Desert Vet a ratings hit

“People want to see more” of Pilbara vet Rick Fenny and his Karratha veterinary team in TV show Desert Vet, which has good potential to become a series after an overwhelmingly positive reception, according to its producers.

Some 812,000 Australians tuned into the one-hour Channel 7 special aired earlier this month showing the work of veteran Pilbara and regional WA vet Rick Fenny as he travelled around regional WA treating animals alongside staff at his Karratha, Exmouth and Shark Bay clinics.

The program has also attracted a slew of positive reviews and comments on social media since screening, with people praising the challenging vet work, friendly people and stunning landscapes on show.

Desert Vet production company Projucer previously said the decision to make the pilot into a series would be based on the pilot’s reception, and now hoped to create a six-episode series focusing on the six regions of WA where Dr Fenny works.

Executive producer Matty Roberts said they had been humbled by the warm reception and “the feedback is that people want to see more”.

“Viewers loved that Rick isn’t the typical TV vet, meaning they got to enjoy the variety that 20 animal stories in the one episode brought,” he said.

“The kids loved seeing wild native Australian animals, and the adults followed the emotion of the domestic companion animal stories but then could still marvel at the National Geographic-level cinematography of humpback whales in the wild.”

Dr Fenny said he was pleased with how well received the show had been and singled out the local Karratha vet team as stand-outs.

“The Karratha team really captured the hearts of the audience, especially the honest emotion they showed,” he said.

“In particular, local vet Tim Montgomery’s genuine care for the animals and the feelings of the owners in times of loss and trauma shone through and connected with viewers.”

The Desert Vet pilot is being pitched to international networks to canvas overseas interest.

Whether the show becomes a series, its Australian time slot and any international partner networks involved is expected to be announced in coming months.