When I lived in California, the most interesting aspect of being across the country from my large family would be that despite the distance, we were often doing or watching the same thing. There was the occasion where I FaceTimed my sister to find we were both wearing the same shirt, and another time we had bought the same pair of pants online. But the most unusual coincidence was when my mother and I both started independently watching a little-known show on Animal Planet called River Monsters, starring a strapping Englishman named Jeremy Wade.
I hate fish in real life. They are slimy, freak me out, and I won’t even eat them. But I love fishing. I like watching people fish, I like play fishing in video games, and most of all, I love Jeremy Wade fishing. I’m not sure how I first stumbled on his early show River Monsters, but I imagine the word Monsters grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Anyone who has seen the show likely got hooked immediately. Jeremy Wade’s exotic accent, passionate love of fishing, and storytelling charisma draws you through exciting adventures as he wrestles with man-eating fish all over the planet. His enthusiasm is infectious, and I find myself occasionally saying arapaima aloud to myself, in the voice of his high English accent.
Jon and I watched River Monsters about a year before I mentioned to my mother that there was a show she might like on Animal Planet. “Oh, I’ve been watching River Monsters since the first season!” she declared, claiming it was her favorite show on television. It was as if we both weeded out the junk on cable, and found a show that was always worth watching.
When I found out Jeremy Wade was ending his original show, I was worried he’d go off the air. But it turns out he has a new show, called Mighty Rivers, where he combines his knowledge of biology and fishing, towards raising awareness about the environmental state of the world’s rivers. While it’s a much more journalistic approach and much less monster-like, it’s important work that educates us about caring for the water we all rely on.
If you’re new to Jeremy, check out this trailer for his last season of River Monsters to get the gist of why we like him:
His voice always perks me up, gets me interested, and guides me through his latest adventures, and I hope he’s someone you’ll enjoy watching too!
You can catch Mighty Rivers on Sundays 9 PM EST on Animal Planet, but be sure to try to catch a few reruns of River Monsters if you can! You can watch free episodes of Mighty Rivers here, and River Monsters here, on AnimalPlanet.com. Do you like any unexpected television shows? Share with me in the comments below!
Image courtesy of TVGuide.
