Woof! He's back!
Cesar "Dog Whisperer" Millan is returning to National Geographic Wild channel with two new series. Here's the scoop.
• Cesar 911 debuts at 7 p.m. Friday. Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan ran for nine seasons on the channel, from 2004 to 2012 and introduced America -- and the world -- to the man who seemed to have all the answers for our problem pooches.
The popular animal behaviorist would occasionally take a canine to his Dog Psychology Center or bring in his dogs to help with a sticky situation.
With Cesar 911, Millan will "answer emergency calls from communities terrorized by unruly canines." The calls will come from relatives, friends, neighbors or co-workers of those "whose four-legged menace has turned lives upside down."
Each episode begins with Millan meeting with the whistle-blowers to learn about the problem. Then he'll evaluate the pets and their owners by observing how the dogs display their unacceptable behavior and how owners react.
After rehabilitation programs are established, Cesar will use surveillance cameras to track progress. Finally, there will be a wrap-up, where all parties come together so the dogs can prove they've learned how to play well with others.
• Cesar Millan's Dog Nation airs at 8 p.m. Friday and follows Cesar and his son, Andre, as they work with nonprofit organizations and dog lovers who are rescuing and rehabilitating dogs around the country.
The new series expands Cesar's usual format of helping dog owners with behavioral problems to include inspirational stories. For example, the program will visit organizations helping veterans and their service dogs, community-run animal rescue groups training K-9 police dogs, and therapy dogs that help autistic children.
The first season will find Cesar and Andre traveling to seven cities -- Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles and Washington.
Up first -- Los Angeles, where they help a golden retriever named Fergus, who survived a horrific burning. The goal is to help Fergus become a therapy dog for other burn survivors.
Our hosts then pay a visit to The Help Group, a nonprofit that uses dogs to help kids with autism and other special needs.
Background: The 47-year-old Mexico native crossed into the United States without a visa when he was 21. He spoke no English. His first job was as a dog groomer.
He was lucky enough to be befriended by actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who provided him with an English tutor for a year. That helped Cesar became a permanent resident in 2000 and a citizen in 2009. The rest is canine history.
His son, Andre, was born in 1995.
• When We Rise: The People Behind the Story. The ABC docudrama miniseries continues from 7 to 10 p.m. today with gay rights activists Cleve Jones, Roma Guy, Ken Jones, Diane Jones and Cecilia Chung talking about their part in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights movement.
The miniseries, which chronicles the real-life personal and political struggles of a diverse family of LGBT men and women, stars Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, Rachel Griffiths, Michael K. Williams and Ivory Aquino.
The finale airs from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday and is rated TV-14 for dialogue, language and violence.
• 60 Days In, 8 p.m. today on A&E (TV-14). Season 3 of the behind-bars series begins with an introduction of a new batch of civilians chosen to infiltrate Atlanta's Fulton County Jail. They include a special education teacher who works with at-risk youths and a former corrections officer who wants to see what it is like when the roles are reversed.
• My Kitchen Rules. The Season 1 finale airs at 8 p.m. today on Fox with Lance Bass and his mom, Diane, facing off against Andrew Dice Clay and his wife, Valerie. The winners get bragging rights.
• Saturday Night Live. Let's see if SNL can have some non-Trump humor when the multitalented Octavia Spencer, star of Hidden Figures, hosts. The fun begins at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC.
• Say Yes to the Dress returns for Season 15 at 7 p.m. Saturday on TLC. The series, set inside the Manhattan-based salon Kleinfeld Bridal, showcases the talents of more than 250 professionals as they strive to make each bride feel special.
Saturday's episode features Grammy-nominated rocker Elle King and a bride who needs a gown for a wedding with dolphins. Yes, dolphins.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email: mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 03/02/2017