Judah Friedlander to Host Nat Geo Halloween Special THE MONSTER PROJECT

Halloween. The time of year when children dress up as monsters, goblins and ghouls. But are these creatures more than just overused Halloween costume ideas? With a witty sense of sarcasm and more guts than that kid who asks for a second piece of candy, Judah Friedlander ("30 Rock") takes on monsters with a trusty team of researchers. The self-proclaimed "world champion" and author of "How to Beat Up Anybody" fearlessly guides us through the world of cryptozoology - the search for animals and creatures whose existence has not yet been proven.

On Saturday, October 26, from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT, put on your Sherlock Holmes costume and join Nat Geo WILD on a spooky adventure across the United States as Judah and a team of cryptozoologists investigate mythical legends, including the American Loch Ness Monster, the blood-sucking chupacabra and a giant winged horse-man monster! Their mission: to find out whether these elusive creatures are more than folklore, and to look for scientific evidence of their existence. (For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/NGC_PR.)

The search for these modern-day cryptic icons begins in New Jersey, where the Jersey Devil isn't just a hockey mascot, but a winged monster with the head of a horse and the torso of a man! After hearing several eyewitness accounts, the team takes the investigation one step further and enlists the help of a psychic medium. Farther north, in Vermont, the group scours Lake Champlain with sonar technology in search of Champ, a revered beast lurking in the lake's deep, murky waters. Then, they'll travel to Texas to examine the remains of what could be an actual chupacabra carcass. Could their findings prove the real-life existence of this blood-sucking creature?

With Judah as our trusted host and defender against evil, Nat Geo WILD interviews frightened locals, talks to skeptical experts and dares to go into the wild to try to answer the question: Are these monsters fact or fiction?

The Monster Project: Jersey Devil Saturday, October 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT Judah Friedlander goes on a mission to investigate a creature rumored to have the torso of a man, head of a horse, wings of a bat, feet of a goat and a serpentine tail. Judah and his team of cryptozoologists talk to multiple witnesses who claim they've seen the giant winged monster firsthand in the Pine Barrens, N.J. Reports include the creature raiding chicken coops, terrorizing farms, destroying crops, killing animals and even attempting to steal children. A variety of locals such as Jake, who has Hunted in the Pine Barrens forest for 22 years, and Kathy, the owner of the Paranormal Museum, weigh in on what they think the mysterious creature is. Judah also consults a physic medium who attempts to get answers by communicating with the Jersey Devil's dead mother. Is it a dinosaur? A bird?

The Monster Project: Chupacabra Saturday, October 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT The legendary blood-sucking chupacabra is infamous for killing livestock and wreaking havoc in Texas. Judah Friedlander travels to the Lone Star State to figure out exactly who, or what, this monster is. The chupacabra drains the blood from its victims, leaving behind puncture holes, and its name, which translates to "goat sucker," is due to its preference for goats as its victims. The creature was first "spotted" in Puerto Rico in the 1990s, followed by numerous sightings all over the southern U.S. Judah interviews supposed eyewitnesses of the mysterious monster and gets some help from a local with what he believes to be a chupacabra carcass. In the lab, the team compares the chupacabra skull to other animals. Is this a coyote with a serious skin condition - or something else entirely?

The Monster Project: America's Loch Ness Saturday, October 26, at 10 p.m. ET/PT Judah Friedlander and a research team search for a notorious lake monster named Champ. Some locals believe it is a prehistoric wild animal that has escaped extinction by hiding deep in the icy waters of Vermont's Lake Champlain. The legend of this American Loch Ness Monster dates back to 1609, when it was first supposedly spotted by Samuel de Champlain. Using side scan sonar, underwater video and other sensors such as a precision depth recorder, the team scours the lake for any sign of Champ. Then, Judah interviews locals who believe they've seen this elusive beast.

About Judah Friedlander:

Judah started performing stand-up comedy in 1989, and for seven years he was a series regular on the award-winning television show "30 Rock." He has been in the film comedies "Meet the Parents," "Zoolander" and "Wet Hot American Summer," as well as award-winning dramas such as "The Wrestler" and "American Splendor," for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards.

The Monster Project is produced by Ping Pong Productions for Nat Geo WILD. For Ping Pong Productions, executive producers are Brad Kuhlman, Casey Brumels and Doug Segal. For Nat Geo WILD, executive producer is Ashley Hoppin, senior Vice president of production and development is Janet Han Vissering and general manager is Geoff Daniels.

About Nat Geo WILD

For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature's ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and scientists of the National Geographic Society. Part of the National Geographic Channels US, based in Washington, D.C., the networks are a joint venture between National Geographic and FOX Cable Networks. In 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) debuted, and 10 years later, Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with Nat Geo WILD currently available in over 58 million U.S. homes. Globally, Nat Geo WILD is available in more than 144 million homes in 140 countries and 28 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com.

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