ANIMAL PLANET OFFERS A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER WITH HOLIDAY-STUFFED EPISODES DURING ITS ANNUAL "HOLIDAY BEST FEST"

-- It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year for Animal Planet Fans, Beginning Monday, December 15 --

(Silver Spring, Md.) - 'Tis the season to be jolly! Animal Planet gets into the holiday spirit with its annual HOLIDAY BEST FEST programming event. Beginning Monday, December 15 and continuing through Wednesday, December 31, Animal Planet kicks off a 17-day celebration, thanking its viewers by stuffing their stockings with seasonal-themed episodes of fan-favorite series.

In addition to daily marathons, Animal Planet promises a 'Festival of Nights' with holiday premieres including, TREEHOUSE MASTERS, REDWOOD KINGS, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES and TANKED. And, this season's greetings are wrapped with extra-special sneak peeks of what's to come in the New Year.

MUD LOVIN' REDNECKS: Holiday Special
World Premiere Monday, December 15, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
'Tis the season to get muddy! The crew goes all out to create a festive "Muddy South Pole" for the holidays. The mud-covered bunch hosts a scavenger hunt for gifts in the mud, muddy sleigh rides and a mud snowstorm for all the naughty and nice boggers.

MONSTERS INSIDE ME: Holiday Special
World Premiere Thursday, December 18, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Holiday cheer turns to holiday fear when three victims receive monstrous gifts of the near deathly variety. In New Hampshire, a man emerges from surgery just in time for Christmas only to find himself on the brink of death. In Florida, a woman is Christmas shopping when she suddenly feels a stabbing pain in her eyes. As the pain becomes more severe, she begins to see worms in her eyes. In Utah, the grandmother of a large family coughs up what becomes a life-threatening infectious disease that puts her in the hospital for the holidays. With medical complications this severe, each victim prays for his and her own Christmas miracle.

TANKED: Holiday Special
World Premiere Friday, December 19, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
In this holiday episode, Wayde and Brett install a beefed-up butcher block tank for a Las Vegas Jerky Store. In South Florida, the guys design a Pub-themed tank for an over-the-top Irish family. The luck of the Irish clearly isn't with them, and they discover the true meaning of "Murphy's Law!" Are they able to install the tank in time for the Flanigan Family's annual holiday party? In Vegas, the entire ATM family gets into the holiday spirit, but things get out of control when Brett takes his decorations a bit too far.

PIT BULLS & PAROLEES: Holiday Special
World Premiere Saturday, December 20, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Inspired by longtime Villalobos residents Snickers and Brandi, Tania spearheads an effort to find forever homes for their favorite dogs, and she ensures this is the last Christmas they spend in shelters. A professional photographer is invited to New Orleans to shoot portraits of each dog to capture the dog's personality and melt the hearts of potential adopters. Meanwhile, Earl rallies the parolees' festive spirits and enlists their help to decorate the Tahyo Tavern and prepare a very special Christmas feast for the Villalobos family.

NORTH WOODS LAW: Holiday Special
World Premiere Sunday, December 21, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
This holiday season, the game wardens of Maine are gearing up to spread season's greetings and good will. Warden Pete Herring visits the Barbara Bush Child Cancer Center in Portland with some furry friends from the K9 team. Warden Alan Curtis donates evidence game meat to a local soup kitchen. Sergeants Scott Thrasher and Chris Simmons invite all their wardens and families to celebrate the conclusion of deer season with an annual Christmas-tree cutting and potluck supper at the Thrashers' home.

WILD WEST ALASKA: Holiday Special
World Premiere Monday, December 22, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
It's Christmas at Wild West Guns, and everyone is getting ready to spend holiday bonuses. But when the 'Kens pays for it all' deal goes south, he's convinced Christmas is ruined.

TOO CUTE! #MERRYCUTENESS
World Premiere Wednesday, December 24, 7-11 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
From prancing baby goats to kittens climbing Christmas trees and puppies dashing though the snow, this special episode of TOO CUTE! combines the fluffy, the cuddly and the snuggly into one adorable bundle. Animal Planet celebrates the miracle of cute with this festive treat, set to beloved holiday classics and sure to warm hearts and homes during the holiday season.

CALL OF THE WILDMAN: Turtleman Takes Manhattan Holiday Special World Premiere Thursday, December 25, at 9 PM (ET/PT) TV-PG Never-before-seen live action and insider stories take you behind the scenes as Turtleman and Neal tell the tale of their trip to find the perfect gift for Turtlemom...in New York City! From Central Park to world-famous Times Square, the boys see new sights, make new friends and tour the Big Apple as only Team Turtle can.

TREEHOUSE MASTERS: Treetop Candy Kitchen
World Premiere Friday, December 26, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
"Santa Pete" and his merry band of elves head down to Northern California with the purpose of elevating one client's family tradition to the trees! For generations, the Splinter family has celebrated the holidays with candy making on its vineyard, and this year, the family brings the ancestral candy making to new heights. When the crew member's sleigh lands, the family whips up a full-scale, stainless-steel candy kitchen and wine bar inside a 500-square-foot ski lodge treehouse with barrel ceilings, loft bedroom and even a shower to wash off all the sticky sugar residue. But completing Pete's first-ever chef's kitchen in the trees, which is 11 feet in the air, could take a Christmas miracle to finish. The combined strength of 14 camphor trees might not be enough to hold this mega-kitchen. Pete and his team must harness the awesome power of ultra-strong steel to give this family the best Christmas gift ever. Looks like someone was on Santa's nice list this year!

REDWOOD KINGS: A Treehouse for Heroes
World Premiere Friday, December 26, at 10 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
The Daniels Woodland crew says a festive 'thank you' to a group of American heroes at a magical place called Blue Butterfly Village. Just in time for Christmas, the REDWOOD KINGS build an all-reclaimed fantasy playground near a habitat for one of the most rare butterflies in the world as part of a housing project for veteran women and their children.

TOO CUTE! Holiday Special
World Premiere Saturday, December 27, at 8 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
In a very merry episode of TOO CUTE!, watch as three unique breeds learn what the holidays truly mean. A very mischievous snowshoe cat named Eloise is trouble this holiday season while the only male kitty in the litter, Jingle, learns to find his voice among his eight boisterous sisters. Then, in a litter of four cuddly Brussels Griffons, one pup sticks out: grumpy Humphrey is anything but jolly, but with a little bit of help, he may find his holiday spirit.

MY CAT FROM HELL: Hell-iday Special
World Premiere Saturday, December 27, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
TV-PG
Get the inside track as Jackson tries to save the holidays for three Boston families. A rambunctious Bengal threatens to ruin a couple's first holiday with its newborn baby. Feuding felines cause chaos for a couple who wants to throw a holiday party. And instead of peace on Earth, it's pee on Earth for one family whose sphinx is peeing all over the holiday gifts!