Steve Irwin's Last Adventure 1 Ocean Documentary With the 'Crocodile Hunter' Is Paired With a Tribute
In his final documentary, Steve Irwin displays the exuberant passion that was as familiar as his trademark khakis. Cradling a six-foot sea snake and exclaiming over a massive crocodile called Kennedy, Irwin bubbles with enthusiasm for his critters and their conservation.
"He turned up the energy a little bit on camera, but he really was so excited about all these things," said Philippe Cousteau, who was working with Irwin on the program when a stingray barb fatally pierced Irwin's heart on Sept. 4.
"Ocean's Deadliest," a 90-minute documentary featuring some of the most dangerous residents off Australia's coast, will be simulcast on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, and will be followed by "Crikey! What an Adventure," a half-hour program honoring Irwin.
The tribute will include previously unaired footage but "will be something a little more personal than just the clips from shows," said Maureen Smith, general manager of Animal Planet. "People will get more of a sense of Steve, the family man."
Irwin's widow, Terri; his longtime friend and manager, John Stainton; and other family members and friends contributed their personal remembrances to "Crikey!"
Cousteau was among those who tried to resuscitate Irwin after he was struck by the stingray. "One knows that this kind of thing can happen, because you're out in the wild, working with animals in unpredictable circumstances. But it was a shock for us all," Cousteau said.
After Irwin's death, tens of thousands of people left mementos and flowers at the Australia Zoo, where Irwin's "Crocoseum" served as the site of a Sept. 20 memorial service.
Known as the "Crocodile Hunter," Irwin spent a decade with Animal Planet, essentially putting the network on the map, Smith said.
"He redefined what animal programming could be," she said. "Prior to Steve, people's experience with animal programming was sort of the scientific nature documentary with an unseen narrator. And here you had this guy who not only immersed himself with the animals, but had this personality that reached through the TV screen and grabbed you and brought you along."
Irwin also educated viewers about "the beauty in creatures people would say are ugly or scary," Smith said. "He'd show the most amazing things about spiders and snakes and sharks. That's why 'Ocean's Deadliest' is so special."
In one segment, Irwin and his team extract venom from sea snakes to provide antidotes to lethal bites. In another, he demonstrates how a stonefish, a dark, craggy creature resembling a rock, can inject venom from its dorsal spines into a human foot. The final segment shows how whale hunting and pollution destroy sea life, and offers stark visual reminders that fishermen's nets can snare turtles, dolphins and sea birds as well as fish.
Cousteau, whose legendary grandfather Jacques made the family name synonymous with ocean exploration, cited Irwin's respect for animals and his reluctance to interfere with their routines.
"He turned up the energy a little bit on camera, but he really was so excited about all these things," said Philippe Cousteau, who was working with Irwin on the program when a stingray barb fatally pierced Irwin's heart on Sept. 4.
"Ocean's Deadliest," a 90-minute documentary featuring some of the most dangerous residents off Australia's coast, will be simulcast on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, and will be followed by "Crikey! What an Adventure," a half-hour program honoring Irwin.
The tribute will include previously unaired footage but "will be something a little more personal than just the clips from shows," said Maureen Smith, general manager of Animal Planet. "People will get more of a sense of Steve, the family man."
Irwin's widow, Terri; his longtime friend and manager, John Stainton; and other family members and friends contributed their personal remembrances to "Crikey!"
Cousteau was among those who tried to resuscitate Irwin after he was struck by the stingray. "One knows that this kind of thing can happen, because you're out in the wild, working with animals in unpredictable circumstances. But it was a shock for us all," Cousteau said.
After Irwin's death, tens of thousands of people left mementos and flowers at the Australia Zoo, where Irwin's "Crocoseum" served as the site of a Sept. 20 memorial service.
Known as the "Crocodile Hunter," Irwin spent a decade with Animal Planet, essentially putting the network on the map, Smith said.
"He redefined what animal programming could be," she said. "Prior to Steve, people's experience with animal programming was sort of the scientific nature documentary with an unseen narrator. And here you had this guy who not only immersed himself with the animals, but had this personality that reached through the TV screen and grabbed you and brought you along."
Irwin also educated viewers about "the beauty in creatures people would say are ugly or scary," Smith said. "He'd show the most amazing things about spiders and snakes and sharks. That's why 'Ocean's Deadliest' is so special."
In one segment, Irwin and his team extract venom from sea snakes to provide antidotes to lethal bites. In another, he demonstrates how a stonefish, a dark, craggy creature resembling a rock, can inject venom from its dorsal spines into a human foot. The final segment shows how whale hunting and pollution destroy sea life, and offers stark visual reminders that fishermen's nets can snare turtles, dolphins and sea birds as well as fish.
Cousteau, whose legendary grandfather Jacques made the family name synonymous with ocean exploration, cited Irwin's respect for animals and his reluctance to interfere with their routines.
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