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.
Even fish-based television shows aren't exempt from the reality show controversy parade.
The Discovery Channel's increasingly popular show The Deadliest Catch is getting some fire for some creative editing they did on the season premiere. They showed a dangerous storm (not sure if it was "perfect," but it was bad) in the Bering Sea, and the fight the crew had to keep the boat afloat and stay alive. Now comes word that the storm footage was from October, the flooding of the boat happened in September, and extra footage was shot to tie the scenes together to make it look like everything happened around the same time.
The Hollywood Reporter did some detective work and found the production outline for the episode, and things just don't add up. They've placed video of the episode on their web site. For the record, producers of the show say the outline was only an early draft and they don't do reenactments (though they also say that footage from different days is sometimes used).
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.
Deadliest Catch returned with new episodes Tuesday night on Discovery. This is easily one of my favorite shows on television. I could watch a Deadliest Catch marathon every weekend, it's that good.
Here are nine reasons why I love this show:
1. Mike Rowe. Yes, the Dirty Jobs guy. He's also the voice of Deadliest Catch and there is no one better suited for the job. He may be a goofball on his own show, but he brings out his deep and foreboding voice to follow the fishermen on Catch.
Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel will be airing a special about the "hoax" of the original Moon landing. I guess they're going to determine if the 1969 Apollo mission happened or not.
The team of Kari, Grant, and Tori went to the Marshall Space Flight Center to use a vacuum chamber. While there, they will be recreating Dave Scott's famous hammer and feather drop from the Apollo 15 mission.
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.
A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.
Jimmy Hall: Hall was a documentary filmmaker and Discovery Channel host. He is part of the network's annual "Shark Week," which will air this year starting July 29. Hall was killed in a parachute accident while filming a documentary for the network near the Arctic Circle. He was 41.
If you're a fan of the Discovery Channel series Mythbusters, then you know who Buster is. He's the resident dummy on the program, the lifeless model who gets shot, stabbed, blown up, dismembered, and has all kinds of other nasty stuff done to him in the name of myth debunking (or proving).
Recently, the gang at Mythbusters decided to let Buster speak his first words, and they asked fans to submit lines. Now, you can go here and vote for which line is your favorite. Buster will utter the winning line just before he's smashed to pieces in an upcoming "car myth" episode. The site doesn't specify which episode, though, so I guess you'll just have to watch. The series airs Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m.
Faithful TV Squad reader Gordon Werner has a question, so everyone listen up:
"Will Discovery Channel be airing another season of Deadliest Catch this year?"
The answer, dear Mr. Werner, is "yes." In fact, the third season is currently being filmed and will kick off on April 3, 2007. Make sure you tattoo that information on your body like that guy in Memento, it's a great way to remember things. That's why I have "buy eggs and milk" inked on my inner thigh right now.
Deadliest Catch is a documentary series that began in 2005. It follows six fishing vessels as they fish for crab in the Bering Sea and face serious injury or death due to the rough conditions. The crew not only consists of fisherman who have been on several expeditions, but also "greenhorns" who are experiencing the job for the first time.
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 
Even fish-based television shows aren't exempt from the reality show controversy parade.
Something tells me this isn't going to happen, but you can be sure plenty of us would tune in if it did.
Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel will be airing a special 
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. 
A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.
If you're a fan of the Discovery Channel series Mythbusters, then you know who Buster is. He's the resident dummy on the program, the lifeless model who gets shot, stabbed, blown up, dismembered, and has all kinds of other nasty stuff done to him in the name of myth debunking (or proving).
Faithful TV Squad reader Gordon Werner has a question, so everyone listen up:
Giveaways reminder: Office, Eli Stone, Supernatural, South Park
Giveaway Thursday: Tickets to the New York Television Festival ... all of it!
I miss the media-friendly John McCain - VIDEOS
