From fast cars to the Far East, Discovery Channel announced the programming highlights for its Fall 2006 schedule, including 14 new series and specials and 12 returning programs. With an engaging line-up that puts the pedal to the metal; explores technological wonders in China; pushes the limits of human endurance and showcases the weird and wonderful science that surrounds us every day, Discovery Channel is pleased to present its line-up of new series, specials and returning favourites.
Discovery Channel is adding 14 new series and specials to its schedule this Fall, including Star Racer, Stunt Junkies, Patent Bending, Daily Planet in China, HD Atlas: China, Ocean Odyssey, Fireball of Tutankhanmun, True Horror – Vampires, Dino Lab, September 11th Fifth Anniversary Special (wt), Lived to Tell, Doctor*ology, Guinea Pig and MythBusters Special: Mega Movie Myths.
This Fall, 12 popular series return to Discovery Channel for another season, including Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, I Shouldn’t Be Alive, American Chopper, American Hot Rod, Canada’s Worst Driver, MythBusters, Daily Planet, How It’s Made, What’s That About? MegaBuilders and Forensic Factor.
Descriptions for both new and returning programs follow below.
Got the need for speed? This Fall, Discovery Channel shifts into high gear with the premiere of Star Racer, a dynamic full-throttle series combining the thrill of competition with the science behind speed. From the production team behind reality sensation Canadian Idol, Star Racer follows fearless Canadian drivers pushing the limits for a shot at the glamorous and dangerous world of big-time auto racing. Watch as Star Racer reveals desire within every driver – the need to harness the power of a truly fast car – and the compulsion to be the fastest of all. And at the end, the Grand Champion – the one who has the right stuff to be declared the fastest racing star – will receive the ultimate prize: a full-season ride on a sponsored team on the big-time pro racing circuit. While life on the fast track is adrenaline-charged enough for most, some daredevils just need more. This Fall, Stunt Junkies steps – safely – inside the daredevil domain of the world’s best extreme sport athletes, designers and stunt fabricators to reveal how experts plan and execute one unbelievable stunt. This adrenaline-packed series goes behind-the-scenes to meet these elite athletes, explore their psyche and examine the science behind their eye-popping stunts.
From hair-raising stunts to head-scratching inventions, Patent Bending resurrects the best, strangest inventions never made. 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. In each episode, they identify one item or idea and start the process of bringing the invention to life. Watch as they make it, test it and try to figure out why it never got made. Some are obvious, others not so much – would you go golfing with a 12-gauge shotgun shell in your golf club?
Following last year’s enormously successful Daily Planet Goes to Japan theme week, this Fall, Discovery Channel heads even further east to explore an ancient civilization steeped in science and innovation with the premiere of Daily Planet in China, a six-part HD special presentation (simulcast on Discovery HD). China introduced the west to the luxuries of silk and tea, the technology of the compass and the power of gunpowder. Now, this amazing country – home to one-fifth the world’s population – is bursting into the 21st century and employing science to re-establish its position in the world. With unprecedented access to everything from the rapidly expanding Chinese space program to the amazing engineering and massive structures being completed for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Daily Planet team will share the changing face of science in China. Watch as Daily Planet goes into the pit with the Terracotta Warriors to document efforts to protect these archeological treasures, then venture into the bamboo forests where scientists are struggling to save the panda with innovative techniques ranging from panda sex videos to teenage panda survival school. See the world’s longest suspension bridge, the design of specially created Formula One racetracks, and the ultimate in sustainable villages. To complement this special programming event, Discovery Channel presents one of the most ambitious projects ever to go into production in this new era of high-definition television: HD Atlas: China (simulcast on Discovery HD). This special brings viewers a true visual feast, combining captivating photography, ultra-cutting-edge special effects and stories that strike at the heart of the country and its people.
From the world’s most populous nation to the world’s richest resource, Discovery Channel presents the BBC production Ocean Odyssey. For the first time ever, advanced computer graphics will light the infinite vistas of the ocean in this one-hour special (simulcast on Discovery HD). The largest habitat on earth has remained impenetrable, until now. Through the eyes of a bull sperm whale, the ocean’s largest predator, spectacular views and remarkable life forms are revealed against the violent, volatile and treacherous landscape. This is the abyss, a place where the whale must navigate erupting volcanoes, pack hunting killer whales, earthquakes and landscape changing mudslides every day of his life. By the end of his life, this whale will have taken the audience on a first-ever tour of uncharted territory.
This Fall, Discovery explores the science behind some of the world’s greatest historical icons and mythological creatures in three new specials. In Fireball of Tutankhamun, a simple glass bead has the power to spark a global quest – when that bead lies with an Egyptian pharaoh. This one-hour special (simulcast on Discovery HD) follows explorers through the Great Sand Sea of the Sahara Desert as they work to solve the puzzling origin and creation of unique yellow-green natural glass beads. Does the discovery of these beads point to an unsuspected and dramatic new cosmic threat? From mummies to vampires, the two-hour special True Horror – Vampires travels with experts including criminologists, anthropologists, historians, psychologists, vampire hunters, Goths, filmmakers and writers to explore the facts – and the fictions – of vampire lore. Then, the dinosaur beasts of our imagination come alive in Dino Lab, a dynamic one-hour special. Watch as these dino creatures are put to the ultimate test in a cavernous 21st century lab with the most up-to-date technology. Feel the full impact of their extraordinary size, speed, strength and agility as this one-hour High Definition special brings the past to life with breathtaking special effects.
From the dinosaur age to more recent history, Discovery Channel presents a September 11th Fifth Anniversary Special (simulcast on Discovery HD). Only five years ago yet a lifetime away, September 11, 2001, was a day that changed the world. In this fascinating one-hour High Definition special, ride with the elite tactical unit of New York City’s anti-terrorist squad and learn how the attack changed their procedures. Then, be there as the switch is flipped on the first World Trade Centre structure to be rebuilt and witness unbelievable new techniques in building evacuation – from personal parachutes to massive inflatable slides. Travel to a missile range in the desert where terrorist-proof buildings are dramatically put to the test. Also coming to Discovery Channel this Fall, the new series Lived to Tell brings to life the dramatic stories of those involved in some of the greatest catastrophes of our time. With spectacular CGI, authentic reconstructions and a distinctive filmic style, this gripping new series celebrates the lifesaving science and the spirit of survival that are the hallmark of these remarkable stories.
In a taste of what’s to come in Winter 2007, watch for Doctor*ology and Guinea Pig, two engaging new series that reveal the fascinating human body as never before. Starring actor Leslie Nielsen (The Naked Gun, Police Squad), Doctor*ology is a comedic science series that offers a first-hand look at medicine and medical technology in the new millennium. In every episode, Nielsen and his nephew demystify a medical specialty by taking tests, meeting with doctors and trying out their cool new tools. From neurology to urology and everything in between, the pair reveals the coolest science on the edge of the medical frontier. In Guinea Pig, witness the furthest limits of human endurance as Ryan Stock – a magician, alternative circus performer and professional daredevil – becomes a guinea pig in the name of science and explores the effects of various tests on the human body. Throughout the series, Stock undergoes a series of progressively challenging tests, including the effects of G-force, sudden impact, wind, non-lethal weapons and interrogation.
And for viewers who enjoy the tried and true, Discovery Channel is pleased to announce the return of the marquee series that have helped build and define the channel. Discovery reels in a new season of Deadliest Catch, capturing the rugged and wild life of the Alaska King Crab fishermen during a critically short season fraught with danger and risk. And if crab fishing isn’t for you, check out the new season of Dirty Jobs as intrepid host and odd-job apprentice Mike Rowe meets hardworking men and women who overcome fear, danger – and often stench – to accomplish their daily tasks. A life of dangerous occupations and passions continues when Discovery Channel presents new episodes of I Shouldn’t Be Alive, gripping true-life tales that follow the moral dilemmas, crucial moments, chance events and life-or-death decisions that turn these harrowing ordeals into stories of survival.
If the purr of an engine is your siren song, hit the road on a custom chopper or a souped-up sports car as the Teutuls return with new episodes of American Chopper and hotrod aficionado Boyd Coddington returns with new episodes and classic cars on American Hotrod.
For an adrenaline-packed ride of a different kind, buckle up and ride shotgun as Canada’s Worst Driver braves another group of motor-challenged participants for the second season of this breakaway hit. This season’s drivers – from speed demons to terrified drivers – will face a new set of tests, challenges and twists on the road to rehabilitation.
With tinkering that leans more towards the lab than the garage, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman are back with a new season of the runaway hit series MythBusters, a quirky scientific detective series that tests and validates – or debunks – urban myths. Watch for Savage and Hyneman’s newest special this Fall: Mythbusters Special: Mega Movie Myths. For a daily fix, Daily Planet, Discovery Channel’s flagship science magazine, returns for another season – with a brand new studio and new look – exploring the latest science behind the headlines and the surprising, unusual and accessible science of everyday life with hosts Jay Ingram and Natasha Stillwell. And if you’ve ever looked at an ordinary object and wondered how it got here, How It’s Made returns with a new season that goes inside the process of making these familiar objects and What’s That About? explores the drama, the science and the technology of seemingly familiar places, including sneaking behind the curtain at a rock concert and snooping on the other side of the security cameras at a casino. More interested in building it than deconstructing it? MegaBuilders captures the biggest, most complex, most stressful and most dangerous history-making builds and engineering projects around the world. And for viewers looking for insight into the criminal mind, Forensic Factor returns with new episodes next winter, revealing how the world’s best sleuths use the latest tools to catch the most elusive criminals.
Discovery HD
Discovery HD:
Since launching in December 2005, Discovery HD is at the forefront of innovative factual storytelling, fusing critically acclaimed programming from Canada and around the world with the latest in High Definition technology. This Fall, Discovery HD is pleased to present exclusive new content from NHK; first-run simulcasts of Discovery Channel’s leading-edge specials; and the addition some of the best programming from Discovery’s line-up to its Fall schedule.
From the library of the global leaders in HD technology and content – Japanese broadcaster NHK – see the Land of the Rising Sun as you’ve never seen it before! In vivid High Definition, Discovery HD presents five one-hour specials – a Canadian exclusive – that showcase the culture, technology and wonder of Japan. In Tokyo’s Coolest Hideouts, check out Japan’s must-see places for foreign visitors, such as the hippest hangouts for the high-tech crowd, revolutionary earthquake simulators, budget accommodation for backpackers, and the original – and often bizarre – fashions of teenaged girls. Then, get plugged in as Akihabara Geeks highlights one of the most popular destinations on the tourist map: the Japanese Akihabara market for cheap consumer electronics. Follow the lives of three teenaged would-be sumo wrestlers in
Sumo Struggles as these young men demonstrate guts and determination in their pursuit of sumo fame and fortune. Discovery HD turns to the Pacific Ocean as Invasion of the Giant Jellyfish captures striking images of these enormous jellyfish – 200-kg giants caught up in the nation’s fishing nets – and reveals the damage they’ve caused and the ongoing research to both save the jellyfish and repair the Japanese fishing industry. Finally, experts predict that a devastating earthquake in Japan is all but inevitable – suggesting that the “Big One” could be three simultaneous earthquakes striking the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near Japan with the potential to kill an estimated 25,000 people. Bracing for the Big One reveals the latest leading-edge computer earthquake simulations, the search for answers from studying past earthquakes and probes on the ocean floor. It also examines the many measures now being developed to limit damages and fatalities. Discovery HD will also present a special episode of Science Zero, NHK’s popular science magazine program. Comparable to Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet, Science Zero’s hosts explain complicated and varied topics that range from molecules to outer space in an easy-to-understand way. This special episode puts Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet in spotlight, as Science Zero highlights the Daily Planet in Japan theme week featured last year.
Simulcast with Discovery Channel, catch an even bolder, vivid look at Discovery’s newest specials. Explore an ancient civilization steeped in science and innovation with
the premiere of Daily Planet in China, a six-part HD special presentation. Home to one-fifth the world’s population, China is bursting into the 21st century and employing science to re-establish its position in the world. With unprecedented access to everything from the rapidly expanding Chinese space program to the amazing engineering and massive structures being completed for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Daily Planet team will share the changing face of science in China – all in brilliant High Definition. To complement this special programming event, Discovery HD presents one of the most ambitious projects ever to go into production in this new era of High Definition television: HD Atlas: China. This special brings viewers a true visual feast, combining captivating photography, ultra-cutting-edge special effects and stories that strike at the heart of the country and its people.
Other simulcast specials for Fall include a September 11th Fifth Anniversary Special examining how the impact of that fateful day has changed the world. Ride with the elite tactical unit of New York City’s anti-terrorist squad and learn how the attack changed their procedures. Then, be there as the switch is flipped on the first World Trade Centre structure to be rebuilt, witness unbelievable new techniques in building evacuation – from personal parachutes to massive inflatable slides – and see how terrorist-proof buildings are dramatically put to the test in the desert. Also this Fall, advanced computer graphics will light the infinite vistas of the ocean in the BBC production Ocean Odyssey – all through the eyes and lifecycle of a sperm whale. And finally, in Fireball of Tutankhamun, see how a simple glass bead has the power to spark a global quest – when that bead lies with an Egyptian pharaoh. This one-hour special follows explorers through the Great Sand Sea of the Sahara Desert as they work to solve the puzzling origin and creation of unique yellow-green natural glass beads. Does the discovery of these beads point to an unsuspected and dramatic new cosmic threat?
Several of Discovery Channel’s marquee series will join the Discovery HD line-up this Fall. Engineers are taking technology and construction to the extreme – building it bigger, better and faster…and in HD! MegaBuilders captures the biggest, most complex, most stressful and most dangerous engineering projects around the world, while Building the Biggest chronicles the most ambitious building projects shaping our
world today – from pipelines and diamond mines to the International Space Station and the Singapore subway system.
For viewers fascinated by forensics, each episode of True Crime Scene begins with a shocking murder scene, and then, as experts examine the clues and interview the real-life witnesses, theories about the homicide begin to take shape. The final twist sees the murder recreated as it really happened and the killer unmasked. And coming in Winter 2007, Forensic Factor reveals how the world’s best sleuths use the latest tools to catch the most elusive criminals.
And if you’ve ever looked at an ordinary object and wondered how it got here, How It’s Made goes inside the process of making these familiar objects and What’s That About? explores the drama, the science and the technology of seemingly familiar places, including sneaking behind the curtain at a rock concert and snooping on the other side of the security cameras at a casino. And finally, The Sex Files reveals the science behind sex to explain the most primal of human urges and behaviours.