ANGLIA TV WINS MAJOR ANIMAL PLANET CONTRACT

ANIMAL Planet have commissioned Anglia TV to produce a 15-part series following the work of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in New York.
The programme called ‘Animal Precinct’ is being produced and directed by award-winning documentary maker Paul Berriff and the team from United Productions’ Documentaries department at Anglia TV.
‘Animal Precinct’ will follow the 11-strong law enforcement team as they pursue cases of animal neglect and abuse. The ASPCA, which can be considered the American version of the RSPCA, employ humane law enforcement officers who are renowned for their courage – venturing into some of the toughest areas of New York. They carry guns and hold more power than the RSPCA, being able to search premises and arrest offenders.
The stories Paul Berriff and his team will be filming start with the ASPCA and their work on the streets, but will also follow the animal’s recovery and its adoption by new owners.
Paul Berriff begins filming ‘Animal Precinct’ in the States this month. He is a renowned producer, director and cameraman, who has a reputation for cutting edge reality documentaries, and has collected 16 awards for his work along the way. An adventurer who has been dubbed ‘The Indiana Jones of television’ by the press, his many credits during his 20-year television career include ‘Passport Control’ and ‘Absolutely Marie Claire’ for Channel 4’s Cutting Edge, ‘Rescue’ and ‘Motorway Life’ for ITV, and ‘Animal Squad’ and ‘Lifeboat’ for the BBC
‘Animal Precinct’ is currently scheduled for primetime transmission on Animal Planet in the summer, both in the States and Europe. Andrea Cornes, Head of Documentaries, Features and Education for United Productions said: “This is the first Animal Planet commission for the Documentaries team and it represents a great opportunity for us to consolidate the relationship that Survival already has with Discovery Communications’. (AMcE)