Since the cat’s out of the bag on Santa, this January Discovery Civilization turns to the Internet to expose the truth behind shocking online images with the premiere of IS IT TRUE: THE SKUNK APE AND ONE WING LANDINGS. Also new to the line-up this January is WHAT THE ANCIENTS KNEW, UNSOLVED HISTORY: JACK THE RIPPER, and Canadian-produced series and specials PATENT BENDING; EXODUS DECODED; HOW DO THEY DO THAT? and BEN JOHNSON, DRUGS AND THE QUEST FOR GOLD. And finally, Discovery Civilization brings back the all-star team of homicide detectives from Indianapolis for a gripping second season of THE SHIFT.
January Program Highlights include:
NEW SERIES AND SPECIALS
PATENT BENDING (14X30)
Tuesday, January 5 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
Watch as two science-savvy, wildly curious hosts scour books of patents from the past 100 years to find the seemingly greatest, strangest or most fantastically odd ideas that never got off the page.
BEN JOHNSON, DRUGS AND THE QUEST FOR GOLD (1X60)
Tuesday, January 5 at 10 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT
It was over in a mere 9.79 seconds, but that’s all it took to make Ben Johnson the “fastest man on Earth.” That is, until two days later when the world learned he had tested positive for steroids. It was the moment that changed the sport of track and field, and the way we view our Olympic heroes, forever. With the perspective of two decades passed, this hard-hitting investigative documentary, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, examines the facts, rumours, accusations and conspiracy theories behind the steroid scandal that rocked the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
IS IT TRUE: THE SKUNK APE AND ONE WING LANDINGS (1X60)
Thursday, January 7 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Fact or photo manipulation? Host Chuck Nice teams up with the world’s leading digital forensics expert, Hany Farid, to reveal the shocking truth behind some of the most amazing images on the Internet. Nice searches the Everglades for the elusive truth behind a series of Internet images of Florida’s mysterious Skunk Ape. Then, he takes to the skies to confirm if the online footage of an airplane landing with only one wing is humanly possible.
UNSOLVED HISTORY: JACK THE RIPPER (1X60)
Monday, January 11 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
For 110 years, Jack the Ripper’s true identity has eluded investigators. A deranged killer, he stalked his prey at night in a London slum, killing and mutilating at least five prostitutes. Despite some concrete clues, hundreds remain on the suspect list.
HOW DO THEY DO THAT? (6X60) (12X30)
Tuesday, January 12 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Ever wondered how the stripes get into toothpaste or how contact lenses are made? Every day – often without even realizing it – we come into contact with technology, be it in the bathroom, in the car or on the golf course. HOW DO THEY DO THAT? takes a look at how things work by focusing on some of the most amazing examples of everyday objects including the world’s fastest elevator and the most expensive chocolate money can buy.
EXODUS DECODED (1×120)
Sunday, January 17 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Is the biblical Exodus fact or fiction? Using high-end computer graphics and on-location photography from Egypt, Israel, Greece, United Kingdom, Holland, Canada, United States and Cameroon, EXODUS DECODED argues that it is fact, not fiction…and introduces some of the best scholars in the world to back this up.
WHAT THE ANCIENTS KNEW (6X60)
Friday, January 22 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
Technology helped shape the ancient world and examples of their scientific know-how still resonates today. Take an interactive journey through the wonders of the past by exploring the Roman Empire, Chinese Dynasties and the early Egyptians to understand their motivations behind early solutions and inventions.
RETURNING SERIES
THE SHIFT Season 2 (10X60)
Monday, January 4 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
Follow Indianapolis’ all-star team of homicide detectives as they work around the clock to close cases, put murderers away, and maintain high solve rates. They hunt down suspects and put their lives on the line to bring justice to the victims and their families.