It’s Going to be Jawsome! SHARK WEEK 2013 Returns with More Hours of Teeth and Fins than Ever Before, Aug. 4-9 on Discovery

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TORONTO (July 17, 2013) – What happened to “Snuffy the Seal”? After a live warf-side report captured the seal’s disappearance  — which has since gone viral – Discovery has enlisted the aid of iconic missing persons advocate, John Walsh, to help uncover what really happened to the missing fin-footed mammal. And Walsh has the perfect platform to get the message out far and wide as summer’s most-anticipated TV tradition returns: “Shark Week” is back, beginning Sunday, August 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery. In 2012, “Shark Week” reeled in 5.2 million Canadian viewers* with big beasts and chilling close encounters. For 2013, “Shark Week” builds upon last year’s seven shark-filled programs, offering 11 new “Shark Week” specials – coupled with the first-ever late night LIVE “Shark Week” talk show – to give Canadian shark fans more premiere hours than ever before in the 18-year history of the iconic summer event. And in another Discovery Canada first, the channel will premiere all the new episodes, day-and-date with Discovery U.S. “Shark Week” broadcasts. Viewers can dive deeper into “Shark Week” at Discovery.ca with loads of exclusive content. (Note: please see below for titles, dates, and times – all programming subject to change – plus online details).

It’s a bad week to be a seal…but pretty great for the rest of us!  SHARK WEEK returns to Discovery Aug. 4-9, 2013.

“Shark Week” takes over the nightly schedule on Discovery Canada, with four hours of content nightly, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT – kicking off with five hours on Sunday, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT  with a Shark Week encore MYTHBUSTERS Special – then a Shark Week Reload nightly at 8 p.m.; followed by two hours of all-new shark programming at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET/PT; then capped each night by SHARK AFTER DARK, Discovery’s new late-night talk show airing at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. The LIVE talk show, hosted by comedian Josh Wolf, will lead viewers through an hour-long celebration of all things shark-related with segments that highlight favourite moments from “Shark Week.” The nightly show will also feature unexpected guests, shark experts, shark attack survivors, and more.

The nightly can’t-miss “Shark Week 2013” schedule is as follows:

• 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – SHARK WEEK MYTHBUSTERS Special (Encore; Sun. only)
• 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT – SHARK WEEK Reload (Encore; Sun. is *New*)
• 9 p.m. ET/PT – SHARK WEEK 2013 Special 1 (*New*)
• 10 p.m. ET/PT – SHARK WEEK 2013 Special 2 (*New*; Sun.-Thurs.)
• 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT – SHARK AFTER DARK (*New*; Sun.-Thurs.)

Discovery’s SHARK WEEK 2013 lineup of new specials include:

• AIR JAWS: BEYOND THE BREACH  (TBC)

Sun., Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

AIR JAWS specials have pushed and expanded the understanding of Great Whites sharks and has become one of the iconic “Shark Week” programs year after year. In AIR JAWS: BEYOND THE BREACH, a film crew goes behind the scenes to see how AIR JAWS has changed what experts now know about these incredible creatures, and gives viewers a sneak peek into the next AIR JAWS special, FINDING COLOSSUS, set to premiere during SHARK WEEK 2014.

• MEGALODON: THE MONSTER SHARK LIVES (WT)

Sun., Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

In the incredible two-hour special MEGALODON: THE MONSTER SHARK LIVES (WT), Discovery brings “Shark Week” viewers on a search for a massive killer Great White shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, an 18-metre relative of the Great White that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. The oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly-discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate whether this predator, long thought to be extinct, could still be lurking in the  deepest oceans. A crew of scientists and shark experts examine evidence and fearlessly seek answers to the many questions surrounding one of the last great ocean mysteries while creating the largest chum slick in history.  

• RETURN OF JAWS

Mon., Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Featuring an all-new  “shark cam” – a robot submarine that is used to track sharks in an exciting way – RETURN OF JAWS includes spectacular footage following Great White Sharks living and hunting off the shores of Cape Cod. Footage of a five-metre Great White is seen at close range over a five-hour period as the shark hunts seal colonies, comes close to shore in just over one metre of water, and takes a chilling interest in one specific area.

• VOODOO SHARKS (TBC)

Mon., Aug. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT

VOODOO SHARKS explores a lesser-known shark “hot spot” where Bull Shark populations have moved beyond oceans and U.S. coasts to the bayous of Louisiana. Nicknamed “Voodoo Sharks” by local shrimp fishermen, these Bull Sharks have the extraordinary ability to live in both salt and fresh water environments. They show up by the hundreds in the bayous of Louisiana and create more than just confusion for those who encounter these dominant and startling predators.

• I ESCAPED JAWS

Tues., Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

I ESCAPED JAWS features yet another “Shark Week” first – utilizing real shark attack footage for the first time, captured by eye-witnesses – to examine harrowing first-hand accounts from everyday people who stared into the jaws of a shark and survived. Some used their wits; some relied on experience, and all lived to share their chilling stories. Nicole Moore, a nurse, lost her arm in an attack while vacationing in Mexico and saved her own life by instructing those on the beach on how to treat her  wounds. Australian Navy Diver Paul de Gelder relied on his experience as a diver to survive after a shark bit off both his arm and leg.  

• SPAWN OF JAWS

Tues., Aug. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT

SPAWN OF JAWS follows a scientist on the brink of a breakthrough as he reveals the life cycle of the Great White Shark for the first time, including mating and pupping. Using state of the art tracking technology, experts will search for the elusive Great White breeding grounds, aiming to protect the area, and re-populate their numbers.

• TOP 10 SHARKDOWN

Wed., Aug. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

TOP 10 SHARKDOWN updates the international shark attack files for the 21^st century and takes a closer look at the sharks viewers won’t want to meet at the beach this summer – and the ones swimmers and surfers are most likely to encounter. From the weird – the feisty cookie cutter, which bites cookie-shaped circles out of its prey; to the macabre, like the Sand Tiger, whose cannibalistic young devour each other in the womb; to the infamous Great Whites, Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks – TOP 10 SHARKDOWN ranks these amazing predators.

• GREAT WHITE SERIAL KILLER

Wed., Aug. 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT

Natural history producer Jeff Kurr returns to “Shark Week” after 2011’s Emmy®-nominated ULTIMATE AIR JAWS and 2012’s AIR JAWS APOCALYPSE. In GREAT WHITE SERIAL KILLER, Kurr sets out to examine two fatal shark attacks near Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and uses evidence found at both sites to try to determine if one shark was responsible for both attacks.

• SHARKPOCALYPSE

Thurs., Aug. 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Following a year of shark encounters closely followed by the media, SHARKPOCALYPSE examines the trend of sharks moving in closer to shorelines and debates whether there is a connection between declining shark populations and the increase in shark attacks. Hosted by Andy Casagrande and Devon Massyn, SHARKPOCALYPSE gets up close and personal with the Great White invasion. 

• ALIEN SHARKS OF THE DEEP (WT, TBC)

Thurs., Aug. 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Follow American and Japanese scientists as they descend into the deepest and darkest unexplored oceans on Earth in search of some of the more incredible and bizarre sharks on the planet – ALIEN SHARKS OF THE DEEP – from the Goblin shark to the elusive, giant Megamouth shark.

• GREAT WHITE GAUNTLET (TBC)

Fri., Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT

The coast of South Australia is a place like no other. It’s home to a Great White feeding ground that is one of the most dangerous places in the world. Known in local legend as the Great White Gauntlet, this deadly stretch of waters holds a prize bounty for divers: a rare sea snail called the abalone which is worth thousands on the international market. Abalone diving can be both lucrative and dangerous because it happens in one of the most deadly shark feeding grounds in the world where the Great White sharks prowl.

The “Shark Week” experience extends online with full episodes (available the morning after broadcast) online and on the Discovery Canada App; cool infographics, including shark attack “hot spots” and “sharks in plight” maps; Shark-o-Pedia and trivia; a shark anatomy diagram; and downloadable DIY “Shark Week” party accessories, including a Shark Fin Hat so viewers can “get their fins on,” and much more! Viewers can join the “Shark Week” conversation on Twitter, with the hashtag #SharkWeek.

About Discovery:

The world is just awesome! With compelling real-life programming that inspires and entertains, Discovery reveals the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. Discovery offers a signature mix of adrenaline-charged stories, larger-than-life personalities and vivid imagery for viewers with curious minds. With the best non-fiction programming from Canada and around the world, Discovery captures the excitement of a passion for life – one lived fully and at its most extreme. With exceptional and immersive storytelling, the channel offers in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the extraordinary people and places that shape our world. Launched in Canada in 1995, Discovery is now available in more than eight million Canadian homes. Discovery is offered in standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) simulcast – for viewers who want an even bigger and bolder experience. Discovery Canada is a joint venture between Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company, and Discovery Communications Inc. Find more information and interactive online features at Discovery.ca.

-DISCOVERY-

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Discovery Canada on Facebook:                               facebook.com/discoverycanada

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Source: BBM Canada

For more information:                                                                                                                     

Jodi Cook, Discovery, 416.384.4603 or jodi.cook@bellmedia.ca

Noah Zatzman, Discovery, 416.384.5903 or noah.zatzman@bellmedia.ca