Discovery Channel starts 2010 with a bang – and in at least one case, we mean that quite literally! In January, Discovery Channel premieres three new series – LICENCE TO DRILL, THE COLONY and BREAKING POINT – and debuts five new specials – MEGA BEASTS, DISCOVERY: 15 YEARS OF AWESOME, HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH, ENGINEERING VOLCANOES and CLEOPATRA: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER. New seasons of CASH CAB and VERMINATORS, plus a DAILY PLANET “Freaks of Nature” Theme Week round out Discovery Channel’s program highlights for January.
January Program Highlights include:
MEGA BEASTS (2 x 60)
Sunday, January 3 at 8 and 9 p.m. ET/9 and 10 p.m. PT
They reigned supreme on Earth for 120 million years – but what do we really know about the lives of the dinosaurs? In a new twist on an ancient detective story, MEGA BEASTS brings to life some of the biggest and most ferocious dinosaurs ever to rule the world. Through fossil clues and modern analogues (animals with similar traits used to suggest the mega beasts’ behavior), scientists piece together what these mysterious creatures looked like, how they behaved, how they fought, what they ate… and what ate them. Using cutting-edge CGI, these enormous beasts are put in modern day scenarios to demonstrate what they would look and act like if they still roamed the planet today. This special two-part presentation examines two mighty dino monsters: First, the “Terror Bird,” a giant bird that used its mighty beak to bash in its victims’ heads; and then the “Mosasaur,” a fearsome marine monster with an extra row of teeth on the roof of its mouth and a jaw that slid to further decimate its prey.
DISCOVERY: 15 YEARS OF AWESOME (1 x 60)
Monday, January 4 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
For 15 years, Discovery Channel has featured some of the most defining moments, series and characters on television. From SHARK WEEK and MYTHBUSTERS to CANADA’S WORST DRIVER and RACE TO MARS, Discovery reveals that the world is just awesome! Relive your favourite moments in this entertaining award show-style special, including categories for “Most Awesome Crashes,” “Biggest Explosions,” “Best Animal Attacks” and more; plus bloopers and a Top 5 countdown of Discovery’s biggest moments ever. Hosted by Jay Ingram (DAILY PLANET), Ziya Tong (DAILY PLANET), Andrew Younghusband (CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, CANADA’S WORST HANDYMAN) and Adam Growe (CASH CAB), celebrate Discovery Channel’s 15th birthday with the channel’s most “awesome” moments – and see if your favourite Discovery memory makes the list!
LICENCE TO DRILL (6 x 60)
Tuesday, January 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Go on-site with professional drilling crews as they brave Northern Canada’s harsh winter cold in the search for natural gas. For 100 brutal days, these crews battle a hostile environment and a punishing schedule, racing against the clock – and tundra thaw – to get maximum yield. The series follows two crews – one in the Northwest Territories, the other in Northeast British Columbia – as these hardened men risk their lives to drill holes three-kilometres deep in search of gas, plagued by mechanical failure, unpredictable weather and unforgiving terrain. For four months, thousands of kilometres away from family and friends, working 12-hour days, these men and their machines are pushed to the limit.
HOTTEST PLACE ON THE EARTH (1 x 60)
Sunday, January 10 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
The Afar Depression in Northern Ethiopia is the hottest, harshest and most scientifically rich area on Earth. Despite boasting exceptional geology, an extraordinary climate (with temperatures that can soar to a staggering 60 C), distinctive tribal community and logic-defying wildlife – virtually nothing is known of this unforgiving region. Now, a team of top scientists and international experts – including volcanologists, anthropologists, medics, zoologists, and vets – participate in a cutting-edge, multi-discipline mission to explore one of the least known but most fascinating regions on the planet.
ENGINEERING VOLCANOES (1 x 60)
Sunday, January 10 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
Volcanoes can kill thousands, destroy entire cities, and change the global climate. But for all our fascination with these monsters of nature, we still can’t control them. This daring one-hour special explores the mysterious inner workings of volcanoes to see just how they do their damage. Discover how scientists are trying to learn how to predict the timing and severity of eruptions to give residents in close proximity enough time to escape when volcanoes blow.
THE COLONY (10 x 60)
Wednesday, January 13 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
What would you do in the wake of a global catastrophe? How would you find the very basics of survival: food, water and shelter? THE COLONY is a controlled experiment that attempts to determine exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild a functioning new society when the world we know has been destroyed. For 10 weeks, a group of 10 volunteers – whose backgrounds and expertise represent a cross-section of modern society – are isolated in an urban environment outside Los Angeles and tasked with creating a livable society. Experts from the fields of homeland security, engineering and psychology helped design the world of “The Colony” to reflect elements from both real-life disasters and models of what the future could look like after a global viral outbreak.
BREAKING POINT (6 x 60)
Monday, January 18 at 10 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT
We think our world is safe – the complicated objects that surround us have been engineered to be safe. But everything has its breaking point and when something as explosive as a fuel tanker crashes, it can cause devastation across an entire city block. In a series of jaw-dropping experiments and spectacular stunts, the BREAKING POINT team uses destructive testing to push familiar objects to their limits and beyond. From armoured limousines and houses to trains and planes, get inside the heart of the destruction like never before. Then, with the latest forensic technology, discover how the team uses the information from the lethal flaws to engineer ingenious ways to make it safer; proving that sometimes the only way to improve something is to destroy it.
CLEOPATRA: PORTRAIT OF A KILLER (1 x 60)
Sunday, January 31 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
Cleopatra. One of the most famous women of all time. According to legend, she’s renowned as a great queen, a beautiful lover and a political schemer. But for 2,000 years, almost all evidence of her has disappeared. Until now. In an exciting new find, archaeologists believe they have discovered the skeleton of her sister, murdered by Cleopatra and Mark Antony. From Egypt to Turkey, this one-hour special investigates the story of a ruthless queen who would kill her own siblings for power and draws the portrait of a killer.
RETURNING SERIES AND THEME WEEKS:
CASH CAB (13 x 30)
Saturday, January 9 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
You hail a taxi on a busy street, your mind already focused on your destination. But once inside the cab, you soon discover you’re in for the ride of your life – you’ve just buckled into CASH CAB and the meter is already running! On CASH CAB, unassuming people enter the car as simple passengers needing a taxi ride, only to discover that they’re instant contestants on Discovery Channel’s innovative and informative game show. The Cash Cab will drive you all the way to your destination and, en route, host Adam Growe asks general knowledge questions – growing progressively more challenging along the way – with each correct answer earning a cash award. The harder the question, the more money it’s worth – but beware of incorrect answers! A wrong answer earns a strike – and three strikes and you’re out! The moment the contestant misses their third question, the cab pulls over to the side of the road and the unlucky passenger is ejected onto the sidewalk – no matter how far away they are from their intended destination!
VERMINATORS (13 x 60)
Saturday, January 9 at 10 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT
From rats to bats, this creepy-crawly series follows Isotech CEO Mike Masterson and his elite team of pest-busters to the front lines of their never-ending battle against infestations of all kinds. Up against roaches, killer bees, bedbugs, fleas and fire ants, the Verminators track their prey through warehouses, hotels and houses, and with the help of remote cameras, even inside walls and plumbing systems.
DAILY PLANET “Freaks of Nature” Theme Week
Monday, January 18 to Friday, January 22 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT
Some can generate force thousands of times their body weight and can attack prey with blows nearing 80km/h. The attack of a fearsome, ferocious predator? Lions, Great Whites and bears naturally come to mind. But the mantis shrimp? Strange, but true. In a special “Freaks of Nature” Theme Week, DAILY PLANET explores the weird and wonderful world of elusive animals with extraordinary and strange traits – crustaceans and others. Plus, weird critters join hosts Jay Ingram and Ziya Tong in the studio all week.