The Most Extreme

Last updated
The Most Extreme
The Most Extreme.png
Title card
Genre Nature documentary, edutainment
Developed byShelby Wilson
Narrated by Adam Harrington
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes77
Production
ProducerIan McGee
Running time46 minutes
Production company NHNZ Ltd
Original release
Network Animal Planet
ReleaseJuly 7, 2002 (2002-07-07) 
July 3, 2007 (2007-07-03)

The Most Extreme is a documentary television series on the American cable television network Animal Planet. It first aired on July 7, 2002. Each episode focuses on a specific animal feature, such as strength, speed, behavior, anatomy, or diet, and examines and ranks ten animals that portray extreme or unusual examples of that quality. Along with each animal on the countdown, each episode presents an animated segment which compares the animal's ability with something equivalent in humans, followed by an interview segment with people who share some common trait. Old, often public domain, cartoons, movie clips and trailers are often included.

Contents

Episodes

"Earth is a planet of extremes. Extreme places, and extreme animals. But some animals are more extreme than others. Join us as we count down to find the most unusual, the most extraordinary, The Most Extreme."

Opening of the show.

The show was narrated by Adam J. Harrington. On Animal Planet, the episodes were also announced by Simon Arnstein.

Season 1

Parasitic worms, like this tapeworm, are among the most horrific animals of the world, according to episode 9. Hymenolepis microstoma.jpg
Parasitic worms, like this tapeworm, are among the most horrific animals of the world, according to episode 9.
#Original airdateTitleOverviewAnimal that was Number 1
17 July 2002JumpersThe fastest, highest and best jumpers. Flea
27 July 2002GluttonsThe greediest eaters in the world. Caterpillar
314 July 2002SpeedThe fastest animals on land, air and water. Tiger beetle
421 July 2002BirthsExtreme reproduction in number of young, size and other factors. Tapeworm
528 July 2002CheatsThe ways animals trick one another. Cuckoo
63 August 2002SurvivorsThe animals who best survive extreme conditions. Water bear
711 August 2002FightersWarriors of the animal kingdom. Ant
818 August 2002BuildersThe animal kingdom's most innovative construction engineers. Termite
925 August 2002HorrorsThe animals that most inspire terror in human beings. Parasitic worm
103 September 2002StrengthProportionally, the strongest animals in the world. Rhinoceros beetle
1111 October 2002BitersThe deadliest, most prolific and most extreme bites. Cookiecutter shark
123 November 2002SmartsGeniuses in the animal kingdom. Parrot
1310 November 2002LoversMost extreme courtship rituals. Redback Spider

Season 2

#Original airdateTitleOverviewAnimal that was Number 1
1411 May 2003MomsMothers with the heaviest, hardest or most unusual jobs on the planet. Sea louse
1515 June 2003DadsFathers in the wild can go to extremes to take care of their young. Seahorse
1622 June 2003VenomAnimals with the most lethal venomous bites or stings. Box jellyfish
1729 June 2003DisguiseThese animals are experts at pretending to be what they are not. Mimic octopus
1813 July 2003SwarmsHordes in the animal kingdom numbering millions and even billions of individuals. Argentine ant
197 September 2003Body PartsAnimals with relatively large body parts. Giraffe
2014 September 2003PredatorsThe most efficient hunters come in many sizes. Shrew
2121 September 2003StinkersThe worst-smelling animals, including one with a stench that kills. Skunk
2228 September 2003Super SensesThe world's best at keeping up with their environments. Shark
2323 November 2003EatersAnimals with the most unusual menus. Vulture
2430 November 2003DaredevilsTop stuntmen of the natural kingdom. Barnacle goose
257 December 2003DefendersThe best and most unusual self-protectors. Bee
2621 December 2003OdditiesStrange animals and their human equivalents.Deep-sea anglerfish

Season 3

One of the members of the world's most invasive animal, according to episode 41, the Botany Bay cockroach makes its home in Australia. Polyzosteria limbata 3.jpg
One of the members of the world's most invasive animal, according to episode 41, the Botany Bay cockroach makes its home in Australia.
#Original airdateTitleOverviewAnimal that was Number 1
273 August 2004Gross-OutsThe most disgusting behavior in the wild. Fly
2810 August 2004Home DesignersThe most extreme, unusual and innovative animal architects. Termite
297 September 2004Tough BabiesThe strongest babies in the animal kingdom, with human comparisons. Sand tiger shark
3014 September 2004Wild PartiersHow the most extreme partiers in the wild compare to human parties. Christmas Island red crab
3121 September 2004Monster MythsThe reality behind some of the most feared animals in the world. Wolf
-25 September 2004The Best of the BestRetroactive examination of Number 1s from earlier episodes, with a countdown to the most extreme among them. Cookiecutter shark (from Biters)
3212 October 2004Killer CatsThe most ferocious felines in the world. House cat
3319 October 2004Battle of the SexesMales and females of animals in which the two sexes have very little in common with one another and are not always good for each other's health. Whiptail lizard
3423 November 2004Big MouthsProportionally, the 10 largest mouths in the world. Argentine horned frog
3530 November 2004Deadly SnakesThe most venomous, dangerous and prolific killer snakes. Cobra
3614 December 2004KillersThe animals with the highest human kill counts. Mosquito
378 February 2005BloodsuckersVampires in the animal kingdom. Tick
3815 February 2005Super SharksThe "highest tech" sharks in the ocean. Hammerhead shark
3922 February 2005PoisonThe deadliest chemical defenses. Golden poison frog
401 March 2005Super DogsThe 10 dog breeds that have evolved the farthest from their wolf ancestor. Chihuahua
418 March 2005Global ConquerorsThe most invasive animal species. Cockroach
4215 March 2005Outrageous FlirtsThe unusual ways that animals attract one another. Elephant
4327 April 2005AthletesThe most athletic animals and their human equivalents. Arctic tern
444 May 2005Odd CouplesWhen two kinds unite: unexpected animal partnerships. Greenland shark/ Ommatokoita
4525 May 2005MoversThe animals that move the best with the fewest limbs for movement. Scallop
461 June 2005TroublemakersThe animals that cause the most trouble for humans just by doing what they do. Termite

Season 4

#Original airdateTitleOverviewAnimal that was Number 1
4725 October 2005Hissy FitsThe worst temper tantrums in the animal world. Elephant
481 November 2005Living DeadNot actual zombies, these extreme animals can play dead or, when dormant, can appear to come back from the dead. Water bear
498 November 2005DiversThe animals that can hold their breaths the longest or dive the relative deepest. Sperm Whale
5029 November 2005DietersSome animals can eat a lot without gaining weight, while others can go for long times between meals. Tick
5124 January 2006LoudmouthsThe world's loudest animals. Pistol shrimp
522 February 2006AppendagesThe most unusual animal attachments. Anglerfish
537 March 2006TransformersTen transformers capable of altering themselves in extreme ways. Ribeiroia
5414 March 2006Fashion DisastersAnimals whose appearances can put them in danger. Deer
5521 March 2006City SlickersAnimals best adapted to life in human urban environments. Macaque
5628 March 2006WorkaholicsThe hardest-working animals in the natural world. Honey bee
5725 April 2006Slime BallsThe animals who have found the most or most innovative ways to use slime. Banana slug
582 May 2006Animal MythsThe most misunderstood animals. Lemming
596 June 2006GourmetsAnimals that put time and effort into their food preparation. Honey bee
6013 June 2006DiggersMost extreme cavity makers. Termite
6120 June 2006Weird WeaponsThe strangest ways animals defend themselves or attack. Electric eel
6226 September 2006CleanersNature's most unusual neat-freaks. Japanese macaque
633 October 2006PiratesAnimals who act like pirates, taking from others or hunting for treasure. Amazon ant
6410 October 2006GardenersThe unusual ways that animals impact vegetable growth. Lemon ant
6517 October 2006FreeloadersOpportunistic animals that gain benefits by associating with others. Tapeworm
6624 October 2006Awesome AncestorsPrehistoric animals larger than their modern descendants/relatives. Megatherium

Season 5

#Original airdateTitleOverviewAnimal that was Number 1
6724 April 2007InventorsInnovative tools nature-built right into an animal's body. Wood frog
681 May 2007Night LightsThe brightest animals in the wild. Deep-sea anglerfish
698 May 2007LeadersAnimals with extreme numbers of followers. Termite
7015 May 2007MedicsThe unusual ways some animals self-treat themselves. Axolotl
7122 May 2007Freaky FliersAnimals with unusual ways of moving through the air. Spider
725 June 2007BodysnatchersAnimals that take over the bodies of others. Toxoplasma
7312 June 2007GadgetsThe animals which create/use the most tools. Chimpanzee
7419 June 2007PsychicsAnimals that seem to predict the future. Ladybird beetle
7526 June 2007Dirty JobsThe "jobs" of animals that are the most revolting. Dung beetle
763 July 2007Crazy CollectorsThe most obsessive hoarders in the wild. Pack rat

Related Research Articles

<i>Battle of the Planets</i> 1978-1980 American adaptation of a Japanese anime series

Battle of the Planets is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972). Of the 105 original Gatchaman episodes, 85 were used in the Battle of the Planets adaptation, produced by Sandy Frank Entertainment. The adaptation was generally faithful to the plot and character development of the original Gatchaman series, but significant additions and reductions were made in order to increase appeal to the North American television market of the late 1970s, as well as avoid controversy from parents; these included the removal of elements of graphic violence and profanity.

<i>Futurama</i> 1999 American animated sci-fi sitcom

Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows the adventures of slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1,000 years and revived on December 31, 2999. Fry finds work at the interplanetary delivery company Planet Express, working alongside one-eyed mutant Leela and robot Bender. The series was envisioned by Groening in the mid-1990s while working on The Simpsons; he brought David X. Cohen aboard to develop storylines and characters to pitch the show to Fox.

Daily Planet was a television program on Discovery Channel Canada which features daily news, discussion and commentary on the scientific aspects of current events and discoveries. The show first aired as @discovery.ca in 1995. It was relaunched as Daily Planet on September 30, 2002, adopting a "science magazine" programming format. The show adopted high definition in 2011. The show was cancelled by Bell Media on May 23, 2018 and its final episode aired on June 5, 2018.

<i>Garfield and Friends</i> American animated television series with characters from the Garfield and U.S. Acres comic strips

Garfield and Friends is an American animated television series based on the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. The show aired on CBS as part of its Saturday morning children's lineup from September 17, 1988 to December 10, 1994.

Broadcast programming is the practice of organizing or ordering (scheduling) of broadcast media shows, typically the radio and the television, in a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or season-long schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nature documentary</span> Documentary film genre

A nature documentary or wildlife documentary is a genre of documentary film or series about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on video taken in their natural habitat but also often including footage of trained and captive animals. Sometimes they are about wildlife or ecosystems in relationship to human beings. Such programmes are most frequently made for television, particularly for public broadcasting channels, but some are also made for the cinema medium. The proliferation of this genre occurred almost simultaneously alongside the production of similar television series which is distributed across the world.

<i>Planet Earth</i> (2006 TV series) 2006 British nature documentary television series

Planet Earth is a 2006 British television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC and also the first to be filmed in high definition. The series received multiple awards, including four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and an award from the Royal Television Society.

<i>Meerkat Manor</i> British television series about a meerkat family

Meerkat Manor is a British television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films that premiered in September 2005. Originally broadcast on Animal Planet International for four seasons, until its cancellation in August 2008, the programme had a revival in 2021 with the programme now known as Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty in some countries. Using traditional animal documentary style footage along with narration, the series told the story of the Whiskers, one of more than a dozen families of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert being studied as part of the Kalahari Meerkat Project, a long-term field study into the ecological causes and evolutionary consequences of the cooperative nature of meerkats. The original programme was narrated by Bill Nighy, with the narration redubbed by Mike Goldman for the Australian airings and Sean Astin for the American broadcasts. The fourth series, subtitled The Next Generation, saw Stockard Channing replacing Astin as the narrator in the American dubbing. In 2021, Nighy could be heard narrating the new series of Meerkat Manor when it was broadcast in the United States on BBC America and on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, making it the first time that both television markets have used the same voice over on the programme.

<i>Treehouse of Horror</i> Series of Halloween-themed episodes of The Simpsons

Treehouse of Horror is a series of annual Halloween-themed anthology episodes of the animated sitcom The Simpsons. Also known as The Simpsons Halloween Specials, each episode typically consists of three separate, self-contained segments. Each segment involves the Simpson family in some comical horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting; plot elements operate beyond the show's normal continuity, with segments exaggeratedly more morbid and violent than a typical Simpsons episode. With 34 episodes as of 2023, each Treehouse of Horror episode is numbered in Roman numerals, one less than the respective season it is in.

<i>Crashbox</i> Canadian-American educational childrens television series (1999–2000)

Crashbox is an educational children's television series co-created by Eamon Harrington and John Watkin for HBO Family that ran from 1999 to 2000 in the United States. It was HBO's second attempt at a show focused on educational skits.

<i>WordGirl</i> Animated television series

WordGirl is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl that premiered on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel; the segment was then spun off into a new thirty-minute episodic series that premiered on September 3, 2007 on most PBS member stations. The series of shorts consisted of thirty episodes, with 130 episodes in the full half-hour series.

<i>Stegosaurus</i> in popular culture

Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable types among cultural depictions of dinosaurs. It has been depicted on film, in cartoons, comics, as children's toys, as sculpture, and even was declared the state dinosaur of Colorado in 1982. Stegosaurus is a subject for inclusion in dinosaur toy and scale model lines, such as the Carnegie Collection.

"The Futurama Holiday Spectacular", originally titled "Holiday Val-U-Pak", is the thirteenth episode in the sixth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 101st episode of the series overall. It originally aired as a holiday special on November 21, 2010, before the remaining episodes of Season 6 were broadcast in 2011. The episode features three self-contained segments, sponsored by the fictitious product "Gunderson's Unshelled Nuts". The first segment is based on "Xmas", in which the long-extinct pine tree species is revived, but due to seed contamination grows out of control. The second segment is based on "Robanukah", in which Bender leads the crew on a search for petroleum oil in order for him to celebrate the holiday. In the third and final segment, the Planet Express crew go in search of beeswax, in order to create traditional beeswax candles for Kwanzaa.

Weird Nature is a 2002 British documentary television series produced by John Downer Productions for the BBC and Discovery Channel. The series features strange behavior in nature—specifically, the animal world. The series now airs on TLC the Science Channel and Animal Planet. The series took three years to make and a new filming technique was used to show animal movements in 3D.

Call of the Wildman was an American reality television series that aired on Animal Planet from 2011 to 2014. The show followed the exploits of Kentucky woodsman Ernie Brown Jr., nicknamed "The Turtleman". Aided by his friend, Neal James, and his dog, Lolly, Brown operated a nuisance animal removal business, catching and releasing nuisance animals. The series was primarily filmed near Brown's Lebanon, Kentucky, home.

Top Gear is a British motoring magazine and entertainment television programme. It is a revival by Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman of the 1977–2001 show of the same name for the BBC, and premiered on 20 October 2002. The programme focuses on the examination and reviewing of motor vehicles, primarily cars, though this was expanded upon after the broadcast of its earlier series to incorporate films featuring motoring-based challenges, special races, timed laps of notable cars, and celebrity timed laps on a course specially-designed for the relaunched programme. The programme drew acclaim for its visual and presentation style since its launch, which focused on being generally entertaining to viewers, as well as criticism over the controversial nature of its content. The show was also praised for its occasionally-controversial humour and lore existing in not just the automotive community but in the form of internet memes and jokes. The programme was aired on BBC Two until it was moved to BBC One for its twenty-ninth series in 2020.

<i>Planet Earth II</i> 2016 British nature documentary television series

Planet Earth II is a 2016 British nature documentary series produced by the BBC as a sequel to Planet Earth, which was broadcast in 2006. The series is presented and narrated by Sir David Attenborough with the main theme music composed by Hans Zimmer.

Planet Earth is a television and film documentary franchise produced and broadcast by the BBC. The franchise began in 2001 with the success of The Blue Planet. As of 2017, The Blue Planet has spawned 5 series and one feature film.

<i>A Perfect Planet</i> 2021 documentary series

A Perfect Planet is a 2021 five-part earth science series presented by David Attenborough. The first episode premiered on 3 January 2021 on BBC One. Filming took place over four years, across 31 countries, with crew navigating difficulties in extreme temperatures and remote locations. The editing process was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The series covers volcanoes, the sun, weather and oceans, with the final episode focusing on human impact on the environment. It received positive critical reception.

References