Not a Bird. Not a Plane. Not Explained. The World’s Strangest UFO Sightings Explored in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, Premiering Jan. 10

TORONTO (December 5, 2013) – Weird weather patterns, flight schedules, and extraordinary imagination – ultimately, of the thousands of “UFO sightings” that are reported each year around the globe, most can be explained and attributed to normal, Earthly phenomena. But those cases that can’t be solved – even decades later — puzzle police investigators, government officials, researchers, and even medical communities. Premiering on Discovery with back-to-back episodes on Friday, January 10 at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/7 and 7:30 p.m. PT,  CLOSE ENCOUNTERS explores the most intriguing and convincing UFO stories on the planet. An original Canadian production from Toronto’s Newroad Media, the 13-part series examines two stories in each episode, combining dramatic recreations, CGI, and dynamic expert interviews, to illuminate the most mystifying  sightings from around the world – from Alberta to Australia, and from Texas to Tehran!

 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Premieres Jan. 10 on Discovery

Throughout  the series, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, viewers will discover:

• UFO’s have been reported on every continent on Earth, including Antarctica.
• Only one in 10 UFO sightings are ever reported.
• More UFO sightings occur at 11 p.m. than any other time of day.

Viewers can delve into the case files at Discovery.ca/CloseEncounters – or even share their own stories on Twitter @EncountersTV (#CloseEncounters) and on Facebook at facebook.com/closeencountersTV.

Highlights from the first episodes of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS include:

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: Episode 1

Fri., Jan. 10 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

The episode’s first story, “Northern Lights: December 11, 1996,” follows two cousins, Billy and John Smith, who were driving in separate cars along the Klondike Highway in Yukon Territory when they encounter a massive “mothership” triple the size of a football stadium. Their description matches at least 30 other witnesses who saw the same object in the sky that night around Fox Lake and the village of Pelly Crossing, making it one of the most extensively documented and researched UFO sightings in Northern Canada. Then, the episode continues with “Faded Giant: March 24, 1967” which recounts the night when Deputy Commander Robert Salas received an emergency call from guards at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana who had spotted an unidentified object overhead. In the 1960s, the base is the largest nuclear weapons complex in the world and is home to an arsenal of Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. As the object passed over the base, “all hell broke loose” when the 10 minuteman missiles suddenly go off line.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: Episode 2

Fri., Jan. 10 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

The second episode begins with “FIRE IN THE SKY: DECEMBER 9, 1965.” It was early evening in rural Pennsylvania when several dozen witnesses reported seeing a fiery object fall through the sky and land in nearby woods. Volunteer Firefighter, Jim Romansky, was called to the scene to investigate what they thought was a plane crash. As Romansky combed the woods near Kecksburg, he spotted a glowing acorn-shaped metallic object. When he moved in to investigate, the military ordered Romansky and any other civilians to leave the area – then denied ever finding a craft in the woods that night. Next, in “Arizona Objects: March 13, 1997,” thousands of people in Phoenix, Arizona, were stargazing in search of the Hale-Bopp comet. But instead of finding the comet in the night sky, hundreds of witnesses reported seeing strange lights flying in a V-formation, while hundreds more noted boomerang- and triangular-shaped crafts the size of three football fields flying low and soundlessly over their homes. The U.S. Air Force immediately denied anything unusual in the airspace that night.

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

Discovery Canada on Twitter:  twitter.com/DiscoveryCanada

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