[12/16/11 - 01:04 PM] Nat Geo WILD Joins Stephen Colbert in Hosting the "South Carolina Serious, Classy Republican Debate" "Bring on the candidates for the greatest battle in the history of the universe," said David Lyle. "It will be red in tooth and claw."
[via press release from Nat Geo WILD]
Donald Trump Out. Nat Geo WILD In!
NAT GEO WILD JOINS STEPHEN COLBERT IN HOSTING THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SERIOUS, CLASSY REPUBLICAN DEBATE"
Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan to Co-Moderate Debate with Colbert
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2011 -- After entrepreneur Donald Trump pulled out of moderating a GOP debate, a "giant ego-shaped hole" was left in the Republican primaries, according to The Colbert Report's Stephen Colbert in a televised December 14 statement - and Nat Geo WILD is springing into action like a lion on a wildebeest.
Nat Geo WILD and Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan have agreed to host the next "Serious, Classy Republican" debate with Colbert as the moderator - and officially invite the candidates to participate! The network has started recruiting pint-sized animal-loving participants from around the country to attend the debate, per Colbert's goal of getting kids involved.
Said David Lyle, chief executive officer of the National Geographic Channels US, "If Colbert wants animals in the buff, we'll get them. If he wants kids in the audience, we'll start before bedtime. Bring on the candidates for the greatest battle in the history of the universe. It will be red in tooth and claw."
Millan, a People's Choice Award winner for Favorite Animal Show, said, "PAC(k) leaders unite! The candidates need someone to moderate with "Tsssst!" power. This is going to be WILD."
In officially challenging the candidates to participate, Millan plans to head to the Iowa Caucus on January 3 - before his new season of Dog Whisperer premieres Saturday, January 7 - to see problem candidate behaviors he can start rehabbing. "Pooches are easy, people are hard, and political candidates ... that's a whole different animal," he said.
Other Nat Geo WILD talent on board include Casey Anderson, host of America the Wild, who is working with his 800-pound grizzly bear best friend Brutus to provide questions from the animal kingdom (and has offered Brutus to provide security at the debate!) and reptile expert Brady Barr from Dangerous Encounters - who has had his fair share of tussles with crocs, snakes and other reptiles - and is ready to get out his bite meter and see how the candidates score.
[11/14/25 - 09:31 AM] "Wicked: One Wonderful Night" Shines for NBC Across all platforms, the special drew 3.6 million viewers, which was up 64% from last year's "Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked" special.
