JOHN STAINTON - STEVE IRWIN'S FINAL TV ADVENTURE COMPLETED

Producer John Stainton and Philippe Cousteau, the 26-year-old grandson of famed marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, have completed production of the Animal Planet documentary Ocean's Deadliest, Steve Irwin's final project, scheduled to air on Jan. 21. In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Stainton said that at the time of Irwin's death last Sept. 4, many parts of the film had not been completed, including on-camera and voice-over narration, a task that Irwin and Cousteau were to have shared, "and if we didn't finish it, then our last few weeks with Steve would've been in vain." Cousteau subsequently took over alone. Stainton said that there will be only a fleeting reference to Irwin's death -- at the very end of the 90-minute film. "This film isn't about his death," Stainton said. "It's about the animals we set out to film."

08/01/2007