Channel 5 Orders More Elephant Hospital

Channel 5 has commissioned All3Media’s Maverick Television for four additional episodes of Elephant Hospital.

The new season will feature the return of wildlife expert Dr. Paul O’Donoghue, who will revisit the medical care facility in Thailand that treats more than 100 sick, injured or neglected elephants every year. It will air later this year.

In the first season, O’Donoghue witnessed Asian elephants with missing limbs, a calf with a deadly virus and elephant surrogacy. The new season was shot by Simon Everson and Laura Hooper, who spent five months filming these animals at the Elephant Hospital.

Daniel Pearl, commissioning editor for unscripted at Channel 5 and Paramount+, said: “Elephant Hospital was a huge hit with our viewers, and we are delighted to welcome back this entertaining, fresh format, which is by turns moving, funny and thought-provoking. Maverick has made natural history accessible and enchanting, and we can’t wait to see more adventures with these beautiful animals and the brilliant hospital that cares for them.”

Maverick’s CEO Simon Knight said: “It is testament to the resilience and expertise of our location team that they have been able to deliver another beautiful series. Filming of this nature is challenging enough, but with the added pressures of Covid-19 and navigating Thailand’s protocols, it is a tremendous achievement. Viewers can expect more drama, moving stories and a glimpse into the challenges of elephant conservation.”