Discovery Channel’s homegrown-hit series* NERVE CENTER is back for another 24/7 adrenaline rush! Premiering Sunday, August 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the six-episode second season offers an all-access pass revealing how some of the world’s most iconic places keep ticking around the clock. Season 2 kicks off with the world premiere double bill of “Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ” at 8 p.m. ET/PT, followed by “IndyCar Championship” at 9 p.m. ET/ PT; Season 2 continues and concludes with back-to-back presentations on Wed., August 22 and Sun., August 26 (schedule below).NERVE CENTER begins at the high-pressure moment of peak operations. Meet the key personnel that drive the momentum from behind the scenes, then see over the course of a working day how everything interconnects seamlessly – and sometimes fails – to deliver the goods.

Episode descriptions from the Season 2 premiere of NERVE CENTER include:

NERVE CENTER: “Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ”
Sunday, August 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT Since 2005, Cirque du Soleil’s ‘KÀ’ has been considered one of the most technically astounding live shows in the world.NERVE CENTER travels to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas to meet the star acrobat – the main stage! The ‘KÀ’ stage tilts from horizontal to vertical in 35 seconds and spins a full 360-degrees thanks to its muscle – a giant gantry crane. All of the performers’ movements are choreographed to be perfectly in-sync with the movement of the stage. As the audience watches in awe as performers tumble off stage and into a big black void below… hidden from view, are two of the largest safety nets in the world.

NERVE CENTER: “IndyCar Championship”
Sunday, August 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
**Please note that viewer discretion is advised**
In a worldwide exclusive, get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on one of the fastest car races ever at the IndyCar Championship. NERVE CENTERtravels to the iconic Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a gripping episode with a tragic end: a fiery crash resulting in the death of Indycar superstar Dan Wheldon. As 50,000 people from all over North America descend on the iconic Nevada track, viewers will get up close and personal look at the amazing technology, coordination, and talent that work tirelessly to pull off this multi-million dollar event.

Also this season on NERVE CENTER is “UPS Worldport,” UPS’ main air hub, where parcels are unloaded, scanned, sorted by size and location and then flown out of the facility – all within the hour. Then, it’s one of the seven wonders of the modern world on “Channel Tunnel”, linking England and France in 35 minutes flat! Equivalent in size to the kingdom of Monaco, nearly half of the blooms that make up the 40-billion-dollar-a-year flower industry will be bought and sold at the“Aalsmeer Flower Auction” in The Netherlands; and, finally, NERVE CENTERdrops in on Canada’s most famous ski resort. With over 32 square kilometers of mountainous terrain, “Whistler Blackcomb” gets an average of 1,092cm of snowfall each season, the fresh powder is what joy riders are after… but this much snow can also be dangerous. A team of 5,000 work 24/7 to keep them safe.

*Scheduling Note: Airing in back-to-back presentations, NERVE CENTERcontinues with Episode 3 “UPS Worldport” and Episode 4 “Channel Tunnel”on Wed., Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET/PT; Episode 5 “Aalsmeer Flower Auction” and Episode 6 “Whistler Blackcomb” will air on Sun., Aug. 26 at 8 p.m.and 9 p.m. ET/PT.

NERVE CENTER is produced by Exploration Production Inc. (EPI) in association with Discovery Channel Canada and is executive produced by Kathryn Oughtred.

* According to BBM, Discovery Channel was the #1 non-sports Specialty Sunday 8 – 10 p.m. ET over the three weeks that NERVE CENTER aired for key demos P2+, A18-49 and A25-54.