BONE-CHILLING TALES OF TORMENTED FAMILIES ARE THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES AS ANIMAL PLANET RETURNS WITH ALL-NEW EPISODES OF "THE HAUNTED"

Humans and Animals Engage in Paranormal Stories That Will Make Your Hair and Fur Stand Beginning Sunday, October 3

(New York, NY, September 16, 2010) - It has long been commonly perceived that animals and children are the most attuned and sensitive to paranormal activity - capable of sensing spirits that cannot be seen or heard by most humans. What if your pets are trying to tell you that your family is in danger, but you can't understand them?

Just when you thought it was safe to turn off the lights, Animal Planet continues with an extended season of its hit series THE HAUNTED. Beginning Sunday, October 3, at 10 PM ET/PT, Animal Planet will present 10 all-new, one-hour episodes chronicling true, chilling and terrifying ghost stories of families haunted by paranormal spirits.

In each episode, viewers will witness aggressive spirits, animal and human possessions and stunning unaltered evidence of unexplainable paranormal activity. Cinematic re-creations paired with eye-witness testimony and overnight investigations by local paranormal experts bring these unsettling tales to life.

"THE HAUNTED catches us off-guard, finding us most vulnerable in the places we should be safest - our own homes and workplaces," notes Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet Media. "The lines between fact and figment of imagination, truth, lore and evidence blur as true believers share their most terrifying stories in an hour-long white- knuckled thrill ride."

Ghostly tales from this season include the following:

Demonic Seduction - Taunton, MA - After returning home from a violent and unsettling investigation with his startup paranormal group, Robert "Jake" Jacobs and his family start hearing disembodied voices, witness shadow figures and notice a change in their pet Pomeranian, that develops an uncharacteristic hatred of Robert. After a series of strange, sensual and painful dreams involving a mysterious beautiful woman, Robert enlists the help of Father Bob Bailey and his team to perform an emergency exorcism.

Demon Attack - Orange, MA - Soon after settling into their new home, Herve and Michelle see their two-year-old daughter begin to play with an imaginary friend named Maggie, a little girl with "boo boos and blood" all over her face. Concerned for the safety of their family, Herve and Michelle contact a demonologist and a psychic to banish the demons and release the spirits occupying their home.

THE HAUNTED is produced for Animal Planet by Picture Shack Entertainment. George Plamondon, Michael Rosen and Betsy Schechter are the executive producers for Picture Shack Entertainment, and Dawn Sinsel is the executive producer for Animal Planet.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.