At the "Gatorland" alligator theme park in Orlando, Florida, we go behind the scenes with those trying to avoid getting bitten while wrestling alligators for the crowds. Meanwhile, Kerri Burrus, a female competitive angler, enters a deep sea fishing contest hoping to strike it rich by getting as many bites as possible. Also, Dr. Larry Dobrin, a forensic dentist in New Jersey, juggles a busy practice of family dentistry helping his patients keep their bite intact, while trying to identify a "Jane Doe" for the medical examiner using dental evidence.
Gatorland, home to over 1,000 alligators and crocodiles, is the self proclaimed "alligator capital of the world." Veteran wrestlers Tim Williams, Bret Chism, Tony Pigtain, and relative rookie (also the only female wrestler) Babs Steorts, show us exactly what it takes to wrestle an animal with the jaw crushing power of a car in an arena where the gators' next bite may be may be the wrestlers' last. Together, the wrestlers also face the challenge of moving a rogue crocodile from a pond, where it has been threatening other males, while doing it all as a show for the awe and pleasure of the crowd.
Top female angler Kerri Burrus has forged her reputation as one of only a few women in a competitive sport, where women can actually compete directly with men. We follow her on a mission to retain a tournament title along with her team, that includes her son David, one of the top junior anglers in the world. Kerri's efforts to catch as many sailfish as possible turn into a nail biting roller coaster ride against high seas and chilly weather.
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Larry Dobrin has worked the jaws of over 10,000 patients as a family dentist and battles the stereotype of dentists as "pain lovers". We go behind the scenes with Dr. D as he performs root canals, helps calm anxious children, and seeks his own fulfillment. "I honestly believe that compulsive people are attracted to our profession because we're expected to seek perfection while working in a two-inch square, dark, damp, and often hostile environment." But the stress doesn't end there. Dr. D is also on call as a forensic dentist for the NY and NJ medical examiner's office - he was part of the team that helped identify 600 World Trade Center victims through dental evidence. We follow him in a powerful scene, as he is called out to help identify the body of a woman badly burned in a fire.
Daniel Elias and David Houts, Executive Producers
Daniel Elias, Director
Rick Smigielski, Producer
Andrew Dunn, Field Producer/Director of Photography
Adriana Pacheco, Editor
Andrew Dunn, Jayson Haedrich, Camera
Stacia Thompson, Rick Smigielski, Po Kutchins, Series Producers
Shareen der Parthogh, Associate Producer
Keith Sicat, Post Production Coordinator
Mara Wollong, Eric Hendricks, Katherine Booth, Diana Milani, Assistant Editors
Courtney Reilly, Coordinating Producer
Kendall E. Canner, Production Coordinator
Abby Russell, Research Associate
Joel Goodman, Original Theme
Music Box, Music
Daniel Jenkins, Narrator
Leroy + Clarkson, Title Sequence and Graphics
Copyright © 2001 Hybrid Films, Inc.
