Discovery Health will be showing a four-part series about the human body this September. Body in Numbers will show viewers how the body functions throughout the day and how it adapts and reacts to things humans do.
From the press release, the show sounds like it will be a lot of astounding statistics. The surface area of the lungs is about the size of a tennis court. And the fastest sneeze was clocked at 100 miles per hour (those are some fast boogies). So, if you're into cool graphics and interesting facts or just like learning about the human body, this sounds like it could be for you. However, as I read the press release, I couldn't help but wish that Discovery Health got the kid from Jerry Maguire to narrate the program.
Body in Numbers premieres Wednesday September 3rd at 8 p.m. ET / PT and will continue every Wednesday night in September.
When I saw the headline that Discovery Channel was working on a Da Vinci series, my first thought was that they were finally dipping their toes in the scripted drama pool. Because, really, there's some mileage to be had with a show about Da Vinci, don't ya think? And with other cable channels having success in the fiction department, it doesn't seem an unreasonable idea for Discovery to join the fray.
Alas, that's not what we have here. It's still a pretty good idea though. A team has been assembled and they will be tasked with taking the original designs of Da Vinci and building them with modern tools to see if they really work. The team will be comprised of a rocket scientist, a special effects expert, and an in-the-garage inventor. The show is tentatively titled Doing Da Vinci, but I suspect that will change. Somewhere in the development process someone is going to point out that, "It might mean something different than what you think it means."
Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Andy DeHart, a shark expert who currently works at the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. Dehart talked to me about his first experience with sharks (when he was five!), about his interest in conservation of the species, and about Shark Week, Discovery's annual documentary series (in its 21st year this summer). Other than Big Brother, Shark Week is the only reason I turn on the TV in the summer. I was pretty excited to talk to him about this year's event.
The late Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's daughter will be getting her own doll. Bindi Irwin stars in Bindi the Jungle Girl on the Discovery Channel, a more child-friendly version of her father's show.
The rubber doll will cost $15 to $20 with a portion going to efforts to breed endangered species and rescue animals. The doll will come with accessories including binoculars, a camera and other outback gear, as well as a cockatoo, wombat and python.
The talking version of the doll will speak catchphrases including "Crikey! Let's go help wildlife," and "You can make the world a better place." The doll is being developed by Wild Republic, a division of K&M International Inc., based in Twinsburg, Ohio who also marketed the Steve Irwin doll shortly after his death.
I am somewhat torn about this news. On one hand, her fame (of which this is a part) seems mildly exploitative due to the tragedy of her father's passing. On the other hand, a girl has to eat.
Something tells me this isn't going to happen, but you can be sure plenty of us would tune in if it did.
Over on Discovery's MythBusters forums -- where fans regularly congregate to discuss previous episodes, disagree with Adam and Jamie's conclusions and offer suggestions for future myth-busting -- someone has made the suggestion that the MB's take on the task of not only obtaining but also fully testing the capabilities of one of Scientology's most exclusive devices: the E-meter.
After making Deadliest Catch a huge hit for the Discovery Channel back in 2006, and still going strong, Thom Beers' Original Productions struck gold again with The History Channel's adrenaline rush Ice Road Truckers. Catch chronicles the real-life adventures of Alaskan crab fishers, considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, while Truckers is about one of the most dangerous jobs on land, driving big rigs in the Northern Canadian provinces over frozen lakes.
Now, according to Zap2It, Beers has inked an aggressive deal with NBC for three new shows. The network has given a 10-episode commitment to all three and guaranteed they will run at least two in prime time. So what are they about? Apparently, it didn't matter because Beers is working with the network now to figure out the subjects for all three.
Would you play a Meerkat Manor video game? I sure would--I would love to play as Flower leading her massive group of offspring around. I'm sure the fight scenes would be good too. Those meerkats have some pretty sweet moves.
Well, if you love Meerkat Manor and you love video games, you're in luck because Activision (the same people who brought you the immensely-popular Guitar Hero 3) has teamed up with Discovery Communications. The two companies are in talks to produce a series of video games based on cable network's shows.
They decided on Meerkat Manor for the first game (it is Animal Planet's highest-rated show) and more titles will be released in early 2008. I wonder what other shows they will turn into video games? Discovery Communications has several cable networks so they have a wide array of shows to serve as the basis for a multi-media project (i.e. Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel). I have a few suggestions: Man vs. Wild (or Survivorman if you like him better), Orangutan Island and Deadliest Catch.
Friday's TCA, which continued cable TV presentations, felt like three days rolled into one.
Just how jam-packed and eclectic are the programs and announcements that were made?
Here's a sample: Dynasty diva Joan Collins is checking into BBC America's Hotel Babylon, Richard Dreyfus (Jaws) is not afraid to get back into the water as host of The Discovery Channel's Ocean of Fear: The Worst Shark Attack Ever and Jonny Fairplay (Survivor) of CMT's Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull-Riding Challenge sadly announced that his beloved grandmother passed away two weeks ago.
They make a damn good point. Every time I seem to turn on one of the alleged educational cable channels they seem to be running some silly ghost-chaser, psychic, or UFO "documentary" without any serious rigorous examination. Things may be changing a little, shows like Penn & Teller's Bullshit, and Mythbusters (which also runs on Discovery) have been successful the past few years. Shows as different American Chopper and Modern Marvels prove at least some of cable's audience is interested in more than crop circles -- interested rather in the natural world, science, and how real things actually work.
Discovery Channel's Shark Week, possibly my favorite seven days devoted to deadly marine life, will be popping its crazy dorsal fin out of the water from July 30 through August 4. Hang on, that's only six days, isn't it? I want a full seven days of deadly, man-eating fish, dag blast it. Whose chum bucket do I have to kiss to make that happen, huh? Well, whatever, I guess six days is okay. The first night of Shark Week will begin at 9 p.m. with a special episode of Dirty Jobs titled Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite. Host Mike Rowe will go underwater with great whites (as opposed to them coming above water to see him, I guess) and also visit a place in Florida that creates replicas of sharks fishermen have captured. Rowe will also finish Shark Week with Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite Harder on August 4.
Other shows to air throughout shark week include Shark Attack Survivors; Perfect Shark; Sharks: Are They Hunting Us?;Shark Rebellion; and Science of Shark Sex. Click here for a video preview.
Myth: Kari, the hot-in-a-way-that's- hard-to-describe MythBuster girl will do a tasty spread for FHM magazine. Myth Confirmed.
I've been a fan of MythBusters for a while now, and I can't help but admit that there's just something about Kari. Most likely it's the fact that here we have a cool, hip chick who loves downing beers with the guys and pierces things without getting overly pin-cushion on us, while at the same time loves science and getting down and geeky. Being not so bad on the eyes doesn't hurt either.
Programs from the Discovery Channel and some of its associated networks are now available through iTunes. The shows include Mythbusters, Shark Week, The Save-Ums, Extreme Engineering, Breed All About It, The Most Extreme, Passport to Europe, World's Best, America's National Parks, and Kenny the Shark. The episodes will cost the usual $1.99. Personally, I like the idea of having Mythbusters and Shark Week being made available, but I'm not to sure people will be that interested in downloading and watching something like America's National Parks, much less paying to watch it. Then again, everyone isn't me.
(S03E15) We're coming up on another season finale of MythBusters next week. This week the MythBusters tackle a couple of ... odd myths.
Painting with Explosives: The myth is, if you blow up a can of paint in a room, will it coat the room fully with the paint? And can the room withstand the explosion? A Mr. Bean episode mocked being able to do this, even showing a silhouette where someone was standing in the way of the paint blast. The MythBusters set up a small room on a bombing range, complete with a Buster for simulating the silhouette. First go, the explosion covers the room about 40% with paint, no silhouette, and destroys part of it in the process. So, myth busted.
(S03E14) Another Myth revisit episode! I love when the MythBusters do these episodes, as it shows they truly do listen to the fans and try their best to shut their whiny mouths up please them. They even let a fan provide some of the supplies!
The myths revisited this time: Spitting an arrow, the Confederate rocket and bullets fired into water.
Discovery Health will be showing a four-part series about the human body this September. Body in Numbers will show viewers how the body functions throughout the day and how it adapts and reacts to things humans do. 
When I saw the headline that Discovery Channel was 
The late Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's daughter 
Something tells me this isn't going to happen, but you can be sure plenty of us would tune in if it did.
After making Deadliest Catch a huge hit for the Discovery Channel back in 2006, and still going strong, Thom Beers' Original Productions struck gold again with The History Channel's adrenaline rush Ice Road Truckers. Catch chronicles the real-life adventures of Alaskan crab fishers, considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, while Truckers is about one of the most dangerous jobs on land, driving big rigs in the Northern Canadian provinces over frozen lakes.
Would you play a 
Friday's TCA, which continued cable TV presentations, felt like three days rolled into one. 
Ah, 
Discovery Channel's Shark Week, possibly my favorite seven days devoted to deadly marine life, will be popping its crazy dorsal fin out of the water from July 30 through August 4. Hang on, that's only six days, isn't it? I want a full seven days of deadly, man-eating fish, dag blast it. Whose chum bucket do I have to kiss to make that happen, huh? Well, whatever, I guess six days is okay. The first night of Shark Week will begin at 9 p.m. with a special episode of Dirty Jobs titled Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite. Host Mike Rowe will go underwater with great whites (as opposed to them coming above water to see him, I guess) and also visit a place in Florida that creates replicas of sharks fishermen have captured. Rowe will also finish Shark Week with Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite Harder on August 4.
Myth: Kari, the hot-in-a-way-that's- hard-to-describe MythBuster girl will do a tasty spread for FHM magazine. Myth Confirmed.
Programs from the Discovery Channel and some of its associated networks are now available through iTunes. The shows include Mythbusters, Shark Week, The Save-Ums, Extreme Engineering, Breed All About It, The Most Extreme, Passport to Europe, World's Best, America's National Parks, and Kenny the Shark. The episodes will cost the usual $1.99. Personally, I like the idea of having Mythbusters and Shark Week being made available, but I'm not to sure people will be that interested in downloading and watching something like America's National Parks, much less paying to watch it. Then again, everyone isn't me.
(S03E14) Another Myth revisit episode! I love when the MythBusters do these episodes, as it shows they truly do listen to the fans and try their best to 
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