Wildlife SOS (TV series)

{{Infobox television

| image =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| genre =

| creator = Simon Cowell MBE
Stephen Fry

| based_on =

| developer = Jason Giberti
Jim Incledon

| writer =

| director = Jim Incledon

| creative_director =

| presenter = Simon Cowell MBE

| starring =

| judges =

| voices =

| narrated = Simon Cowell MBE

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer =

| country = United Kingdom

| language =

| num_seasons =

| num_episodes =

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = Simon Cowell
Ben Kelly
Mark Wild

| producer =

| editor =

| location = Wildlife Aid,
Leatherhead, Surrey

| cinematography =

| camera =

| runtime = 60 minutes

| company = Face Productions
Amatis Film &
Television Productions
Wild Productions

| network = Animal Planet
Channel 5
ITV London
ITV Meridian

| first_aired = {{start date|1996|df=yes}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2014|df=yes}}

| related =

}}

Wildlife SOS is a British TV show which was presented by conservationist Simon Cowell.{{Cite news |date=10 June 2024 |title=Simon Cowell: Wildlife SOS presenter and conservationist dies aged 72 |url=https://news.sky.com/story/simon-cowell-wildlife-sos-presenter-and-conservationist-dies-aged-72-13150970 |access-date=2024-06-15 |publisher=Sky News}}{{cite news |date=1999-05-28 |title=All creatures great and small |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/huddersfield-daily-examiner/154085546/ |newspaper=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=2024-08-27 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827080937/https://www.newspapers.com/article/huddersfield-daily-examiner/154085546/ |archivedate=2024-08-27 }} The show was created for Channel 5, and appeared on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel. It is based in the UK's Wildlife Aid in Leatherhead, Surrey.

In 2014, the first made-for-web episodes of Wildlife SOS started to appear online, made by the Wildlife Aid Foundation. Throughout Wildlife SOS, in addition to 'special' episodes filmed at wildlife centres on the world, the main focus of the series has been on the work of staff and volunteers at the WAF wildlife centre in Surrey.

Wildlife SOS was produced by Wild Productions.{{cite news |date=2012-02-10 |title=Wildlife SOS films ACES for Discovery Channel's Animal Planet |url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/environment/2012/02/10/wildlife-sos-films-aces-for-discovery-channels-animal-planet/ |newspaper=The San Pedro Sun |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=2024-08-27 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827075054/https://www.sanpedrosun.com/environment/2012/02/10/wildlife-sos-films-aces-for-discovery-channels-animal-planet/ |archivedate=2024-08-27 }} Five million people watched the show in 2009.{{cite news |date=2009-02-18 |title=International film crew pays Fraser Coast a visit |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/12797D7ED628F940&f=basic |newspaper=Fraser Coast Chronicle |accessdate=2024-08-27 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240827075611/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/12797D7ED628F940&f=basic |archivedate=2024-08-27 }} The show's final season aired from 7 April 2013 to 12 May 2013.{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Alice |date=2013-04-03 |title=Leatherhead wildlife rescuer Simon Cowell 'distraught' after 18 year-long TV show axed |url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/10330353.leatherhead-wildlife-rescuer-simon-cowell-distraught-after-18-year-long-tv-show-axed/ |newspaper=Your Local Guardian |accessdate=2024-08-27 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827075435/https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/10330353.leatherhead-wildlife-rescuer-simon-cowell-distraught-after-18-year-long-tv-show-axed/ |archivedate=2024-08-27 }} To produce 6.5 hours of the show that aired in 1999, the producers spent a full year and filmed for 200 hours.{{cite news |date=1999-05-13 |title=Media men who are pushing the centre into the public eye |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/leatherhead-advertiser/154085530/ |newspaper=Leatherhead Advertiser |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=2024-08-27 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827080728/https://www.newspapers.com/article/leatherhead-advertiser/154085530/ |archivedate=2024-08-27 }}

Wildlife Aid

In 1996, following a fire that destroyed one third of the hospital complex, Cowell found his organisation reliant on media attention for its continued survival. Cowell was approached by representatives of the newly formed Animal Planet channel to produce a television series chronicling the drama of life in the wildlife rescue facility. The show experienced long-term success; it has been cited as "the longest-running animal rescue TV series" and continues to broadcast on Animal Planet, and various other channels owned by Discovery Communications. The TV series originally had 30-minute episodes but in 2012, this changed to a 60-minute format. The newest (2014) series of Wildlife SOS comprises shorter episodes available on-line on The WildlifeAidTV channel on YouTube.

Wild Productions

Wild Productions were the official makers of Wildlife SOS until 2013 when production was taken over directly by the Wildlife Aid Foundation itself. The writer, narrator and presenter of Wildlife SOS is Simon Cowell, who was also the chief executive of the Wildlife Aid Foundation.