C4 orders Barcroft’s supersized pets title

Channel 4 has commissioned Barcroft Productions’ Bear about the House: Living with My Super-Sized Pet.

The 1×60 documentary explores why certain individuals choose to make oversized animals such as bears, crocodiles and buffalos, household pets.

It includes stories of Stepan the 55-stone bear, Jilly the nine-foot crocodile and Cody the buffalo.

Bear about the House… was commissioned by C4’s factual entertainment commissioning executive Lucy Leveugle and executive produced by Sam Barcroft, Peter Wyles and Nina Davies.

Leveugle said: “Barcroft have negotiated great access and teamed with Ross Haley, a very talented director. They have brought a warm touch to the colourful world of super-sized pets and just who chooses to own them.”

Wyles, executive producer for Barcroft, added: “When Ross told me that he couldn’t film Stepan the bear for five months because Stepan was hibernating, we all knew this was going to be an unusual film.

“It’s a unique world and Ross did a great job gaining the trust of the owners and filming some very funny and revealing moments as he travelled the world to spend time with people who have wild animals in their homes.”