2002 American TV series or program
The Most Extreme Title card
Genre Nature documentary , edutainment Developed by Shelby Wilson Narrated by Adam Harrington Country of origin United States Original language English No. of seasons5 No. of episodes77 Producer Ian McGee Running time 46 minutes Production company NHNZ Ltd Network Animal Planet Release July 7, 2002 (2002-07-07 ) – July 3, 2007 (2007-07-03 )
The Most Extreme is a documentary television series on the American cable television network Animal Planet . It first aired on July 7, 2002. Each episode focuses on a specific animal feature, such as strength, speed, behavior, anatomy, or diet, and examines and ranks ten animals that portray extreme or unusual examples of that quality. Along with each animal on the countdown, each episode presents an animated segment which compares the animal's ability with something equivalent in humans, followed by an interview segment with people who share some common trait. Old, often public domain , cartoons, movie clips and trailers are often included.
Episodes "Earth is a planet of extremes. Extreme places, and extreme animals. But some animals are more extreme than others. Join us as we count down to find the most unusual, and the most extraordinary, on Animal Planet's The Most Extreme."
— Opening of the show.
The show was narrated by Adam J. Harrington . On Animal Planet, the episodes were also announced by Simon Arnstein.
Season 1 Parasitic worms , like this tapeworm , are among the most horrific animals of the world, according to episode 9.
#
Original airdate
Title
Overview
Animal that was Number 1
1
7 July 2002
Jumpers
The fastest, highest and best jumpers.
Flea
2
7 July 2002
Gluttons
The greediest eaters in the world.
Caterpillar
3
14 July 2002
Speed
The fastest animals on land, air and water.
Tiger beetle
4
21 July 2002
Births
Extreme reproduction in number of young, size and other factors.
Tapeworm
5
28 July 2002
Cheats
The ways animals trick one another.
Cuckoo
6
3 August 2002
Survivors
The animals who best survive extreme conditions.
Water bear
7
11 August 2002
Fighters
Warriors of the animal kingdom.
Ant
8
18 August 2002
Builders
The animal kingdom's most innovative construction engineers.
Termite
9
25 August 2002
Horrors
The animals that most inspire terror in human beings.
Parasitic worm
10
3 September 2002
Strength
Proportionally, the strongest animals in the world.
Rhinoceros beetle
11
11 October 2002
Biters
The deadliest, most prolific and most extreme bites.
Cookiecutter shark
12
3 November 2002
Smarts
Geniuses in the animal kingdom.
Parrot
13
10 November 2002
Lovers
Most extreme courtship rituals.
Redback Spider
Season 2
#
Original airdate
Title
Overview
Animal that was Number 1
14
11 May 2003
Moms
Mothers with the heaviest, hardest or most unusual jobs on the planet.
Sea louse
15
15 June 2003
Dads
Fathers in the wild can go to extremes to take care of their young.
Seahorse
16
22 June 2003
Venom
Animals with the most lethal venomous bites or stings.
Box jellyfish
17
29 June 2003
Disguise
These animals are experts at pretending to be what they are not.
Mimic octopus
18
13 July 2003
Swarms
Hordes in the animal kingdom numbering millions and even billions of individuals.
Argentine ant
19
7 September 2003
Body Parts
Animals with relatively large body parts.
Giraffe
20
14 September 2003
Predators
The most efficient hunters come in many sizes.
Shrew
21
21 September 2003
Stinkers
The worst-smelling animals, including one with a stench that kills.
Skunk
22
28 September 2003
Super Senses
The world's best at keeping up with their environments.
Shark
23
23 November 2003
Eaters
Animals with the most unusual menus.
Vulture
24
30 November 2003
Daredevils
Top stuntmen of the natural kingdom.
Barnacle goose
25
7 December 2003
Defenders
The best and most unusual self-protectors.
Bee
26
21 December 2003
Oddities
Strange animals and their human equivalents.
Deep-sea anglerfish
Season 3 One of the members of the world's most invasive animal , according to episode 41, the Botany Bay cockroach makes its home in Australia .
#
Original airdate
Title
Overview
Animal that was Number 1
27
3 August 2004
Gross-Outs
The most disgusting behavior in the wild.
Fly
28
10 August 2004
Home Designers
The most extreme, unusual and innovative animal architects.
Termite
29
7 September 2004
Tough Babies
The strongest babies in the animal kingdom, with human comparisons.
Sand tiger shark
30
14 September 2004
Wild Partiers
How the most extreme partiers in the wild compare to human parties.
Christmas Island red crab
31
21 September 2004
Monster Myths
The reality behind some of the most feared animals in the world.
Wolf
-
25 September 2004
The Best of the Best
Retroactive examination of Number 1s from earlier episodes, with a countdown to the most extreme among them.
Cookiecutter shark (from Biters )
32
12 October 2004
Killer Cats
The most ferocious felines in the world.
House cat
33
19 October 2004
Battle of the Sexes
Males and females of animals in which the two sexes have very little in common with one another and are not always good for each other's health.
Whiptail lizard
34
23 November 2004
Big Mouths
Proportionally, the 10 largest mouths in the world.
Argentine horned frog
35
30 November 2004
Deadly Snakes
The most venomous, dangerous and prolific killer snakes.
Cobra
36
14 December 2004
Killers
The animals with the highest human kill counts.
Mosquito
37
8 February 2005
Bloodsuckers
Vampires in the animal kingdom.
Tick
38
15 February 2005
Super Sharks
The "highest tech" sharks in the ocean.
Hammerhead shark
39
22 February 2005
Poison
The deadliest chemical defenses.
Golden poison frog
40
1 March 2005
Super Dogs
The 10 dog breeds that have evolved the farthest from their wolf ancestor.
Chihuahua
41
8 March 2005
Global Conquerors
The most invasive animal species .
Cockroach
42
15 March 2005
Outrageous Flirts
The unusual ways that animals attract one another.
Elephant
43
27 April 2005
Athletes
The most athletic animals and their human equivalents.
Arctic tern
44
4 May 2005
Odd Couples
When two kinds unite: unexpected animal partnerships .
Greenland shark /Ommatokoita
45
25 May 2005
Movers
The animals that move the best with the fewest limbs for movement.
Scallop
46
1 June 2005
Troublemakers
The animals that cause the most trouble for humans just by doing what they do.
Termite
Season 4
#
Original airdate
Title
Overview
Animal that was Number 1
47
25 October 2005
Hissy Fits
The worst temper tantrums in the animal world.
Elephant
48
1 November 2005
Living Dead
Not actual zombies , these extreme animals can play dead or, when dormant , can appear to come back from the dead.
Water bear
49
8 November 2005
Divers
The animals that can hold their breaths the longest or dive the relative deepest.
Sperm Whale
50
29 November 2005
Dieters
Some animals can eat a lot without gaining weight, while others can go for long times between meals.
Tick
51
24 January 2006
Loudmouths
The world's loudest animals.
Pistol shrimp
52
2 February 2006
Appendages
The most unusual animal attachments.
Anglerfish
53
7 March 2006
Transformers
Ten transformers capable of altering themselves in extreme ways.
Ribeiroia
54
14 March 2006
Fashion Disasters
Animals whose appearances can put them in danger.
Deer
55
21 March 2006
City Slickers
Animals best adapted to life in human urban environments.
Macaque
56
28 March 2006
Workaholics
The hardest-working animals in the natural world.
Honey bee
57
25 April 2006
Slime Balls
The animals who have found the most or most innovative ways to use slime.
Banana slug
58
2 May 2006
Animal Myths
The most misunderstood animals.
Lemming
59
6 June 2006
Gourmets
Animals that put time and effort into their food preparation.
Honey bee
60
13 June 2006
Diggers
Most extreme cavity makers.
Termite
61
20 June 2006
Weird Weapons
The strangest ways animals defend themselves or attack.
Electric eel
62
26 September 2006
Cleaners
Nature's most unusual neat-freaks.
Japanese macaque
63
3 October 2006
Pirates
Animals who act like pirates, taking from others or hunting for treasure.
Amazon ant
64
10 October 2006
Gardeners
The unusual ways that animals impact vegetable growth.
Lemon ant
65
17 October 2006
Freeloaders
Opportunistic animals that gain benefits by associating with others.
Tapeworm
66
24 October 2006
Awesome Ancestors
Prehistoric animals larger than their modern descendants/relatives.
Megatherium
Season 5
#
Original airdate
Title
Overview
Animal that was Number 1
67
24 April 2007
Inventors
Innovative tools nature-built right into an animal's body.
Wood frog
68
1 May 2007
Night Lights
The brightest animals in the wild.
Deep-sea anglerfish
69
8 May 2007
Leaders
Animals with extreme numbers of followers.
Termite
70
15 May 2007
Medics
The unusual ways some animals self-treat themselves.
Axolotl
71
22 May 2007
Freaky Fliers
Animals with unusual ways of moving through the air.
Spider
72
5 June 2007
Bodysnatchers
Animals that take over the bodies of others.
Toxoplasma
73
12 June 2007
Gadgets
The animals which create/use the most tools .
Chimpanzee
74
19 June 2007
Psychics
Animals that seem to predict the future.
Ladybird beetle
75
26 June 2007
Dirty Jobs
The "jobs" of animals that are the most revolting.
Dung beetle
76
3 July 2007
Crazy Collectors
The most obsessive hoarders in the wild.
Pack rat
References
External links