Animal Planet joins up with Aardman

Animal Planet is partnering with Aardman Animations on Animals Save the Planet, a new series of short films for the channel.

The series is part of the channel's new programming slate which rolls out on the network this autumn across the UK, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

The new Aardman 10-part series features animals demonstrating how everyone can make a difference by living a greener lifestyle. It includes a penguin who discovers how much effort energy-saving light bulbs can save him, and a cow who learns about the environmental impact of his own methane gas. The films will premiere on Animal Planet in all international markets in late 2007.

Other new programmes include Crime Scene Wild, a six-part series for winter which will investigate the illegal wildlife trade; Going Ape is a continuing half-hour series that highlights efforts to protect endangered primates in West Africa; and Ocean Voyagers is a high-definition 70-minute documentary narrated by Meryl Streep that focuses on the mysterious and rarely-seen world of the humpback whale.

"This new slate of programming brings to life what is at the very core of the Animal Planet brand, which is connecting viewers to the natural world through captivating characters and stories that inform, entertain and celebrate the planet," said Phillip Luff, senior vice president and
general manager of Animal Planet International.