Animal Planet Howls with New Series 'Mr. And Mrs. Wolf' - A Twist On Your Average Family
Meet Shaun and Helen, Britain's Tarzan and Jane, in Network's Immersive New
Dramedy
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 10 -- British wolf expert
Shaun Ellis has become famous -- or possibly infamous -- for his
unprecedented experiences embedded in a wolfpack. By studying the behaviors
and social structures of these canine creatures, Shaun hopes to promote a
greater human understanding of wolves while helping to regrow wolf
populations. For years, he has been sleeping, eating and brawling with a
pack of captive wolves at Combe Martin Wildlife Park in Devon, England,
successfully infiltrating the pack and becoming its peacemaker. At times,
it seems that Ellis is just short of becoming a wolf himself, and he might
jump at the chance if it weren't for his other true love -- Helen Jeffs.
Helen is Shaun's fiancee, but when it comes to the wolves, she is still a
novice -- not yet integrated into this extension of Shaun's family.
That is all about to change. Beginning this October, MR. AND MRS. WOLF
(wt) follows Shaun and Helen as Shaun attempts to bring his two loves
together. What will the family think of Helen? In her journey to become
accepted by Shaun's pack, Helen must face her fears and get closer to these
wild animals than most people would ever dare. She goes to extremes,
changing her diet and hygiene habits in order not to disturb the wolves'
keen sense of smell. Once inside the pack, Helen has to growl, bark and
bite her way to authority (literally), all under Shaun's guidance. She
comes uncomfortably close to the wolves as she defends her place on the
carcasses of prey and even regurgitates her own food into the wolves'
mouths all in hopes of becoming part of Shaun's mission and the first woman
ever to live with wolves.
But there is more to this couple than life inside the enclosure. During
her initiation into the pack, Helen must find a way to balance her wolf
life with domestic life. Getting her nails done, going to dinner with Shaun
-- regular life doesn't stop just because the wolves need a nanny. MR. AND
MRS. WOLF shows Shaun and Helen's life away from the pack too, but these
concerned parents never stay away long.
Throughout this journey, Shaun and Helen are emotionally and physically
battered, living constantly with the knowledge that the pack could turn on
them at any moment. However, they consider these risks entirely worthwhile
for the progression of the pack and the wolf species. Shaun and Helen are
passionate about the cause and hope to promote a greater human
understanding of these often misunderstood animals.
"When you fall for a wolfman, you put more than your heart on the
line," says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal
Planet. "We think viewers will be riveted by Helen's experiences as she
tries to commit to this new life and by the unique love that Shaun and
Helen have for each other and for the wolves."
Starting this October, MR. AND MRS. WOLF introduces viewers to this
not-so-average couple with two, one-hour specials. A 10-part series will
follow chronicling Helen's successful, or not so successful, introduction
into the pack. The animal world is unpredictable, and in this life and
death situation, all they have is each other.
MR. AND MRS. WOLF is produced for Animal Planet by Tigress Productions.
Andrew Jackson is the executive producer for Tigress. Erin Wanner is the
executive producer for Animal Planet.
Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery
Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses
viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep
content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners
access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for
immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and
enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available
in more than 93 million homes in the US; online assets http://www.animalplanet.com
, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband
channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web
property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms
including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and
merchandising extensions.
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