SCIENCE CHANNEL EXPLORES FULL SPECTRUM OF SCIENCE WITH IN-DEPTH, ENGAGING PROGRAMMING
-- Programming Slate for 2008-2009 Upfront Announced --
LOS ANGELES, Ca., April 08, 2008 � This upfront season, Science Channel and Science Channel HD are immersing viewers in a full spectrum of scientific topics ranging from string theory and futuristic cities to accidental discoveries and outrageous inventions. Science Channel's 2008�09 Upfront Season celebrates the cause and effect, the trials and errors, and the eureka moments�sometimes born out of amusing miscalculations�that only science can deliver.
"Science Channel viewers embrace science as a way of life; they are passionate and hungry to know how science touches every aspect of their lives," said Clark Bunting, president and general manager, Science Channel. "Our 2008�09 slate acknowledges these viewer characteristics while simultaneously feeding viewers' hunger with engaging, thought-provoking programs that cover a wide array of science-based topics."
Audiences continue to connect with the network's unique promise to deliver science programming. In March 2008, Science Channel experienced double-digit delivery growth in primetime among P25-54 (16%), M25-54 (15%), and P2+ (11%), and in total day among Households (11%), P25-54 (16%), M25-54 (20%) and P2+ (15%).*
The highlights of Science Channel's 2008�09 Upfront schedule include:
SPECIALS
4Q08
SIX BILLION DOLLAR EXPERIMENT
In a labyrinth of tunnels 17 miles long, more than two thousand of the world's finest physicists are collaborating on the biggest, most expensive experiment ever undertaken. This is the story of the multibillion dollar Large Hadron Collider, humankind's biggest and boldest step toward exploring the first moments of the universe.
ECOPOLIS
By 2050, 75 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas. These future megacities are the maximum challenge facing eco-policy. This series uses sophisticated modeling and CGI to explore the life-or-death problems facing mankind, and possible solutions for the urban environment of the future.
A LIFE IN MEMORY
Barney recalls the day he was hit by a car: His back was broken and, tragically, his wife was killed in the accident. Although he can now walk again, the incredible pain of the memory is not so easily healed. He is haunted by vivid nightmares and the crushing fear that it will happen again. At Douglas Hospital in Montreal, Canada, he will be given a pill to take away the memory. Here, a new understanding of how memory works is being applied to help treat those with posttraumatic stress disorder. It's based on an explosion in research that questions not just the nature of memory, but the nature of our identity.
1Q09
100 THINGS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Right now, bright minds all over the world are working on innovations that will change our world tomorrow, in five years, 10 years and 50 years. But no matter how long they take, one thing is certain: Science will change our lives. In this six-hour event, Science Channel brings you to 100 projects, people and places that may be under the radar today, but will be on the radar tomorrow.
STEPHEN HAWKING'S THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Twenty years after he wrote the best-selling popular science book, A Brief History of Time, Professor Stephen Hawking examines just how far our understanding of the universe has developed, and introduces science ideas unimagined 20 years ago. Driving this landmark series are Hawking's fascination with the big questions such as how did the universe begin?; how will it end?; what was there before it?. Hawking is the viewers' tour guide on a journey through the universe, in which the world's pre-eminent scientists join him in explaining mysteries of physics.
SYNTHETIC LIFE
Today, in their laboratory, Dr. J. Craig Venter and Nobel Laureate Hamilton Smith are designing and creating life from scratch. Now, Dr. Venter and his team are driving full speed ahead and have an excellent chance of being the first to write specific genetic code, and to then jump-start the single-celled life that can use it. Science Channel has exclusive access to Venter and his team as they embark on this incredible journey.
MEGALAB
Follow the exciting and important scientific research developments from one of the most hostile areas on earth�Antarctica. Covered by a kilometer of ice, Antarctica is a living diary of the changes earth is currently undergoing. This remote, seemingly alien place is a diverse continent with mountains, volcanoes, deserts and some of the oldest surface rocks on the planet. See how scientists stationed at labs across Antarctica study animals, the environment and geology.
2Q09
SPACE WEEK
As THE home for space programming, Science Channel brings you to the one place where the sky isn't the limit�it's just the beginning. In our third annual SPACE WEEK, viewers will explore one of the last mysterious, awe-inspiring places (un)known to man through in-depth programming on Science Channel, as well as information-rich, interactive experiences online at sciencechannel.com.
LIFE ON THE PLANETS
Science Channel looks at the hard science of what it will take for humans to live on six different new worlds. Will humans have to evolve or will we be able to invent the technology to colonize different planets?
BLACK HOLES
Black holes are one of space's great mysteries, inspiring fear and wonder in science and science fiction for generations. There's even a rumor that the new supercollider in Europe could create a black hole if it doesn't work right! This special tells the real stories behind black holes�and features the latest research into this amazing phenomenon.
3Q09
SERENDIPITY
Some of the biggest discoveries of modern times were found quite by accident. In this playful and quirky hour, we explore some of the most important discoveries that barely happened. X-rays, Velcro, penicillin, plastic and Newton's theory of gravitation were all accidents!
SINGULARITY
Humanity is on a high-speed collision course with technology. The Singularity theorizes that humans will create technologies more advanced than human intelligence, which will eventually lead to the convergence of humans and computers. In this new special, Science Channel examines this incredible theory and wonders what this future will look like.
SERIES
4Q08
HOW IT'S MADE
From holograms and fiber optics to chocolate and hockey sticks, find out how many of the everyday objects we seldom stop to think about become the things they are. In each episode of this series, you'll be amazed to see how many common items are manufactured in high-tech factories around the world.
WEIRD CONNECTIONS
This series is a revealing, startling and immersive journey into the weirder side of science. Find out how a locust watching Star Wars changed the anticollision abilities of automobiles, and how new, seemingly far-fetched research can actually advance mankind's scientific understanding.
DECONSTRUCTED (wt)
From the producers of HOW IT'S MADE comes an engaging series that explains the inner workings of commonplace objects, such as hard disk drives, microwave ovens and televisions.
PATENT BENDING
This is a high-energy series in which three hosts scour books of patents from the past 100 years to find the greatest, strangest or wackiest ideas that never got off the page�and then figure out why! In each episode the trio takes an item or idea to the Patent Bending Workshop and bends the idea into a new concept that either improves the original or takes it in a whole new direction.
2Q09
DANGER MAN
Each week our presenter puts his life on the line by performing two incredible and jaw-dropping stunts. All that guarantees his survival is his faith in science. This series replicates the extraordinary stunts performed by daredevils, stuntmen and showmen as our host deconstructs the scientific principles that make the most amazing feats possible.
WEIRD CONNECTIONS 2
This series is a revealing, startling and immersive journey into the weirder side of science. Find out how a locust watching "Star Wars" changed the anti-collision abilities of automobiles, and how new, seemingly far-fetched research can actually advance mankind's scientific understanding.
3Q09
BUILD IT BIGGER
Armed with a Harvard education, a quirky sense of humor and an inquisitive nature, Danny Forster spans the globe to break down the ultimate construction projects in BUILD IT BIGGER. From public works and private buildings to warships and cruise ships, Danny's experience as a professional architect, as well as his enthusiasm for structural design and the building process, brings viewers inside engineering marvels that will improve quality of life and dot city skylines.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
*Source: Nielsen, Live + SD Data
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