CROC FILES

 

CROC FILES
(Animal Planet, June 28, 1999-January 6, 2001)
 
Discovery Kids, Australia Zoo Productions Pty. Ltd.

 

       Steve Irwin, known as “The Crocodile Hunter”, was an Australian conservationist, environmentalist, zookeeper and television personality. His parents began what is now known as Australia Zoo, which he took over in 1991 and ran with his wife, Terri, until his death in 2006. She was later joined by their children, Bindi and Robert, when they got older. Seeking to educate people about animals and encourage the preservation of their lives and homelands, the Irwins began making the in 1992 during their honeymoon, with the resulting series, The Crocodile Hunter, airing on Animal Planet from 1996-2004. Rather than preach, Steve chose to share his enthusiasm for nature with the audience with an unconventional presenting style. Along with other documentaries and a feature film, the Irwins produced several spin-offs to The Crocodile Hunter. One of those was Croc Files.

Steve Irwin introducing a snake to the audience.

            Also known as The Crocodile Hunter’s Croc Files, the series was geared more towards children. While similar to The Crocodile Hunter with a lot of on location footage taken both inside and outside of Australia Zoo, Croc Files spent a lot of time with Steve and Terri in a shack full of exploration supplies, scientific models of animals and some animal skulls speaking directly to the audience. The connective tissue of the show lay with the titular “files”. Segments were labeled with animations of the tops of file folders; additional facts were presented over a background of collected news clippings and notes like you would find in a file; and the show’s title itself was placed on the front of an animated filing cabinet. It also featured an animated intro of Steve and Terri leaving the aforementioned shack and encountering animals throughout the Australian wilderness using cutout animation. Sharon Gordon, Leanne Forbes, Ben Hartnett and Jayson Price were credited as animators on the series.

Irwin explaining the construction of a crocodile's skull.

            Croc Files debuted on Animal Planet on June 28, 1999; a co-production of Discovery Kids and Australia Zoo Productions. The theme was composed by Greville Patterson, while additional music was composed by Gary Smith, Scott Lloyd Shelly and “Mr. Jones”. After concluding its run on January 6, 2001, it moved to NBC Saturday mornings the following year as one of the debut programs of the Discovery Kids on NBC programming block. It also aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and Network Ten in Australia. A DVD containing four episodes was released by Family Home Entertainment in 2000.