ANIMAL Planet’s oldest series about a controversial branch of the ASPCA’s law enforcement arm appears to have been put to sleep.
“Animal Precinct,” the 6-year-old series that tailed cops working for the Manhattan-based animal cruelty agency, has finished filming its latest season and is not expected to return to New York City, according to an ASPCA spokeswoman.
Sources within the agency say strife between the ASPCA’s chief enforcer, Dale Riedel, and “Animal Precinct” producers played a major role in the decision.
ASPCA officials denied that and said the agency was moving away from the TV show because it is getting media exposure elsewhere and because the show, which had been on for several years, had be come too much work.
“We don’t want to be solely identified with law enforcement,” said ASPCA spokeswoman Melissa Norden. “We want to also be known for our national education programs.”
“It was decided that the New York site be given a rest, and we are aware that other locations are being considered for the filming of the work of humane law enforcement efforts around the country,” ASPCA spokeswoman Anita Kelso Edson said.
New episodes of the series – one of the most popular on the channel – are expected to continue to air through 2008, with repeats available for years to come.
An Animal Planet spokeswoman said the network will have a relationship with the ASPCA, but that the future of “Animal Precinct” is not yet clear.
“Animal Precinct” followed animal control officers in New York City and was the first of several similar shows on Animal Planet that feature the work of dog-cops in other cities like Miami and Detroit. Despite strong ratings, about 3 million viewers a week, network officials said the entire genre was under review.
“It’s like ‘Seinfeld,’ ” Norden says. “We want go out on top.”
There have been some setbacks, however.
In recent years, at least, cases brought by officers on “Animal Precinct” have been thrown out of court by judges who said the cops were showboating for the cameras.