TV Review: “The Incredible Dr. Pol” Season 17 Premiere

Dr. Pol and his veterinary team are back for the seventeenth season of The Incredible Dr. Pol on Nat Geo WILD! One of the longest running veterinary series ever, the show has been going strong since 2011 with its mix of small town American charm. But the person that keeps viewers coming back every season is the 77-year-old Dr. Jan Pol with his quirky sense of humor and light Dutch accent.

The season begins with several routine dog checkups, including a pyrenean mastiff. But the excitement picks up when Dr. Pol visits a farm to look at some problematic pigs with funny names like “Voldepork.” The animal that tugs at your heart the most is a rescued bull mastiff named Holly who was overused for breeding and now has a lot of health problems.

The season seventeen premiere episode is called “Su-Pol Sized” because Dr. Pol’s human family gets a little bit bigger with the birth of a grandbaby. It’s also a fitting title because there’s a lot going on for his patients. From filing down horses teeth to treating a cat with an eye ulcer, there’s never a dull moment for the team at Pol Veterinary Services.

The great thing about The Incredible Dr. Pol is that viewers can start with any episode. The editing of the series does a nice job of quickly recapping any important information you might need to know, such as showing the moment when Dr. Pol learned he was going to be a grandfather which connects to the grandbaby’s birth in this episode. At the same time, all sixteen previous seasons are now streaming on Disney+ for subscribers who want to binge watch the entire series thus far, along with a few standalone TV specials like Incredible! The Story of Dr. Pol and a compilation that focuses on kids and their animals called The Incredible Dr. Pol: Blue Ribbon Kids.

The season seventeen “Su-Pol Sized” premiere of The Incredible Dr. Pol is fun for the whole family. As someone who gets queasy easily, there wasn’t a moment in this episode where I had to look away. Most of all, it’s heartwarming to see pet and livestock owners taking such great care of their animals and seeking the expert advice of Dr. Pol and his team.

I give the season seventeen premiere of The Incredible Dr. Pol 5 out of 5 Chihuahuas named Mickey.

You can watch the season premiere of The Incredible Dr. Pol on Saturday, July 11th, at 9/8c on Nat Geo WILD!

 

Alex Reif
Alex joined the Laughing Place team in 2014 and has been a lifelong Disney fan. His main beats for LP are Disney-branded movies, TV shows, books, music and toys. He recently became a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA).