I feel like reptiles should have their own show.

[CloudtheBoa]

Not like Swamp Wars or Infested. I mean a reality TV show maybe like Tanked or My Cat from Hell, where reptiles are painted in a good light and their owners are shown as they really are. For example, I would love to see a show where (in the light of Tanked) a custom reptile enclosure company/group goes around making custom enclosures for reptile owners. Maybe they do some interviews as to what the customers have and why they got interested in them, with some scenes of the people interacting with the animals and the animals being introduced to their new home and some facts interjected to educate the viewers. I feel like if there were people willing to do this, and there was a trustworthy TV channel to do it, that it would help phenomenally with getting the general public to shed their fear of these animals and help us fight these ridiculous laws just popping up everywhere right now. It would also be entertaining, at least for me! I feel like a light-hearted, reptile-friendly TV show would help our hobby even more than doing traveling educational shows and educating people we meet, or at least help a ton. After all, most of the US watches cable and I've seen how people react to TV shows on AP and Discovery, etc. People are more likely to find a TV show just flipping through channels than finding a website online or finding out about expos in their area.

What kind of reptile-oriented TV shows would you guys like to see?

[simplysalamander]

This is something I think about too! I admit that I watch just about anything that shows reptiles but the sensationalism drives me nuts. Swamp wars sounded promising but the snakes were constantly being referred to as "dangerous predators" and I felt that it just served to increase fear in the public eye. What I'd really like to see is a good documentary about reptiles- something at least on par with a Nova doc as far as scientific information goes. There is so much more of interest in snake evolution than just heat pits and the jacobson's organ. If there was a series- I'd love to see one show per continent that shows off the native herps. I know boa constrictors, anacondas, retics, and burms are always in the spotlight in the existing shows and I think this also has an effect on how the general public view constrictors. So, something that shows other constrictors and also non-boids would be a step in the right direction. Lastly, I'd really appreciate a host who did not feel the need to exaggerate his or her speech and body language when field herping or handling a reptile. It was fine for Steve Irwin (it seemed to be his genuine personality) but really now it's just gotten super tacky with every discovery channel/ AP channel dude doing it.

Right now I'm in an apartment that doesn't allow reptiles of any kind. The only rationale I can see for this is ignorance- the stigma of "dangerous predators" and disease carrying pets. I wish that people were exposed to less sensationalistic media about herps so they could be more informed before making such blanket evaluations about the animals we love.

[NH93]

One show that I find myself glued to every once in awhile - even though it is clearly one-sided - is Fatal Attractions. However, sometimes I can't take it seriously (I'm thinking more when a person gets "viciously attacked" but doesn't die... they blow it WAY out of proportion).
They always make the animal keepers, no matter what species, look nuts. Like they are not mentally stable and that could be the only reason they own 'terrifying creatures'.

[ZacharyPoller]

Well make a show and make millions , you have plenty of people here who will help out

[eatgoodfood]

A show like that wont make millions and no one here will likely help out. Danger, death and lies sells, not the truth and actual reality. All those shows on AP and what not are crap, lies and are negative to our hobby and anyone interested in keeping exotics. Shows like fatal attractions abuse the people they have on their show, there are multiples accounts of this, search around a bit and you will see. Stop watching, pretend those channels no longer exist, stop feeding them with your viewing. Ratings make the shows. Pick up a book, or a journal that really covers the science behind the animals we love and support the organizations that are fighting for us, not against us.

[Bluebonnet Herp]

I just miss the days of The Jeff Corwin Experience and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I hate shows like Tanked, which treats animals like disposable commodities, and I don't even bother with propaganda crap like Fatal Attractions because it's an utter PoS. The entire Discovery Network just needs to be done with.
I'd almost die to get my hands on some neat, new, interesting documentaries on animals again.

[CloudtheBoa]

I just miss the days of The Jeff Corwin Experience and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I hate shows like Tanked, which treats animals like disposable commodities, and I don't even bother with propaganda crap like Fatal Attractions because it's an utter PoS. The entire Discovery Network just needs to be done with.
I'd almost die to get my hands on some neat, new, interesting documentaries on animals again.

Yeah, I don't much like Tanked either, but I've seen parts of it when I had cable and I see it while I'm looking through Netflix trying to find stuff I haven't already watched. I like the custom enclosure idea, it would also make it seem like keeping reptiles was more inclusive, like you got to do something with them like playing with a dog. Unfortunately, quite a few people I talk to aren't afraid of them but don't want them because they feel like they don't do anything. I tried suggesting lizards, but I'm not much of a lizard person and beyond saying, "do some research" I can't really help them on that front. And then the public says that people shouldn't own anything other than cats and dogs because everything else belongs in the wild....If they're taken care of and not having wild caught animals constantly brought into the pet trade (i.e. they're being bred in captivity) I see no reason why people shouldn't be allowed to own them. Just because they aren't mainstream doesn't mean they aren't valid pets. We aren't being "edgy" by owning them, we genuinely enjoy these animals for what they are.

Well make a show and make millions , you have plenty of people here who will help out

Not only do I not have the money, I do not have the ambition to do something like that. Even if I did, where on Earth am I supposed to find a trustworthy station that wouldn't warp my whole vision? Unfortunately with TV the way it is right now I don't think a good reptile show will be coming around any time soon.

[kylearmbar]

A show like that wont make millions and no one here will likely help out. Danger, death and lies sells, not the truth and actual reality. All those shows on AP and what not are crap, lies and are negative to our hobby and anyone interested in keeping exotics. Shows like fatal attractions abuse the people they have on their show, there are multiples accounts of this, search around a bit and you will see. Stop watching, pretend those channels no longer exist, stop feeding them with your viewing. Ratings make the shows. Pick up a book, or a journal that really covers the science behind the animals we love and support the organizations that are fighting for us, not against us.

Sadly true... I remember when those Channels used to help animals and be informative, not about ratings, sell outs... Most of them are not even about animals anymore, and even ones that do show the bad sides and even promoting killing of them, the only descent one I can now watch is call of the wildman

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Sadly true... I remember when those Channels used to help animals and be informative, not about ratings, sell outs... Most of them are not even about animals anymore, and even ones that do show the bad sides and even promoting killing of them, the only descent one I can now watch is call of the wildman

Oh really?

As for myself, I watched one show and that was enough for me to draw my own opinion. The guy's an idiot that cares nothing for the well being of animals and Animal Planet should be ashamed to air this trash. Go sign the petition and help get this off the air!

[artgecko]

I agree... Especially the "reality" shows are garbage... But that goes for almost all reality shows, even the non animal ones. I remember when animal planet actually had some good shows (back in the mid 90's) there was one show I LOVED called "breed all about it". They took a full 30 minutes to document a dog breed, it's plusses and minuses and they talked to breeders, owners, etc. Much better writing and info than their current "breed" shows.

I think a better alternative, would be to do a youtube channel and make short documentaries on types of reptiles and exotics. Maybe get some of the more well-known breeders of each species to talk about them, their care, etc. This would also act as a "promo" for them, so they might be more willing to do so as it would help promote their business. Kinda like "snakebytes", but with different breeders. Maybe have one "host" to tie it all together. If the channel got popular enough, maybe they could get invites to do informational segments on news shows, etc. (kind of like jack hannah used to do, but with reptiles kept as pets).

I know nothing about video editing, etc, though, so I couldn't contribute. I think it's a great idea though. I would definitely watch it.