Series finale of “Incredible Dr. Pol” set for Saturday night – The Morning Sun

Veterinarian Jan Pol and practice cat Tater at the Pol Veterinary Clinic. Pol’s Nat Geo Wild series ends after 13 years. (Archive photo by Sue Knickerbocker Field).

After almost 13 years, 24 seasons and more than 150 episodes, Nat Geo Wild’s hugely popular series “The Incredible Dr. Pol” is coming to an end.

The series finale, in which Isabella County veterinarian Jan Pol, her wife Diane and their son Charles “look back on an incredible 24 seasons,” airs Saturday at 9 p.m. on Nat Geo Wild.

It will also air on streaming services Hulu and Disney+ on October 1.

While Disney, which owns National Geographic along with the National Geographic Society, has not commented on the show’s end, television schedules indicate that Saturday’s 9 p.m. episode will be the series finale, following a marathon of previous shows.

The reality show’s premiere on October 29, 2011 included accompanying Pol and other veterinarians at Pol Veterinary Services on West Jordan Road in Nottawa Township, where he has cared for animals large and small since 1981.

With two to three seasons per year, the show was a success, if at times controversial, and led to a spinoff, “The Incredible Pol Farm,” and a pet food product line that expanded to Europe.

When Charles returned to Michigan to produce Sizzler—a film industry term for a demo video—which became Nat Geo Wild’s most successful series, his father didn’t believe the show would catch on, let alone last.

While cameras followed Pol each year on farm visits and to the Isabella County Fair, he continued to practice veterinary medicine as always, but was occasionally called away for reading tours, appearances on national news and talk shows, and other events.

The family-friendly reality show “The Incredible Dr. Pol” was a hit on Nat Geo Wild since its original airing, but also drew criticism from some who disagreed with his treatment style, resulting in a fine from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs that was later overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Although Kentucky veterinarian Eden Myers’ complaint resulted in a $500 fine from the state, appeals court judges overturned the decision, saying Pol was penalized based on a standard of care for animals that does not exist.