Discovery Saddened by the Loss of Storm Chasers Tim and Carl

06/02/2013

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tim Samaras, his son Paul and their colleague Carl Young who died Friday, May 31st doing what they love: chasing storms.

Chasing storms had been a part of Tim Samaras's life for over 25 years. Ten years ago, Tim developed his own tornado probes to record meteorological data inside of tornadoes.

Inspired by a two-month adventure chasing storms across the Great Plains, Carl Young left a career in Hollywood to study tornado dynamics and ultimately earn a masters degree in atmospheric science from the University of Nevada, Reno.

While attending a meteorological conference, Carl met Tim, who encouraged him to collect meteorological data from inside tornadoes as the principal focus of his thesis research.

Every spring since 2003, the two headed out together and tracked down over 125 tornadoes. Their mission was to help understand why tornadoes form in order to increase warning times in Tornado Alley.

Tim and Carl's work was the subject of Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers series, which premiered on October 17, 2007 and ran for five seasons.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tim and Carl's friends and families.

Tonight's Mile Wide Tornado: Oklahoma Disaster, at 10|9C, will be dedicated to their memory.

Share your thoughts about Tim and Carl on the Storm Chasers Facebook page or in our comment section below (off-topic comments will be deleted).

A Message from Eileen O'Neill: Remembering Tim Samaras and Carl Young

PHOTO GALLERY: In Memory of Storm Chasers Tim Samaras and Carl Young

Gold Rush Drama Heads to Discovery in 2014 with Epic Mini-Series Klondike

06/02/2013

The best stories are always the real ones. Stories of adventure, courage, adversity and maybe the
promise of an incredible windfall are the ones that keep us rooting for heroes and underdogs to find their fortune. That’s why Discovery Channel has painstakingly recreated a real frontier gold rush town and amassed an all-star cast including, Richard Madden of Game of Thrones fame and Abbie Cornish star of such films as Bright Star and Limitless, to tell the dramatic stories of the frontier spirit and mad rush for gold in the Klondike.

In the late 1800’s people from every walk of life converged on the Klondike, turning the town of Dawson (population 400) into a seething sea of humanity of some 30,000 people almost overnight. All these adventurers were focused on one thing: striking it rich. Whether it was finding the gold that was turning up in the rocky hills, or setting up businesses that supported the miners, everyone had that burning drive to succeed at all costs.

A portrait of these characters is captured in the book Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike by Charlotte Gray. Through letters, photos, newspaper clippings and oral histories, she tells the stories of a diverse crew of people – from gold diggers to newspaper men – and even one intrepid woman who became one of the most prominent business people in the territory.

To recreate the dramatic stories of the larger than-life characters inspired by Gray’s fortune hunters,
Discovery Channel has called upon a range of incredible talent. Richard Madden, well known for his role as the ever honorable Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, takes on the role of adventurer Bill Haskell. Abbie Cornish plays the wily, young Belinda Mulrooney who made a mint by providing goods and services to the ill-equipped miners. Veteran actors such as Sam Shepard and Tim Roth have also signed on to play pivotal roles.

Bringing it all together is Executive Producer Ridley Scott and veteran director Simon Cellan Jones,
with such acclaimed mini-series as Boardwalk Empire, Treme and The Borgias under his belt. He’ll bring together the epic drama of gold rush stories, top-tier actors, and a fully recreated frontier town in Alberta, Canada to create Discovery Channel’s first scripted series.

The grit, cold, and almost unbelievable stories of determination, greed, and hardship will almost leap off the screen and that’s exactly what Discovery Channel has in mind. Knowing that no stories are more engaging than the ones that spare nothing to tell real histories in real locations, Discovery Channel is thrilled to tell this dramatic tale.

Will the adventurers find the fortunes they seek? Check Discovery.com for more on Discovery Channel’s six part mini-series Klondike coming in 2014. Follow the production on Klondike's Facebook page and on Twitter @KlondikeTV, and get inspired by Charlotte Gray's stories in Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike.    

Join Turtleman on Tonight's Call of the Wildman Marathon

06/01/2013

Discovery Channel presents back-to-back episodes of Call of the Wildman TONIGHT at 7|6c!

Meet Ernie Brown, Jr. -- the Turtleman -- who has been diving into murky Kentucky ponds in search of snapping turtles for nearly 40 years. Ernie devotes his time to rescuing and relocating wildlife and has caught over 12,000 turtles during his career while sustaining injuries 33 times in the process.

Tonight, in a special marathon event, Discovery Channel will be airing back-to-back episodes of Call of the Wildman, beginning at 7|6c. Starting off with a rescue in a dilapidated Kentucky home, join Turtleman as he braves rescues involving hogs gone wild, snake invasions and vicious raccoons staking out an old trading post.

Tune in tonight on the Discovery Channel for back-to-back episodes of Call of the Wildman beginning at 7|6c!

 

Do Mermaids Exist? Never-Before-Seen Video Revealed!

05/24/2013

Tune in to Mermaids: The Body Found - The Extended Cut on Monday, May 27 at 8|7c, followed by Mermaids: The New Evidence at 10|9c on the Discovery Channel.

Mermaids: The Body Found - The Extended Cut will take you into a world where the legend of mermaids is real. The film blends real-life events and phenomena with the story of two scientists who testify they found the remains of a never-before-identified sea creature. Spectacular CGI animates a world where mermaids really do swim below the water’s surface, cooperatively hunt with dolphins and may continue to survive in an intricate society where they stay hidden in fear of their Earth-bound relatives.

Do you believe in mermaids? VOTE NOW!

Dive even deeper into the legend with Mermaids: The New Evidence, which examines the startling, never-before-seen video evidence of aquatic hominids that has come forward since the documentary Mermaids: The Body Found first aired in 2012 with the original whistleblower on the Mermaid Conspiracy, Dr. Paul Robertson.

Discover the New Evidence: Never-Before-Seen Video

Tune in to Mermaids: The Body Found - The Extended Cut on Monday, May 27 at 8|7c, followed by Mermaids: The New Evidence at 10|9c on the Discovery Channel.

Coming this Summer: Discover the Bare Necessities of Survival

04/28/2013

Sad that Naked Castaway is over? Have no fear – Naked and Afraid, Discovery’s brand new survival series, premieres this summer!

Each week on Naked and Afraid, a new pair of strangers will face the ultimate challenge: surviving together for 21 days in some of the world’s harshest environments with no food, no water, no tools -- and no clothes. Think you could handle it?

 

While you wait for the premiere, learn more about survival to prepare for your own adventures:

WATCH: Survival 101 Tips from Dual Survival’s Cody and Joe

WATCH: Bear Grylls’ Ultimate Survival Guide

VOTE: What would be the hardest part of surviving on a deserted island?

NEWS: The Latest on Survival from Discovery News

IDEAS: Prepare for Your Next Big Adventure

 

Read more about Naked Castaway and Naked and Afraid: Discovery Channel bares all with upcoming 'Naked' shows (New York Daily News)

Fire Up Your Friday Nights with Wild West Alaska

04/26/2013

Tune in tonight for the premiere of Wild West Alaska at 10|9c on the Discovery Channel!

On Wild West Alaska, you will step into a world where bears outnumber people and off-the-beaten path is the only direction to go. At Wild West Guns, Alaska’s largest and most successful gun shop, owner Jim West and his team build weapons for every situation  — from everyday hunting to the unique demands of Alaskan life off-the-grid.  The only thing more unusual than their weapons is the stream of colorful characters who walk through their door.  Like Jim and his team say, “In Alaska, the odds are good... but the goods are odd!”

For a sneak peek of the people you'll meet and places you'll see, check out the photos below:

Phred speaks with Ken at Wild West Guns.

 

Wild West Guns' Head Gunsmith Bryan at work.

John and Ken drive to a gold prospect location.

 

John and Ken look for gold in the water.

 

A bear on Kodiak Island, Alaska

Watch Wild West Alaska on Fridays at 10|9c on the Discovery Channel!

 

 

Backyard Oil: Real. Funny. Folks.

04/22/2013

There’s nothing we love better at Discovery Channel than introducing you to new characters. Especially the kind that are going to let you into their private worlds to learn a little bit about what they do and laugh with them as they display their quirky charm. If you ask Executive Producer French Horwitz, that’s exactly why you are going to love the Kentucky wildcat oil drillers of Backyard Oil premiering tomorrow at 10|9c. In his words, “They hit the sweet spot between funny and real. These are just ordinary guys out there working hard, and incredibly it just happens to be on oil wells in their yards and on their farms.”

Yes. We know their story sounds just like The Beverly Hillbillies and we think they are every bit as endearing as the classic TV characters. The big difference is that these unlikely oil barons haven’t pulled up stakes – they’ve hit the jackpot in their own backyards and they are working that land for every drop of Texas Tea they can find there. The Kentucky back country is their home, but for us it might as well be another world.

Fortunately, the Backyard Oil boys are happy to share the peculiarities of their world with us. We’ll learn their language, where sayings like “drinking somebody’s milkshake” dominate conversation. For what it’s worth in Kentucky oil-speak that’s a bad thing – it’s when you are drilling a well and you inadvertently tap into someone else’s underground reserve. In other words, a major faux-pas.

We’ll also learn their sometimes strange ways. Like the unshakable belief held by some that “dowsing” or using sticks can predict where the oil might lie. Or the very expensive gamble that a surprising farm animal can sniff out the prize oil. Do these ways work? Well, they think so and we’ll get to see whether their unconventional wisdom pays off. 

The one thing we will learn for sure is the fact that no matter how they choose to roll the dice and drill the land, once they commit, these fellas are all in. It’s hard to not root for a millionaire that wants to keep wildcatting and dine on nothing more than a grilled bologna sandwich.

When we asked French to describe the characters we are going to meet he kept coming back to the same traits. Whether it’s Jimmy Reliford who draws comparisons to the infamous “JR Ewing” by being the big land owner or the plain-speaking Jed Clampet-esque Travis Coomer, French describes them as “the salt of the earth.”

As for Brent “Mad Dog” Yates and the father-son duo the Pages? Well, we’ll let you form your own descriptions for them - and we can't wait to hear what you think.

Before we let French Horwitz get back to business on Backyard Oil we had to ask him one more question – the one you are probably asking as well. Do these guys get that they are the modern day Beverly Hillbillies? According to French, they do. As he puts it:

“They’re the ones laughing the hardest. The joke isn’t on them, it’s on us. Sure, we may get a kick out of their hillbilly quirkiness, but they’ve been able to make a mint and do it in their own home town and their own terms. They’re laughing all the way to the bank.”

What’s not to love about that?

 

One Day Without Shoes

04/16/2013

Shoes help protect from cuts, diseases and soil-based infections like hookworm, which affect approximately 740 million people worldwide [WHO].

Well, what if you could do something about it?  Today, April 16th, Discovery is joining TOMS in going without shoes to bring awareness to children's health and education.

This is about more than just shoes. This is about being a part of a global movement.  Join us today and leave your footprint in a way that affects positive change.

 

Poll loading...

 

Learn more about TOMS and their effort to to break the poverty cycle at www.onedaywithoutshoes.com

Life on the Edge: Brushes with Death in the Yukon

03/20/2013

Ever been chased by a grizzly bear? Charged by a moose? Fallen through thin ice? These situations could happen any day in the Yukon. We sat down with Yukon Men’s Charlie and Bob Wright as well as Stan and Joey Zuray to hear what they consider their closest brushes with death.

Each week we’ll be releasing one of their stories on discovery.com/yukonmen, and first up is Charlie Wright’s account of one of the most terrifying experiences of his life. Watch the clip below to hear his tale:

Have you ever had an experience like Charlie’s? Share your stories below, and don’t forget to check back for more Brushes with Death videos to watch the Yukon Men recount their harrowing tales of defying death and surviving against the odds.

 

Tune in to Yukon Men on Fridays at 9|8c on the Discovery Channel!

 

 

Tightrope Legend to Attempt Grand Canyon Crossing

03/18/2013

This summer is shaping up to be an exciting one as tightrope legend Nik Wallenda will attempt to traverse the majestic Grand Canyon—without using a harness—on June 23.

Wallenda will tightrope walk higher than he’s ever attempted before at 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River, a height greater than the Empire State Building.

The tightrope crossing will take place in a remote section of the canyon operated by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation.

In 2012, Wallenda became the first person to tightrope walk directly over Niagara Falls from the U.S. to Canada at a height of 200 feet. 


“The stakes don’t get much higher than this,” said Wallenda. “The only thing that stands between me and the bottom of the canyon is a two-inch thick wire. I’m looking forward to showing the audience a view of the canyon they’ve never seen before.”

Discovery Channel will capture the nail-biting, play-by-play live event on Sunday, June 23 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Check out skywire.discovery.com for more details and to explore the multi-camera experience.

Read the full press release below:

 TIGHTROPE LEGEND NIK WALLENDA TO CROSS OVER GRAND CANYON, HIS HIGHEST WALK EVER



Event to air Live on Sunday, June 23, on Discovery Channel 


(Los Angeles, Calif.) — It will be one of the most daring and captivating live events in history -- Nik Wallenda, known as “The King of the High Wire,” will traverse the majestic Grand Canyon, without using a harness. Discovery Channel will capture the nail-biting, play-by-play live event on Sunday, June 23. 


“Discovery Channel continues to bring some of television’s most talked about and historic live events of the year,” said Eileen O’Neill, Group President Discovery and TLC Networks. “From Felix Baumgartner setting the world record for highest skydive in SPACE JUMP LIVE to this latest feat showcasing Nik Wallenda’s greatest challenge yet.” 


Wallenda will tightrope walk higher than he’s ever attempted before at 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River, a height greater than the Empire State Building.  In 2012, Wallenda became the first person to tightrope walk directly over Niagara Falls from the U.S. to Canada at a height of 200 feet.


“The stakes don’t get much higher than this,” said Wallenda. “The only thing that stands between me and the bottom of the canyon is a two-inch thick wire. I’m looking forward to showing the audience a view of the canyon they’ve never seen before.” 


Wallenda, 34, said that this latest event will be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to walk at such a great height as well as a chance to honor his great-grandfather, the legendary Karl Wallenda, who died after falling from a tightrope in Puerto Rico in 1978. 


The Grand Canyon, one of America’s most visited tourist destinations, provides a spectacular backdrop to the event. The tightrope crossing will take place in a remote section of the canyon operated by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation. 


“We are honored to be a part of this historic event and showcase the beauty that exists on Navajo country,” said Geri Hongeva-Camarillo, Media Representative of the Navajo Parks and Recreation. “The Navajo Nation is home to more than a dozen national monuments, tribal parks and ancestral sites. Many visitors make Navajo Nation one of the top destinations for their travel plans.”


"Navajo Parks and Recreation strives to preserve and protect tribal park land for the enjoyment of all visitors. We use our land and all elements of life as teaching tools for our youth and visitors from afar, we welcome this special event and the community is excited to be a part of it," said Helen Webster, Park Manager of Navajo Parks and Recreation. 


The live event is produced by Peacock Productions for Discovery with Gretchen Eisele, Knute Walker and Benjamin Ringe serving as executive producers. Howard Swartz serves as executive producer for Discovery. To learn more, go to skywire.discovery.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/discoverychannel and on Twitter @Discovery.

Will Dustin Make It As A Yukon Man?

03/15/2013

Here’s what Executive Producer French Horwitz thinks:

“I live tweet these shows and the most common question I get is, ‘Could I come up there and be on the show and live that way?’ I would respond, ‘You can’t handle it. I promise you.’

It just so happened that Pat Moore was looking for a new dog handler and hired one who was from the lower 48, from North Carolina. In Season Two, we truly show everyone out there how hard it is to survive in this terrain, how hard it is to adapt and just to make it through the day. We get to watch this new character, Dustin, learn to adapt, to handle dogs, to survive in this world.

That, to me, is the most compelling story in Season Two."

Tune in tonight at 9|8c to see if Dustin has what it takes to make it in the Yukon and what big decision the Moores will make about him.