The River

Watch The River

  • TV-14
  • 2012
  • 1 Season
  • 6.8  (17,139)

The River is a 2012 supernatural thriller television show that premiered on ABC. It follows the story of Dr. Emmet Cole, a famous wildlife expert who went missing in the Amazon while filming his nature show known as "The Undiscovered Country". The show documents the search for his missing body by his family and friends.

Shaun Parkes stars as Andreus Jude "AJ" Poulain, the lead cameraman of Dr. Cole's crew. Bruce Greenwood portrays Emmet Cole. Thomas Kretschmann plays Kurt Brynildson, the captain of the boat who was assisting the Cole family in their search for Emmet Cole. Paul Blackthorne plays Clark Quietly, the producer responsible for Dr. Cole's TV show. Leslie Hope plays Tess Cole, the wife of Emmet Cole who is desperate to find her husband. Daniel Zacapa plays Emilio Valenzuela, the medic in the group who was charged with treating injured individuals. Joe Anderson plays Lincoln Cole, the son of Dr. Emmet Cole who accompanies the search party on their journey. Lee Tergesen plays Russ Landry, a mechanic who also joins the journey. And, lastly, Luisana Lopilato portrays Jahel Valenzuela, Emilio's daughter who acts as a translator on the journey.

The show is set in the Amazon, which means that the setting is one of the most captivating aspects of the series. The forest serves as a character of its own, and the show does an excellent job of portraying it in all its beauty and danger. The show portrays the river journey as both serene and dangerous as the crew travel farther and farther upstream. The beauty of the Amazon River is often captured through incredibly stunning, yet eerie scenes.

The River revolves around mystery and horror, but it has several other themes that run through the story. For example, the show explores the struggles of family members who are separated and how they deal with loss. It also portrays various techno-savvy equipment, including camera equipment and the use of GPS trackers.

The show is a slow burn, with the first few episodes setting up the characters and their relationships, as well as the mystery of what happened to Emmet Cole. The search party faces strange challenges, finding themselves battling with supernatural and mythological creatures from Amazonian folklore. As the show progresses, it becomes clear that the team is not the only presence in the jungle, and there is something sinister that threatens their survival.

The River's storytelling is remarkable in the way it balances mystery and horror with the characters' personal relationships. The show has no shortage of thrilling suspenseful moments, even in moments when the characters are just having conversations about their past.

Overall, The River is a well-crafted and underrated series that delivers an excellent and adventurous storyline while keeping the audience at the edge of their seats. While it may not have drawn in huge viewership numbers during its initial airing, the show's unique premise, captivating setting, and impressive cast make it a must-watch for fans of suspenseful thrillers.

The River is a series that ran for 1 seasons (8 episodes) between February 7, 2012 and on ABC

The River
Filter by Source

Seasons
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
8. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
March 20, 2012
The Magus Crew finds one of their members shot dead.
The Experiment
7. The Experiment
March 13, 2012
The Magus crew find themselves in a dangerous situation as they're stalked by a cannibalistic terror while searching through an abandoned research facility following mysterious clues that suggest Dr. Emmet Cole may still be alive. Meanwhile, security force leader Kurt is forced to make a heavy personal sacrifice to ensure the safety of the crew.
Doctor Emmet Cole
6. Doctor Emmet Cole
March 6, 2012
As the Magus crew continues its journey to the Sahte Falls, they find Emmet's camera bag. They look at the footage on the tapes and discover Emmet spiraling out of control which leads them deeper into the Amazon. Lena shares a secret with another crew member.
Peaches
5. Peaches
February 28, 2012
Another vessel runs the Magus crew aground creating a life-threatening situation; a shocking discovery leads to tears.
A Better Man
4. A Better Man
February 21, 2012
The Magus find one of Emmett's crew members that went missing the same time Emmett did.
Los Ciegos (The Blind)
3. Los Ciegos (The Blind)
February 14, 2012
Spores from a tree cause temporary blindness to the Magus crew, except for lone holdout AJ, who will have to overcome his most paralyzing fear to find a cure before the blindness becomes permanent. Meanwhile, the local Morcego tribe stalks the crew and judges whether they are worthy to stay in the jungle.
Marbeley
2. Marbeley
February 7, 2012
When the spirit of Dr. Emmet Cole mysteriously enters Jahel, the message is deliberate, go home! Instead, Tess continues onward. While on their mission, they endure a nightmare in order to appease an angry spirit and get their loved one back.
Magus
1. Magus
February 7, 2012
Dr. Emmet Cole, beloved adventurer and television personality vanished in the Amazon. His family was forced to accept his disappearance as the end and decided to hold a memorial service to commemorate his amazing life. Six months later Emmet's location beacon mysteriously begins to relay a signal and Emmett's family and film crew decide to find him.
Description
Where to Watch The River
The River is available for streaming on the ABC website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The River on demand at Amazon, Vudu, Google Play and Apple TV.
  • Premiere Date
    February 7, 2012
  • IMDB Rating
    6.8  (17,139)