Watson, archival clips of Sea Shepherd’s encounters, and underwater nature footage.

Documentarian Lesley Chilcott paints a portrait of a man willing to put his own life at risk in a relentless quest to protect the oceans and the marine life within.

Animal Planet was the home to Emmy-nominated series Whale Wars (2008-2015), which followed Captain Watson and members of his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. It is still available to Us audiences via the Animal Planet Go app. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognized Whale Wars in 2009 for exploring issues of concern to our society by bestowing the series with a Television Academy Honor, which identifies it as “television with a conscience.”

“I am incredibly proud of this wonderful film by Lesley Chilcott, and I hope that it inspires people to be passionate about caring for and fighting to save our home — the planet Ocean,” said Paul Watson.

Chilcott added, “Watson begins and ends with the heroic and fierce commitment of Captain Paul Watson, a man who I have long admired and whose deeds to better the Earth affect us all. I am excited to partner with Animal Planet, which given their connection to Paul and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, is the very best home for this film in helping educate and inspire audiences to join them in the fight to save our oceans.”

“Animal Planet has partnered with Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd for many years to shine a light on their incredibly important work on behalf of our oceans. We are therefore all the more delighted to share this beautifully made film chronicling his remarkable, courageous life with our global audiences,” said Susanna Dinnage, Global President of Animal Planet.

The deal was negotiated by Josh Braun of Submarine on behalf of Participant and Terra Mater Factual Studios, as well as Danice Woodley, Svp of Business and Legal Affairs for Participant, and Krista Wegener, Participant’s Evp of Sales and Distribution.

Watson is an Animal Planet, Participant Media and Terra Mater Factual Studios presentation of an Invented by Girls Production. The film is directed by Chilcott, produced by Louise Runge, Chilcott, Wolfgang Knöpfler, with Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Elise Pearlstein, Walter Köhler and Dinah Czezik-Müller serving as executive producers. Cinematographer is Logan Schneider and composer is Christophe Beck. For Animal Planet, the production is overseen by Erin Wanner, Svp, Production.

Exclusive: Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired world rights to Eco-Terrorist: The Battle for our Planet, Peter Jay Brown’s follow-up to his 2010 feature documentary Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist. The deal, made at the Cannes film market, has the film targeting a September theatrical release in the U.S.

The pic (see an exclusive clip below) sees Brown, the longest-serving crew member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, following his captain Paul Watson to the front lines of the modern grassroots environmental movement. It captures all sides of the Sscs from its inception to the present, including when it was featured for seven seasons on Animal Planet’s Whale Wars.

The new docu includes never-before-seen footage of society campaigns and their guerrilla tactics. Brown also produced with Elora West. Lon Haber and Lawrence Mortoff are executive producers.

“Breaking Glass Pictures is proud and honored to be associated with Eco-Terrorist, and to...

Reality TV fans, you’re in luck. Starting Friday, March 2, 20 reality shows are available to stream with an Amazon Prime account, including seasons 1-8 of TLC’s “Toddlers in Tiaras” and the final season of “What Not to Wear.” If you love food-related content, stream “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.” Or if animals are more your bag, check out “River Monsters” or “Whale Wars.” There are plenty of titles for you mystery-solvers, too, with Seasons 1-4 of “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction,” 12 seasons of “Unsolved Mysteries” and 20 seasons of “Forensic Files.” Also Read: Here's Everything Coming to and Leaving Netflix...

For the past few days, America has been enthralled by the tale of Ryan Stock and AmberLynn Walker, the couple who became instantly famous on America's Got Talent when Walker shot Stock in the throat with a flaming arrow (accidentally). Stock's accident joins a long line of terrifying incidents captured on "reality" television. Below, some of the most heart-stopping. (We're just excluding the low-hanging fruit of Fear Factor entirely.)

Snooki Gets Punched

The nadir of Jersey Shore's grip on America arguably came when the show's diminutive mouthpiece, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, was struck in the face by a male high school teacher at a bar.

For the past few days, America has been enthralled by the tale of Ryan Stock and AmberLynn Walker, the couple who became instantly famous on America's Got Talent when Walker shot Stock in the throat with a flaming arrow (accidentally). Stock's accident joins a long line of terrifying incidents captured on "reality" television. Below, some of the most heart-stopping. (We're just excluding the low-hanging fruit of Fear Factor entirely.) Snooki Gets Punched The nadir of Jersey Shore's grip on America arguably came when the show's diminutive mouthpiece, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, was struck in the face by a male high school teacher at a bar.

For the past few days, America has been enthralled by the tale of Ryan Stock and AmberLynn Walker, the couple who became instantly famous on America's Got Talent when Walker shot Stock in the throat with a flaming arrow (accidentally). Stock's accident joins a long line of terrifying incidents captured on "reality" television. Below, some of the most heart-stopping. (We're just excluding the low-hanging fruit of Fear Factor entirely.) Snooki Gets Punched The nadir of Jersey Shore's grip on America arguably came when the show's diminutive mouthpiece, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, was struck in the face by a male high school teacher at a bar.

George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" and Adam McKay's "The Big Short" were the big winners at the recently concluded Ace Eddie Awards. "Mad Max" took home Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) while "The Big Short" won Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy). What? Not "The Martian?" Ha!

.Inside Out. (edited by Kevin Nolting, Ace) won Best Edited Animated Feature Film and .Amy. (edited by Chris King) won Best Edited Documentary (Feature).

Here's the complete list winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 66th Ace Eddie Awards:

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic):

Mad Max: Fury Road -- Margaret Sixel -- Winner

The Martian -- Pietro Scalia (Ace)

The Revenant -- Stephen Mirrione (Ace)

Sicario -- Joe Walker (Ace)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- Maryann Brandon (Ace) and Mary Jo Markey (Ace)

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy):

Ant-Man -- Dan Lebental (Ace) and Colby Parker, Jr. (Ace)

The Big Short...

The American Cinema Editors has announced the nominees of their 66th Annual Ace Eddie Awards and J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is one of the contenders in the Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) category while Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man" is a nominee in the Comedy category.

Writer/director Nancy Meyers ("The Intern," "It's Complicated," "Something's Gotta Give") will receive the Ace Golden Eddie Filmmakers of the Year Award. Winners will be announced during a January 29 gala at the Beverly Hilton.

Here's the complete list of the nominees of the 66th Ace Eddie Awards:

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic):

Mad Max: Fury Road -- Margaret Sixel

The Martian -- Pietro Scalia (Ace)

The Revenant -- Stephen Mirrione (Ace)

Sicario -- Joe Walker (Ace)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- Maryann Brandon (Ace) and Mary Jo Markey (Ace)

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy):

Ant-Man -- Dan Lebental (Ace) and Colby Parker,...

American Cinema Editors (Ace) today announced nominations for the 66th Annual Ace Eddie Awards recognizing outstanding editing in ten categories of film, television and documentaries. Winners will be revealed during Ace’s annual black-tie awards ceremony on Friday, January 29, 2016 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel and will be presided over by Ace President, Alan Heim.

As previously announced, writer/director Nancy Meyers will receive the Ace Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year award. Two Career Achievement honorees will be announced later this week.

Nominees For 66th Annual Ace Eddie Awards Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic): Mad Max: Fury Road

Margaret SixelThe Martian

Pietro Scalia, ACEThe Revenant

Stephen Mirrione, Ace

Sicario

Joe Walker, Ace

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Maryann Brandon, Ace & Mary Jo Markey, Ace

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy):

Ant-Man

Dan Lebental, Ace & Colby Parker, Jr., ACEThe Big Short

Hank Corwin, ACEJoy

Jay Cassidy,...

Animal Planet's most-popular series, "River Monsters," was renewed for an eighth season before it even started its seventh season in early April. So it's no surprise its latest season premiere was the most-watched premiere (in live+3 ratings) ever on the network. The show follows Jeremy Wade, an "extreme angler" as he travels around the world, searching for and learning about scary and dangerous aquatic creatures that may or may not be killing people. Episodes are framed as murder mysteries, so it's basically aspiring to be "Animal Planet"'s NCIS, as the network's president, Marjorie Kaplan, once told me. Why is it so popular? Let's look at clips from last season -- and a few from this season -- to see just what the appeal of "River Monsters" and its host is. Jeremy Wade does insane and stupid things In his quest to discover things and/or make dramatic television,...

The Danish Navy is about to feel the wrath of Charlie Sheen ... because he tells TMZ they've illegally seized a boat he donated to Paul Watson and his boys over at "Whale Wars."Sheen tells TMZ ... he purchased a 40-foot Zodiac, the Bs Sheen, for Watson ... but it was seized late Saturday and perhaps even destroyed. Sheen is understandably upset, but says he's proud a boat with his name has been out there doing good work.

Get ready for a whale of a time in December. Animal Planet’s reality series “Whale Wars” will air a two-hour special on Dec. 13 at 9 p.m., the network said Thursday. Also read: ‘Whale Wars’ Boat Rammed by Japanese Ship The special chronicles the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s 2012 “Zero Tolerance” mission and finds the group at a crossroads after its leader, Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson, is forced to step down from his leadership position. Watson left the job after a court decision placed strict constrictions on how the group can interact with Japanese whaling vessels. With four rookie captains continuing the mission.

I have a feeling we're going to have a talk about what Glee declares "guilty pleasures" tomorrow...

News

Jon Hamm will be wearing tighter pants in the upcoming season of Mad Men! Unfortunately, producers also asked him to wear underwear so viewers wouldn't spend the season watching if Hamm consistently dresses to the right. Still, let's focus on the positive — tighter pants!

TV Land has ordered a fifth season of Hot in Cleveland, which will bring she comedy to its 100th episode.

According to a study by Nielsen, Twitter can predict a show's success in the ratings. Basically, an increase in how much people tweet about a show predicts an eventual increase in the ratings. That seems obvious, but this study measures and quantifies the connection between the two.

Fox is currently developing two potential mini-series and now it's considering two more. One would be about the O. J. Simpson...

A group of anti-whaling advocates was dealt a harsh rebuke Monday after a United States federal appeals court labeled them pirates.

On Feb. 25, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision by a Seattle trial judge that sided with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the Associated Press reports. In his ruling, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski agreed with the Japanese groups who originally filed suit against Sea Shepherd in 2011, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes.

The society, founded by Paul Watson, has long been known for its aggressive tactics in working to disrupt whaling vessels, according to USA Today. (Sea Shepherd ships are featured in the popular Animal Planet series "Whale Wars.")

Writing for the court, Kozinski said Sea Shepherd ships are in the wrong for the tactics they use in their quest to hinder Japanese whaling activities.

"You don't need a peg leg or an eye patch," he wrote,...

Paul Watson -- the animal rights activist who stars on "Whale Wars" -- tells TMZ he's been Falsely accused of sinking the famous Ady Gil anti-whaling ship ... and is now pointing the finger at the ship's captain. We broke the story ... Watson is being sued by the ship's namesake Ady Gil -- who claims he owned the vessel and leased it to Watson's Sea Shepherd organization. In his suit, Gil says the ship suffered minor...

The star of the reality show "Whale Wars" Lied about the fate of the show's most famous ship ... falsely telling the media it sank due to a crash with Japanese whalers, when in fact he secretly Sabotaged the boat himself for publicity ... this according to a new lawsuit. Paul Watson (above) --  founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society -- has been sued by Ady Gil ... who claims he owned the famous Ady Gil ship featured on "Whale Wars.

The announcement was made this morning during the Discovery Communications’ portion of the winter TCA Press Tour where Animal Planet held a panel for its new Whale Wars-type docu series, Battleground: Rhino Wars. In addition to solid ratings, Whale Wars, which has chronicled the efforts of marine conservation group Sea Shepherd against Japanese whalers, led to Japan suspending its controversial whaling operations. The series spawned a five-part spinoff, Whale Wars: Viking Shores, which aired earlier this year. Diane Haithman in Pasadena contributed to this report.

Boy, the folks who name TV shows have been feeling a bit warlike lately. But the ever-popular Storage Wars stood out from the crowd, and the show’s star auctioneers, Dan and Laura Dotson, were thankful to have come out on top. “I am sure that God does not appreciate wars, but he seems to like this one,” they said. “The best wars are won without firing a shot!” Best Wars Series — Winner: Storage Wars Storage Wars/A&E 35% Cupcake Wars/Food Network 28% Parking Wars/A&E 10% Whale Wars/Animal Planet 8% Swamp Wars/Animal Planet 7% Shipping Wars/A&E 5% Craft Wars/TLC 4% Property [...]...

The seventh New York Comic-Con and Anime Convention took place over the past weekend, (Oct. 11th-14th) giving fans of comic books, films, TV, video games, books and anime a full weekend of events. There was something there to entertain even the most hard-to-please fan.

Sold out weeks in advance, this year's NY Comic-Con drew 115,000 attendees, according to the NY Daily News. Held once again at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan, the popular annual event filled the large convention center. From the upper floor to the basement level, the place was jammed full of fans, all gathered to enjoy the four-day mass-media celebration.

A large portion of the attendees came in costume. More women than men were attired in 'cosplay' but at least half the people who came were dressed for the event. Among the women, Catwoman outfits seemed to be the most popular this year. Wonder Woman...

"Homeland" broke "Mad Men's" Emmy streak by winning Outstanding Drama Series -- it also took home Lead Actress and Actor in a Drama Series for stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

The complete list of nominees:

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire

Breaking Bad

Downton Abbey

Game Of Thrones

Homeland

Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Glenn Close, Damages

Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Kathy Bates, Harry's Law

Claire Danes, Homeland

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey

Damian Lewis, Homeland

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad

Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey

Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Aaron Paul,...

With the Emmy Awards set for a week from tonight on ABC, HBO got off to a terrific start last night, racking up 17 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, with Game of Thrones netting six and Boardwalk Empire, Girls and Hemingway & Gellhorn all faring well for the cable network.

Here's a rundown of the winners:

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Michael J. Fox - "Curb Your Enthusiasm" - HBO

Greg Kinnear - "Modern Family" - ABC

Bobby Cannavale - "Nurse Jackie" - Showtime

Winner: Jimmy Fallon - "Saturday Night Live" - NBC

Will Arnett - "30 Rock" - NBC

Jon Hamm - "30 Rock" - NBC

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Mark Margolis - "Breaking Bad" - AMC

Dylan Baker - "The Good Wife" - CBS

Michael J. Fox - "The Good Wife" - CBS

Winner: Jeremy Davies - "Justified" - FX Networks

Ben Feldman - "Mad Men" - AMC...

The nominations are out for the 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. When all of the categories are taken into account, "American Horror Story" and "Mad Men" lead the way with 17 nominations each, followed closely by "Downton Abbey" and "Hatfields & McCoys" with 16 apiece.

The complete list of nominees:

Outstanding Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Girls

Modern Family

30 Rock

Veep

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Lena Dunham, Girls

Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Don Cheadle, House of Lies

Louis C.K., Louie

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives

Julie Bowen,...

On TV this Friday: The Ricky Gervais Show draws to a final close, Common Law’s got a case of puppy love, Jessie gets Lost and Paul Rudd gives Comedy Bang! Bang! the silent treatment. Here are seven programs to check out tonight:

8 pm Whitney (NBC) | In this Repeat to Revisit, Alex proposes to Whitney not once but twice, a move that set up the rest of the sitcom’s first season. Watch for rapper/actress Eve, who plays Champagne room stripper Britnee. (Side note: Remember “Let Me Blow Ya Mind?” That was my jam.)

8:30 pm Jessie (Disney) | On...

On TV this Friday: A memorable House call, the Common Lawmen engage in role play, Xiii‘s number is up and Gravity Falls and Chasing UFOs know the truth is out there (but go about finding it in very different ways). Here are eight programs to keep on your radar.

8 pm House (Fox) | It’s all Chase, all the time in this Repeat to Revisit, when Princeton Plainsboro’s [spoiler alert!] future Head of Diagnostics returns to work after his stabbing and treats a pretty nun.

8:30 pm House Hunters on Vacation (Hgtv) | A Minnesota family who’s never been far from...

Apparently the Hgtv reality show House Hunters has been outed as a fake, but so what? Haven’t we known all along that reality TV is nothing but a put-on? Andy Dehnart at The Daily Beast thinks it matters: Labeling a television show as “reality TV” represents a contract with the audience that the program has consequence to its real-life cast members. A network is saying to its potential viewers: This show will affect real people, whether they are people who are just like you or are fun for you to mock. Whether cast members are competing for $1 million or just being filmed in their daily lives, their experience in front of cameras has an actual impact on them. ... The bottom line is simple: The people on our screens can be affected, and we can be affected by them. That contract, that promise of consequence and authenticity, is what causes people to tune in,...

In this edition of "You've Got," "Whale Wars" stars Shannon Mann and Chad Halstead discuss their work with the ocean conservancy organization Sea Shepherd. The group, according to their website, aims "to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species" by using "innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary." According to Halstead, "Sea Shepherd is unique in itself because it's the only one that's actually going out and physically intervening with a lot of illegal activity."

The organization recently garnered attention when their founder, Paul Watson, was arrested and subsequently released from a German jail after Costa Rica claimed he endangered a fishing boat and crew in 2002. Only a few months earlier, a Sea Shepherd boat called the Bob Barker disrupted a Japanese fishing vessel with lasers and flares, hoping to prevent...

On TV this Friday: A Community classic that will make you “die” laughing, Fairly Legal election drama, Own gets fired up and more. Here are nine programs you may want to check out.

8:30 pm Community (NBC) | A Repeat to Revisit: Troy and Abed’s apartment-warming party splits down multiple paths in “Remedial Chaos Theory.”

8:30 pm Jessie (Disney) | My sons caught this new episode On Demand and said to include it in What to Watch (even ranking it higher than tonight’s Phineas and Ferb!): “Emma and Zuri plan a romantic, mystery-filled date for Jessie and Tony, while Ravi,...

On TV this Friday: The A.N.T. Farm opens back up as Magic City closes its doors, NBC’s Best Friends return for a final hurrah and Bones digs up a fun blast from the past. We’ve found nine programs to keep on your radar.

8 pm A.N.T. Farm (Disney) | Double-episode Season 2 premiere: Chyna, Olive and Fletcher roll out the red carpet for teen movie sensation Sequoia Jones (played by Shake It Up‘s Zendaya), who is shadowing Chyna for a movie role; the A.N.T.s try to figure out the nature of a baby’s prodigal aptitude.

8 pm...

Tune in lert as Animal Planet star Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society return for a fifth adrenaline-fueled season of Whale Wars, one of the most-talked-about, best-performing and award-winning series to date. Whale Wars documents the Sea Shepherds' ongoing whale defense campaign in the Southern Ocean as they wage a high-risk battle to find and stop Japanese ships from hunting whales in the name of research. After last year's victorious campaign over the Japanese, the Sea Shepherds thought they had ended whaling in the Southern Ocean once and for all. But surprisingly, the Japanese are returning stronger than ever, and this time, they come with a military convoy and zero tolerance for the conservation group.

Marine conservationist Paul Watson has been freed from a German jail following publicity campaigns by actress Brigitte Bardot and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Sea Shepherd captain and star of TV series Whale Wars walked free on Monday after posting 250,000 euros ($318,000) bail in an extradition case from Costa Rica.

Watson was detained in Frankfurt last week (ends18May12) after Costa Rican authorities issued an international request for his arrest, alleging that the conservationist and his crew aboard Sea Shepherd’s Ocean Warrior ship endangered a Costa Rican fishing vessel during a confrontation in 2002.

Defending his actions a decade ago, Watson told reporters upon his release from jail, "I had to take action with my crew a decade ago to protect hundreds of sharks, and of course, those shark poachers have very powerful allies in government and other places."

He has denied any wrongdoing and admits he's puzzled about his arrest.

He adds, "It's very strange that this so-called extradition thing was dismissed by Interpol in every country except Germany."

A spokesman for the Sea Shepherd organisation insists there is a sinister undertone to the extradition request, stating, "The enemies of the oceans are using all of their resources to stop us... This stems from Sea Shepherd victories in curbing shark finning on the high seas."

The confrontation between Watson and his crew and the Costa Rican fishermen featured in a 2007 documentary, titled Sharkwater.

Watson hopes the publicity about his arrest will help generate interest in marine conservation issues: "We have all the laws and regulations we need to protect our oceans, but we don't have governments with the guts to enforce those regulations."

During his week-long jail stay, Watson had celebrity support from Bardot, who offered to switch places with the incarcerated conservationist, and his friends the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who urged fans to seek out more information about his arrest and what he and his crew do on the high seas.

Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" star Captain Paul Watson has been arrested in Germany and may be extradited to Costa Rica where he will allegedly face a politically motivated, unfair trial, according to the latest from the Sea Shepherd Organization. From their email: "We have 15 hours to make our case to Germany's Federal Minister of Justice. Her name is Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. She is the only person in the world who can step in to overturn the decision of the lower courts in Germany and keep Captain Watson from being extradited to Costa Rica. If she does not make this decision in the next 15 hours, Captain Watson will be held in jail in Germany for 90 days pending an...

I am not surprised that my recent blog "Pete Bethune's Holy Warriors" has caused such passionate discussions on both sides.

What I am surprised about is that many seem to miss the point.

Not the ones who agree, for they are the enlightened ones of course. I am talking about the defenders of Captain Bethune. Why not carry automatic weapons? Africa is a dangerous place full of dangerous killers.

I know that Africa is a dangerous place, and perhaps Pete and his buddies should be armed to brave such nefarious territory, but do so not in the name of a movement that has taken a higher ground since its inception. The bad guys are violent, and we are not. They carry weapons, we are right!

It is unfortunate that Captain Bethune cannot go against these violent individuals armed with his passions rather than weapons to do what is right. Passion...

The slaughtering of whales is a huge issue for Whale Wars activist and animal protector Paul Watson. He is a Sea Shepherd who takes his job very seriously and wants nothing more than to stop the unnecessary killing of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic. The new season of Whale Wars: Viking Shores is now airing on Animal Planet and a special after-show debate has aired as well.

The debate was a very interesting and eye-opening one as it featured Watson and a Faroese native, musician Heri Joensen. The two men squared off as they each defended their beliefs and feelings regarding the pilot whales. Watson, a staunch supporter of protecting the lives and preservation of whales and Joensen, a man who feels that whale meat should be enjoyed and that they are simply animals to be utilized for their natural resources.

Read more...

The Romans enjoyed their gladiators as their society crumbled. Has America come to that?

When the biggest film of the year is about teenagers killing each other for the enjoyment of the masses, and when kids around the world massacre each other daily online in video games such as Warcraft, perhaps it is time for the world's most idealistic and moral movement, the environmental movement, to give in. Meet Pete Bethune and his "holy warriors."

Backed by a slick media presentation, Pete Bethune and his heavily armed mercenaries seem intent on changing the face of a historically peaceful movement. This "eco-hero," who first lost his ship on TV, then became a media darling when his foolishness won him time in a Japanese prison is now packing heat. Is this our next gun-toting hero?

Have we finally gone mad as a society? Just because the man looks good in a wetsuit,...

In a time where environmentalists and animal rights activists fight to save the Earth and its creatures from harm and potential annihilation, great results come arise from their heroic efforts. Of course, another benefit that stems from it is that it makes for great TV. Animal Planet’s hit series Whale Wars has seen many a challenge when it comes to protecting whales of the world from old-fashioned, sometimes heartless fishermen. In an attempt to further educate viewers about the cruelty of killing whales, the cable channel will broadcast Whale Wars: Viking Shores, a five-part series which starts tonight, April 27th, continuing the adventures of Paul Watson, his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and their mission to stop whaling and promote the cause of animal conservation, this time in the Norwegian Sea’s Faroe Islands.

Read more...

Tune in alert for Animal Planet's excellent activist series "Whale Wars" featuring the hard work and efforts of Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd team. In the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Scotland, lays a chain of islands with picturesque beaches and rolling green hills. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing Danish Territory of 50,000 people . descendants of Vikings, bound by proud tradition who have fished these waters for thousands of years. But there is a dark shadow over this beautiful land. Every year, Faroese people gather to herd pilot whales to their shallow shores to be killed for their meat, which is a food source. From...

Ricky Gervais and his "Idiot Abroad" cohorts are developing a new show for Discovery Science -- but aren't saying what it is yet. James Woods, meanwhile, will appear in a new Science show about scientific breakthroughs. The network's new slate, unveiled Thursday, also includes the "Whale Wars"-inspired "Rhino Wars," about battling rhino poachers, a show about military dogs, and a show about people planning for the coming zombie apocalypse. Yes, really. In other Discovery announcements, the company's upscale men's network, Velocity, plans "Road to LeMans," which follows "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey as...

The spin-off of Whale Wars that follows Sea Shepherd's actions last summer in the Faroe Islands will debut next month, and has been given the subtitle "Viking Shores," perhaps because the name of its setting, the Faroe Islands, isn't as sexy or well-known as Vikings are. (Vikings once colonized the 18-island nation, which is between Iceland and Norway.) The network has ordered five episodes of the spin-off, and the regular series will continue later this...

Animal Planet is beefing up its development team, promoting network veteran Charlie Foley to the newly created position of senior vp of development and adding unscripted veterans Kurt Tondorf and Andy Berg as vice presidents reporting to Foley. Story: 'Finding Bigfoot' Premieres Strong for Animal Planet Foley joined Animal Planet in 2007 and has been instrumental in the development of the network’s top-rated River Monsters and Whale Wars. Foley will continue to report to Animal Planet president and general manager Marjorie Kaplan. “Charlie’s bold thinking and creative ambition have been key to Animal Planet’s transformation,” said Kaplan in

read more...

On April 22, aka Earth Day, SnagFilms will release "Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist" through VOD. The film tells the story of Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, stars of Animal Planet's series "Whale Wars," over 30 years of various eco-campaigns across the world. The film will be available through cable affiliates like Time Warner Cable, Cox, Bright House Networks as well as iTunes, Vudu, Amazon and X-Box Live. SnagFilms is the parent company of Indiewire. Full press release below: Los Angeles (March 19, 2012) --- SnagFilms, one of the world’s leading distributors of independent films for digital platforms, announces the U.S. pay-on-demand release of the highly anticipated, groundbreaking feature documentary, Confessions Of An Eco-terrorist on Earth Day, April 22, 2012. Confessions Of An Eco-terrorist takes viewers on an action-packed voyage with the world’s most wanted...

Amazon Prime expanded its list of offerings on Wednesday, signing a licensing pact with Discovery Communications that will allow members to stream shows from Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and other cable networks owned by the company. Among the programs that will now be available are past seasons of "Whale Wars," "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Dirty Jobs," Amazon said. Among the other Discovery networks included in the deal are TLC, Investigation Discovery, and the Science and Military Channel. Since launching its Prime Instant Video service, Amazon has been busy signing content deals with...

Seattle – Amazon.com, Inc. and Discovery Communications today announced a licensing agreement that will allow Amazon Prime members to stream prior seasons of hit series and specials from Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science and Military Channel, as well as content from the company’s rich, 25-year programming library. Among the programs included in the agreement are Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, TLC’s Say Yes To The Dress and Animal Planet’s Whale Wars, in addition to other titles. Since the 2011 launch of Prime Instant Video, a subscription service of Amazon Instant Video, Amazon has added more than 12,000 titles to bring the total title count to more than 17,000. “Discovery Communications has always been a leader in creating entertaining and enlightening programming for the entire family,” said Brad Beale, director of video content acquisition for Amazon. “With the addition of this great content from Discovery Communications, Prime customers...

Police in Uganda say that The Amazing Race, Destination Truth, and Whale Wars facilitating producer Jeff Rice wasn't poisoned, but instead suspect that he died of a cocaine overdose. "Those were misreported rumors about this being some kind of attack by thugs. We do not believe that, and we do not believe this was any type of food poisoning. Again, we are still investigating and will know much more when we can talk to [his...

U.S. TV producer Jeff Rice has been found dead in Uganda.

The father-of-two was found unresponsive in his suite by hotel staff in Kampala on Friday and he was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. A cause of death has yet to be determined but officals have not yet ruled out foul play.

Rice's assistant, who local reports have identified as Catherine Fuller, was also found unconscious in the room; she is currently listed in critical condition.

Sally Blackman, Rice's widow, tells Fox News, "They were not attacked but (evidence) points towards being poisoned. (At) this stage it is quite difficult to give you any firm reports as the incident is currently under investigation by the Uganda police."

Rice worked on a number of hit reality shows including The Amazing Race, Animal Planet's Whale Wars and a South African version of The Biggest Loser.

A number of stars have since spoken out to express their grief over Rice's sudden passing, among them famous explorer and TV personality Josh Gates.

In a post on Twitter.com, he writes, "Floored by the loss of my dear friend & fellow adventurer, Jeff Rice. You were, quite simply, the real deal. I'll never forget you... I can't believe you're gone, buddy."...

A freelance facilitator for the award-winning reality show, "The Amazing Race," has died from poisoning in Uganda after a failed shakedown attempt by local thugs, according to Fox News.

The man has been identified as Jeff Rice, who was not working on "The Amazing Race" at the time of his death, but had worked on the show last season. A second victim, Catherine Fuller, was found unconscious and is currently in a coma, according to The Daily Monitor.

To most viewers, Jeff Rice was a name that flashed by in a second during the credits at the end of an episode of a favorite reality series, such as Destination Truth, Whale Wars, or The Amazing Race. But as a facilitating producer, he helped made it possible for those shows to film in remote locations, and he's being remembered by a colleague as a "gifted" person who "could open any door or help acquire...

Two freelance facilitators for the CBS show "The Amazing Race" were poisoned in Uganda, Fox News reports. Jeff Rice, one of those attacked, died as a result of the attack, which appears to have been a shakedown attempt.

Update: Sources close to the show have provided The Huffington Post with a few more details about Jeff Rice's role on the show. Jeff Rice was a "local freelance facilitator" on the show that they had worked with in the past, most recently on Season 20, which was shot several months ago. Show sources reiterated that Rice was not working for "The Amazing Race" at the time of his death, and while he does have producer credits on the show according to IMDb, they state that he was not an employee of the show or a full-time producer on it.

Rice and another facilitator were reportedly poisoned after refusing to give up...

Two freelance facilitators for the CBS show "The Amazing Race" were poisoned in Uganda, Fox News reports. Jeff Rice, one of those attacked, died as a result of the attack, which appears to have been a shakedown attempt.

Update: Sources close to the show have provided The Huffington Post with a few more details about Jeff Rice's role on the show. Jeff Rice was a "local freelance facilitator" on the show that they had worked with in the past, most recently on Season 20, which was shot several months ago. Show sources reiterated that Rice was not working for "The Amazing Race" at the time of his death, and while he does have producer credits on the show according to IMDb, they state that he was not an employee of the show or a full-time producer on it.

Rice and another facilitator were reportedly poisoned after refusing to give up...

A producer who worked on The Amazing Race, Whale Wars, and Destination Truth, among other reality shows, has died after being poisoned in Africa, according to a report. A colleague, who also worked as a facilitating producer, survived. Destination Truth star Josh Gates first tweeted about Rice's death on Sunday, and yesterday, tweeted a photo with Jeff, writing, "I can't believe you're gone, buddy." Citing "a source close to" The Amazing Race, FoxNews.com reports that...

The American Cinema Editors (Ace) announces the winners of the 62nd Annual Ace Eddie Awards highlighting excellence in film and television editing. "The Descendants" took home the drama award, "The Artist" won the musical/comedy award, "Rango" was awarded the animated category, and "Freedom Riders" received the documentary award.

Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 62nd Annual Ace Eddie Awards (to see winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, visit our Awards Avenue coverage right here)

Winners And Nominees Of The 62nd Annual Ace Eddie Awards

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic):

*** (Winner) The Descendants

Kevin Tent, A.C.E.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Angus Wall, A.C.E. & Kirk Baxter, A.C.E.

Hugo

Thelma Schoonmaker, A.C.E.

Moneyball

Christopher Tellefsen, A.C.E.

War Horse

Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy Or Musical):

*** (Winner) The Artist...