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Tag: Discovery Channel

  • ‘Deadliest Catch’ Producer Joe McMahon Gunned Down, Killed at 25

    Former Deadliest Catch producer Joe McMahon was gunned down outside his Pasadena home on Friday, and died at the scene. He was just 25 years old.

    A former associate producer for one season of Deadliest Catch, McMahon worked for the Discovery Channel on their popular show for nine episodes in 2013.

    It was early Friday morning when authorities received a call about a shooting in the Chapman Woods neighborhood of Pasadena. When they arrived on the scene they found the Deadliest Catch producer suffering from “multiple gunshot wounds.” He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

    A representative of the Discovery Channel issued a statement about the tragedy on Friday.

    “We are heartsick about this tragedy,” the network said about Joe McMahon’s untimely and tragic passing. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to all that knew and worked with him.”

    Family members identified McMahon at the scene and told authorities he worked on Deadliest Catch.

    Sources told investigators they don’t believe the murder to be drug related, nor do they believe Joe McMahon was involved in any type of drug activity.

    It’s heartbreaking when someone so young loses their life to senseless violence. It will be interesting to learn what investigators find in the coming days.

    Meanwhile cast and crew members of Deadliest Catch are likely coming to grips with this loss–as are the family members and friends of Joe McMahon.

  • Wasn’t A Man Supposed To Be Eaten Alive By A Snake?

    Back on November 5th, Discovery Channel uploaded a video titled “Eaten Alive Sneak Peek”, which glimpsed at the promising voyage of a man seeking to be eaten alive by an anaconda.

    “We’re gonna get me inside of a snake,” said Paul Rosolie, a naturalist and wild life filmmaker dressed in some type of Tron-like jungle bomb-suit  (it’s a custom-built snake-proof suit) that looks strikingly similar to the protagonist’s outfit in Dead Space.

    The modern day “Jonah & The Whale” experiment premiered Sunday, December 7th at 9/8 central, but before viewers got to see the spectacle, voices and concerns questioned Rosolie and the Discovery Channel:

    • A Change.org petition titled “STOP THE AIRING OF “EATEN ALIVE” – BOYCOTT DISCOVERY CHANNEL” launched the same day the sneak peek video did. It wound up with 38,364 signatures out of 50,000.

    So what happened?

    In the first 70 minutes of the two-hour program, we see Rosolie and his crew venturing in Peru’s Amazon jungle, searching for a 25-foot-long anaconda. This was no ordinary anaconda, as Rosolie said he once saw it before.

    Finally, the team found a 20-foot 250 lb. green anaconda, which, debatably, might have been a captive snake planted in the jungle by Discovery’s stunt team, according to PEOPLE magazine.

    With only 20 minutes left of the show, Rosolie slipped into his crush-resistant, pig-blood covered suit and offered his body to the snake.

    The anaconda took some time to warm up before it coiled around and constricted Rosolie.

    The moment we’d all been waiting for began with the anaconda opening its jaws widely enough to pierce a few of its fangs on Rosolie’s helmet, then the stunt stopped.

    “My arms torqueing, this thing is gonna break! I’m calling it, I need help!” Rosolie told his crew through a microphone in his suit.

    The two-hour long program promising a man being eaten by an anaconda turned out to be about eight minutes of Rosolie struggling to unwind with his team rushing to save him.

    According to ABC News, the show garnered 4.1 million views.

    Viewers were disappointed.

    The #EatenAlive hash tag exploded on Twitter, with many accusing Discovery of misleading audiences with it’s promise of a man being eaten alive by a snake.

    Paul Rosolie? More like Paul Rosolie.

     

     

  • Man Eaten By Anaconda: Animal Activists Outraged Over Man in ‘Snake-proof’ Suit Eaten Alive by Snake on Reality Show

    Animal rights activists are outraged over a man’s decision to suit up in a snake-proof suit and be eaten alive by an enormous anaconda constrictor snake.

    Self-proclaimed naturalist and wildlife filmmaker Paul Rosolie promises his audience to be eaten alive by the snake in a promo for the Discovery Channel special, Eaten Alive.

    Staff at The Columbus (Ohio) Zoo & Aquarium expressed their outrage over the spectacle.

    “If this snake would ingest something very large, like a human, and then have to regurgitate that prey or that food, that obviously could be harmful to the snake,” said Tom Stalf, CEO and President of the Columbus Zoo.

    People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have likewise condemned the stunt.

    “This blatant publicity stunt sounds far-fetched, but if the description is accurate, the snake was tormented and suffered for the sake of ratings – as animals usually do when they’re used for entertainment,” PETA said in a statement.

    “Anacondas go days without eating and expend the energy needed to do so selectively. Making this snake use up energy by swallowing this fool and then possibly regurgitating him would have left the poor animal exhausted and deprived of the energy that he or she needs.”

    Rosolie — who is a naturalist, author, and until this WTH-stunt, a respected conservationist — is likely to see his career take a hit, at least in animal activist and conservation circles.

    “What I think is a shame is that his credibility will be just absolutely ruined now, and as we talk about Jack Hanna, Marlin Perkins, Steve Irwin, these are people that explore this beautiful planet, and we only have one, and so the message is to protect that planet and learn about conservations,” Stalf said.

    Eaten Alive is set to air 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, on the Discovery Channel.

  • Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara Leave Mythbusters

    In news that is sure to upset fans of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters, show hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage announced last week that Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara will not be returning for the show’s next season.

    Known as the “build team,” Byron, Belleci, and Imahara began appearing on Mythbusters during the show’s second and third seasons. The trio worked separately from Hyneman and Savage, providing the show with a second team with which to test myths.

    Their departure was announced at the end of last week’s episode. During the message, Hyneman stated that Mythbusters will be “going back to [its] origins” and that the next season of the show will feature only himself and Savage.

    Belleci had worked with Hyneman’s M5 Industries shop in the mid-90s before moving on to Industrial Light and Magic, where he worked as a model maker for movies such as Peter Pan, Starship Troopers, and Galaxy Quest. He re-joined Hyneman in 2003 to work on Mythbusters and joined the show on-screen in 2004.

    Among other things, Belleci is best-known to Mythbusters fans for putting himself at risk for the show, doing things such as entering a bullfighting ring while wearing a red suit or trying (unsuccessfully) to jump a wagon on a bicycle:

    Imahara also worked at Industrial Light and Magic as a visual effects engineer before joining Mythbusters in 2005. He is best-known on the show for building robots and other electronic contraptions needed for experiments.

    Byron graduated from San Francisco State University in 1998 and pursued art before joining Mythbusters in 2004.

    The build team reacted to the announcement on social media, thanking fans and praising their decade-long dream jobs with Mythbusters:

  • ‘Mythbusters’ Co-hosts Are Leaving the Show After Ten Years

    It’s the end of an era for Discovery Channel’s popular reality show, Mythbusters. Three fan-favorite myth busters, Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara, announced Thursday that they will be leaving the show after working on it for a decade.

    “Kari, Tory and Grant have been an incredibly important part of MythBusters for over a decade,” the Discovery Channel said in an official statement. “From explosions to car crashes to even more explosions, this trio has helped shape MythBusters into the Emmy-nominated series it is today. Everyone at Discovery wants to thank them for their tireless work busting almost 1,000 myths, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors.”

    Co-hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman have commented that the show will now return to its “origins,” with just the duo overseeing the stunts and experiments. Kari, Tory, and Grant took to Twitter to post personal messages to their fans and share their gratitude over all their support. Said Kari Byron: “Thank you to all the fans who have supported us. It was an amazing run. I learned so much about myself and the world. I love you all MythBusters. I am sad for an ending but there will be exciting new adventures for us.”

    Mythbusters also shared a video montage on their Twitter page as a tribute to the fan favorite hosts. In the past ten years, Mythbusters has been nominated five times for outstanding reality program, but has yet to take home the title.

    Post by MythBusters.
  • Bear Grylls Tests Celebrities’ Survival Skills

    Bear Grylls Tests Celebrities’ Survival Skills

    Bear Grylls is slated to star in a new survivalist series for NBC — and this time he’s starring with the stars.

    In the new series, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, the survivor guru will take celebrities one at a time off to remote locations around the world and test their survival skills for 48 hours.

    Set to premiere in late July, Running Wild with Bear Grylls already has some A-list celebrities lined up for the task including Zac Efron, Ben Stiller, Channing Tatum and Tom Arnold, as well as former NFL player Deion Sanders and TODAY anchor Tamron Hall.

    “Viewers will get to see inside the hearts and minds of these guests in a very open, honest and vulnerable way, pushing them out of their comfort zones and seeing what they are like in real life when stripped of all the benefits of celebrity,” said Grylls in a statement. “Ultimately, this show is about taking these stars on the adventure of a lifetime and being alongside them when they discover something new and empowering about themselves and their world. For me, that is always a privilege.”

    Some of the adventures lined up for Grylls and his cohorts include skydiving in the Catskill Mountains and repelling down cliffs in Utah.

    Grylls previously starred on Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel from 2006 to 2011. The series saw him survive in locations all over the world with few supplies and no one but his film crew.

    “Bear’s incredible spirit is absolutely contagious, not only with his celebrity partners but with the viewing audience as well,” NBC alternative programming president Paul Telegdy said. “We can’t wait to see how these epic adventures will profoundly change those who take challenge.”

    Tamron Hall, who is currently on her big adventure with Grylls, tweeted some details about her pending trip.

    Running Wild with Bear Grylls premieres July 28 on NBC.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mount Everest Avalanche Causes Wingsuit Stunt Cancellation

    What was to be one of the most extreme wingsuit stunts in history has now been cancelled. The Discovery Channel this week announced that its upcoming Everest Jump Live program has been cancelled.

    The event, scheduled to take place on May 11, was cancelled out of concern for the families of the recent tragedy on the world’s tallest mountain. The avalanche took the life of 12 experienced Sherpas on Friday.

    The Discovery Channel released a statement this weekend through its Facebook page:

    Post by Everest Jump Live.

    Everest Jump Live was to have been an extreme stunt in which veteran wingsuit jumper Joby Ogwyn would take a running leap right off the peak of Mount Everest. Using his wingsuit, the plan was for Ogwyn to glide down the side of the mountain for more than 10 minutes before reaching base camp.

    The event was meticulously planned. Four cameramen were to have accompanied Ogwyn up the mountain. Ogwyn himself had practiced similar stunts at the Matterhorn and the Eiger in Switzerland. The event was also heavily promoted, with Ogwyn himself appearing on The Tonight Show last month.

    Post by Everest Jump Live.

    The recent Everest avalanche is being described by experienced climbers as the worst disaster in Everest climbing history. The 12 fallen Sherpas were preparing ropes and other supplies for climbers due during the mountain’s climbing season.

    The avalance left the well-worn path up to the peak impassable. Dozens of climbers above the avalanche point were trapped on the mountain over the weekend. According to a CNN report it still isn’t clear whether expedition companies will operate their yearly Everest climbs this year.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Amish Filmed Moving House by Hand

    Amish Filmed Moving House by Hand

    A small borough of a few hundred residents in Pennsylvania called Spartansburg is home to an Amish community that was recently filmed moving a 24′ by 36′ house by hand. Spartansburg resident Perry Clabbatz was amazed to see roughly 80 people carrying the structure off its foundation to a new location, and quickly whipped out his smartphone began filming the event.

    Clabbatz commented, “I knew they were going to do it; the landlord told me ahead of time. I just didn’t realize it was going to happen so soon.”

    Last weekend, Clabbatz posted the clip to his Facebook page – “My Facebook is lighting up,” Clabbatz said. “My relatives in Seattle, Los Angeles, and North Carolina are getting a real hoot out of it.”

    Here’s the clip:

    Post by Perry Clabbatz.

    The video has garnered over 37,000 Facebook shares so far, and has also appeared on Today Show earlier this week. Clabbatz commented that he is “pleasantly surprised” with the attention his video has received, and explained that his Amish neighbors are “going to build a bigger house. They’re turning (their old house) into a workshop.”

    Home relocation by hand is nothing new in the Amish community. Here an entire barn is moved with manpower:

    Clabbatz went on to explain that his Amish neighbors featured in the house-moving video likely have no idea how popular it’s become, and doesn’t think it would be of any significance to them regardless. “They’re quiet folks,” Clabbatz noted. “They don’t look for the media spotlight.”

    The Amish make up a community of traditionalist Christian church fellowships which Swiss Anabaptist origins. The group is known for simple living, plain dress and an aversion to the many conveniences of modern technology. In the early 18th century, droves of Amish people immigrated to Pennsylvania, and continue to speak Pennsylvania German, also known as “Pennsylvania Dutch.”

    Though, not all Amish recognize the prescribed mode of simple living. The Discovery Channel’s poorly reviewed series of “select re-enactments” entitled Amish Mafia depicts members of the community driving Cadillacs, brandishing assault rifles and using smartphones.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Amish Mafia’ Star John Schmucker Sentenced

    ‘Amish Mafia’ Star John Schmucker Sentenced

    Amish Mafia star John Schmucker was sentenced to 3 months in jail and has to pay a $1000 fine because of his tenth offense of driving with a suspended license. It was less than a year ago when the young man appeared before a judge for a hit and run incident, as seen in the video above. It certainly sounds like Mr. Schmucker believes he is above the law.

    Amish Mafia airs on the Discovery Channel. A new episode is set to premiere on February 25th. The show follows a small group of Amish men in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who purportedly protect the tight knit Amish community–from the Englishers–as those outside of the Amish fold are called–as well as from some of those within their own community.

    The show has been both scrutinized as well as criticized by those who study the Amish faith.

    “To call these shows documentaries is a fraudulent lie,” and “[the show] is just sort of an example of the foolishness and stupidity and lies—misrepresentations I should say—that are promoted [about the Amish] in television…. These production crews should be ashamed of trying to say that represents Amish life,” Donald Kraybill, a professor from Elizabethtown College and prominent researcher of the Anabaptist (the religion the Amish people believe) lifestyle says.

    Regardless of the validity of what viewers see on Amish Mafia, it seems a Lancaster County judge has found certain validity in John Schmucker’s driving offenses. He’s likely sick and tired of seeing the young man in his court room and has decided to put him behind bars–probably in hopes he might learn from his transgressions as well as his punishment.

    Fans of Amish Mafia are no doubt awaiting word on John’s fate, as well as the premiere of the new season of the show.

    John Schmucker isn’t due to report to jail until March 31st, and his attorney Steven Breit plans to appeal the conviction and ask for house arrest for his client instead.

    Image via Twitter

  • Discovery Channel’s Fake Documentary Upsets Viewers

    This week is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel and many viewers are upset about the fake documentary that was shown about the ancient giant shark Megalodon, called “Megalodon: The Monster Shark That Lives”.

    The documentary is a two-hour special discussing the possible return of a giant prehistoric shark thought to have been extinct for over two million years. Megalodon was believed to be three times the length of the great white shark, and ten times the mass.

    The Discovery Channel released a statement from Shark Week’s Executive Producer, Michael Sorensen, to the Orlando Sentinel and several other media sources:

    With a whole week of Shark Week programming ahead of us, we wanted to explore the possibilities of Megalodon. It’s one of the most debated shark discussions of all time, can Megalodon exist today? It’s Ultimate Shark Week fantasy. The stories have been out there for years and with 95% of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?

    Even though viewers are furious that the “the world’s #1 nonfiction media company”, would air a documentary with false information, “Megalodon: The Monster Shark That Lives” had 4.8 million viewers and a 2.6 rating with adults 25-54, and has been named the biggest Shark Week episode to date.

    Celebrity Will Wheaton said: “I care about education. I care about science. I care about inspiring people to learn about the world and universe around us. Sharks are fascinating, and megalodon was an absolutely incredible creature! Discovery had a chance to get its audience thinking about what the oceans were like when megalodon roamed and hunted in them. It had a chance to even show what could possibly happen if there were something that large and predatory in the ocean today … but Discovery Channel did not do that. In a cynical ploy for ratings, the network deliberately lied to its audience and presented fiction as fact. Discovery Channel betrayed its audience.”

    There was a short disclaimer at the end of the episode that said: None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents. Though certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized, sightings of “Submarine” continue to this day. Megalodon was a real shark. Legends of giant sharks persist all over the world. There is still a debate about what they may be.

  • Moonshine In Stores: Liquor Makers Cashing In On Notoriety

    Moonshining is very much a part of the local culture in Southern and Appalachian communities. If you spend any time down in those areas, you’re likely to run into one or two people who will sell you some of the local specialty. Now stores are starting to sell the stuff, but it’s not exactly the real deal.

    The AP reports that the popularity of Discovery’s “Moonshiners” have pushed small and large liquor makers alike into producing legal “moonshine” for stores. The newest brand is Climax Moonshine – made by Moonshiners’ star Tim Smith. His moonshine is distilled from corn, rye and barley malt, and comes in natural, grape and peach flavors.

    Smith isn’t the only one making legal moonshine though. Over the last few years, local and big name distillers alike have started to bring moonshine-like liquor to stores across the country. The explosion in popularity can be somewhat tied to the TV series, but others simply just like the idea of buying liquor that was illegal for so many years.

    Interestingly enough, Smith says that the illegal trade of Moonshine is still booming even after the introduction of legal variants. He even claims that it’s hard to keep up with demand. He might even have more trouble meeting demand now that he’s producing both legal and illegal moonshine.

    Still, Smith says that there’s something special about his moonshine that nobody can replicate. He says that big distilleries jumping on the moonshine wagon understand how to make the chemical composition that makes up moonshine, but they don’t really understand how to make it.

    It could simply be marketing talk as Smith readies to launch his own brand, but he may have a point. There’s a reason why you don’t buy non-Kentucky made bourbons. Distilleries outside of the state always miss that little extra something that makes Kentucky made bourbon so special. The same could go for moonshine – only those who have actually made a living off of illegal moonshine can really understand what goes into making it.

    If you want to see what goes behind making Moonshine, check out this video from the Discovery:

  • Shark Week 2013 Gets an Incredible, Brutal Ad

    R.I.P Snuffy the seal. You died a brutal, terrifying, amazing death for the sole purpose of getting all of us hyped about Shark Week.

    Discovery has unveiled an incredible new advertisement for Shark Week, the channel’s week-long celebration of all things shark. First broadcast way back in 1987, Shark Week is now shown in over 72 countries. Shark Week 2013 kicks of August 4th.

    Which leads me back to Snuffy the seal. Sorry, bro. That had to hurt.

  • Mermaids: The Body Found Documentary Still Fascinates

    Mermaids have captured our imaginations for years now. From eerie stories about wild creatures luring sailors to their deaths to lovely fantasy tales about long-haired beauties grooming themselves on rocks, people can’t seem to get enough. When Animal Planet aired a documentary last year about a mermaid body being found inside a great white shark, viewers went nuts. And now, the Discovery channel has aired another special which shows what mermaids would look like if they were real.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association issued a statement last year declaring mermaids fictional creatures, just to be on the safe side.

    “Mermaids – those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea – are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial. But are mermaids real? No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.”

    The synopsis for the newest doc reads:

    Once upon a time, there lived a little mermaid in an underwater kingdom. She ventured to surface, longing to communicate with people on land…

    This is a fairytale told and retold to children everywhere; it’s a beloved story about a legendary creature that’s described in the mythologies of nearly every human culture in history. People across all continents who’ve had no communications with other societies have described the same half-man, half-fish anomaly – they’ve spoken about the same mythic animal.

    What if there’s a kernel of truth that lives beneath the legend of the mythic mermaid? Now, in MERMAIDS: THE BODY FOUND, premiering Sunday, May 27, from 9-11 PM ET/PT, Animal Planet brings viewers into the world where the legend is real. The film blends real-life events and phenomena with the story of two scientists who testify they found the remains of a never-before-identified sea creature. Spectacular CGI animates a world where mermaids really do swim below the water’s surface, cooperatively hunt with dolphins and may continue to survive in an intricate society where they stay hidden in fear of their Earth-bound relatives.

    They may not be real, but you can pretend they are while watching CGI versions on the show. Check out Monster Week until tomorrow, May 28th.

  • Deadliest Catch Star Missing? Elliot Neese Absent in Season 9 Preview

    For the past two seasons, Elliot Neese has been captaining the Ramblin Rose as the youngest captain on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch. This season, however, Discovery has teased that Neese may have lost his job commanding the Rose.

    A first-look trailer for the ninth season of Deadliest Catch was released this week, and Neese’s absence seems to be a large part of the storyline. His fellow sailors are seen wondering why Neese is missing as they prepare to embark on the treacherous crab fishing season on the Bering Sea.

    Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern, doesn’t seem surprised that Neese hadn’t yet shown up, saying, “No owner’s gonna let a guy own a boat and not produce. You’re gonna lose your job.”

    However, as with all things reality TV, what is shown is not necessarily the truth. It seems that the season preview is simply a teaser meant to build tension before Neese’s return.

    According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Neese has gone a staggering $1 million into debt to own his own boat, named F/V Saga. Neese has even bragged about his return to the show via his Twitter account:

     
     

  • Discovery Channel Buys Revision3, Enters WebTV Fray

    Discovery Channel Buys Revision3, Enters WebTV Fray

    After a couple of days when rumors began to circulate that the Discovery Channel was in talks to purchase Revision3, an internet-only television network and distributor of original content, the two media companies apparently shook hands today and finalized the deal.

    According to AllThingsD, the official price tag on the purchase hasn’t been disclosed by Discovery but “sources familiar with the transaction” are saying it was in the ballpark of $30 million. All 50 employees of Revision3 will stay on as the plan appears to be that the online channel will continue to make its own web shows out of its studio in San Francisco. Given that Revision3 already has a built-in culture of online celebrities, Discovery said in a statement that Revision3’s “content aligns with many of Discovery’s top linear program genres, such as tech, cooking, and popular science.” It remains to be seen, however, if Discovery will retain Revision3’s non-video content, like podcasts.

    Revision3 CEO Jim Louderback said he thought joining the Discovery Channel family was a natural fit. “Revision3 has always focused on creating compelling programs featuring authentic hosts that sit at the center of engaged and targeted communities,” Louderback said. “We couldn’t imagine a more appropriate company to team up with to develop the future of original web-based video.”

    Last year, WPN’s Abby Johnson spoke with Louderback where he talked about the evolution of online video. Incidentally, he happened to mention how YouTube’s plan to introduce 100 original channels of content would raise the perceived value among advertisers. It so happens that YouTube made it’s official pitch to advertisers last night with a celebrity-loaded debut of it’s new marketing tool, Brandcast. Today’s deal with Discovery appears to have validated Louderback’s prediction, with cherries on top.

    Over on Revision3’s official Twitter account, the camp seemed pretty pleased with how things worked out.

    @Revision3
    Revision3    Thanks so much for the warm welcome, we couldn’t be more excited! RT @DiscoveryComm: Welcome to the family, @Revision3! http://t.co/tPJWMarf 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Louderback himself confirmed on his own account that, yes, Revision3’s not pulling up the stakes just yet.

    @jlouderb
    Jim Louderback    @giannii yeah, we’re not going anywhere.. San Francisco arm of Discovery Comm now.. 14 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    This is a peculiar twist of events because as of late it seemed like it was only big internet companies making moves into the television broadcasting territory, what with things like Google TV, YouTube’s BrandCast, and Apple TV. Discovery’s acquisition of Revision3 now shows that the cross-over can happen in the other direction, too, and serves as a decent indicator that original programming for the internet isn’t necessarily a harbinger of doom for cable television but, rather, proof that television as we know is it simply evolving.

  • The Discovery Channel Tests Jet Disasters With 727

    What happens when an airliner makes a crash-landing on solid ground, like, in a desert, for instance? Is it a survivable outcome? These are the kinds of questions the creative team from The Discovery Channel asked when they crashed a 727 in Mexican desert.

    As you can see in the lead video, the plane in question was piloted to the area where the crash took place, and then, after the pilot ejected out, the 727 remotely crashed into the desert while camera crews and trailing helicopter looked on. According to the Daily Mail, the results of the crash reveal that while incredibly destructive, experts believe some passengers could survive such a dramatic impact. Other details reveal:

    The experiment was designed for scientists to study the crash-worthiness of the aircraft’s airframe and cabin as well as the impact of crashes on the human body.

    To facilitate the study on the human body, crash test dummies were used during the controlled crash, which is still disconcerting, even if you are already aware of the conditions under which the staged disaster took place. Seeing a plane crash is always a dramatic moment, and the 727 in question is no different. For those who are wondering what happened to the crash site after the plane went down, fear not, the debris will be removed from the area when the experiment is complete:

    Following the crash, the aircraft will be salvaged and an extensive environmental clean-up operation is being carried out by a reputable agency with the full co-operation of the Mexican authorities.

    As you can tell from the video’s unfortunate presentation, this isn’t the footage Channel 4/Discovery will be using. In fact, the video was taken by an amateur not related to the experiment. Unfortunately, that designation did not save them from the usual YouTube ridicule a video receives whenever the production value falls below Spielberg’s standards. The lead comment reveals as much:

    And the worst camera holder of the year award goes to…

    paulthebob 5 hours ago

    Sounds like someone’s jealous they didn’t get to take this highly-coveted video …

  • Amelia Earhart: Titanic Discoverer On Board For New Search

    Amelia Earhart: Titanic Discoverer On Board For New Search

    After she disappeared without a trace with her navigator, Fred Noonan on July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart has captured the fascination of millions as the mystery of what happened to her–and her plane–remain shrouded in shadows. Several extensive searches on her behalf have revealed next to nothing, despite the invention of new technology in the past 75 years to support them.

    A new search mission could change all that.

    A group of historians and scientists from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery want to launch a new search for the wreckage of Earhart’s plane in the waters off the island Nikumaroro–what is now the Pacific nation of Kiribati–and they have the full support of Hillary Clinton and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The search will be advised by oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic wreckage.

    Previous search groups believed that Earhart crashed into the ocean, but the IGHAR believes she may have landed on a reef and actually survived there with Noonan for a short time. If this were true, the plane would have been washed off the reef by the tide, meaning it could be sitting in the deep waters nearby after all this time, just waiting to be discovered.

    In previous visits to the island, the group has recovered artifacts that could have belonged to Earhart and Noonan which suggest they might have lived for days or weeks. And after a new analysis of a photo from October of 1937, which the scientists believe show a strut and wheel from a Lockheed Electra–the same model of airplane that Earhart flew–sticking out of the water, they believe they’ve zeroed in on the correct location. Ballard said the photo has helped narrow the search area from thousands of miles to a more manageable size.

    “If you ever want a case of finding a needle in a haystack, this is at the top of the list,” he said.

    Ballard and his team are hoping their theories will at least shed a little more light on what happened during the last hours of Earhart and Noonan’s life. Certainly it will be heartbreaking to find out they survived the crash only to perish alone on an island. But the executive director of the group, Ric Gillespie, says he isn’t concerned with the final outcome as much as how they get there.

    “The most important thing is not whether we find the ultimate answer or what we find, it is the way we look,” he said. “We see this opportunity to explore … the last great American mystery of the 20th century as a vehicle for demonstrating how to go about figuring out what is true.”

    The search will begin during the last week of July and will be filmed for a documentary to air on the Discovery Channel.

    Secretary of State Clinton names Earhart as an inspiration to a nation which was struggling to pull itself out of the Great Depression and says she not only gave people hope, she “inspired them to dream bigger and bolder”. She gave the explorers these final words of wisdom:

    “Even if you do not find what you seek, there is great honor and possibility in the search itself,” she said. “So, like our lost heroine, you will all carry our hopes … We are excited and looking forward to hear about your own great adventure.”

    The public seems intrigued by the opportunity to begin a new search.

    (image)@vmcarnevale
    Valerie Carnevale    SO COOL. the search for amelia earhart’s plane being renewed this summer (i’m mildly obsessed with amelia earhart) http://t.co/3gqzl3Xv(image) 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@mdsteele47
    Mike Steele    Anyone else intrigued by the possibility of finding Earhart’s remains? http://t.co/66Hxi6wg(image) 5 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@RevSherfdog
    Josh Sherfey    This would be so cool if true! Investigators say they’ve found key clue to fate of Amelia Earhart http://t.co/3vA4J10U via @cnn(image) 7 minutes ago via Tweet Button ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Amazon, Discovery Communications Partner For Video Deal

    Amazon, Discovery Communications Partner For Video Deal

    Some of your favorite Discovery Channel and TLC shows are on their way to Amazon, as the online retailer has inked a deal with Discovery Communications to bring episodes from dozens of shows streaming to Amazon Prime members.

    “Discovery Communications is committed to delighting audiences on all platforms supported by the right business model, and we are pleased to work with Amazon to help satisfy our existing viewers’ curiosity and introduce new audiences to our engaging content,” said Rebecca Glashow, Senior Vice President, Digital Distribution and Partnerships, Discovery Communications. “This library offering will be a wonderful complement to our current array of multi-channel video services and most importantly, a win for viewers.”

    Here’s what you’re going to get from this deal: Prior episodes from shows on the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, and the Science & Military Channel. This includes hits like Dirty Jobs and Say Yes to the Dress.

    Amazon says that all of this new content is ready to go for Prime subscribers.

    The new content joins Amazon’s collection of now 17,000 streaming videos available in the Prime Instant Video service. Prime member have access to these videos as well as about 120,000 other videos at no additional cost (Amazon Prime costs $79 a year).

    This deal looks a lot like one that Discovery Communications made with Netflix back in September of 2011. Just like the Amazon agreement, Discovery Communications gave up only past seasons of shows from the whole swath of their networks.

  • The Mythbusters on Steve Jobs: “iGenius” Documentary to Air October 16th

    The men with some of the best jobs in the world, the Mythbusters guys, will host an hour-long documentary on the life of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Discovery Channel has announced that Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman will helm iGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed the World.

    The special will air on Sunday, October 16th at 8 pm Eastern on The Discovery Channel, and across the world over the Discovery network in over 210 countries.

    The documentary will feature interviews with a wide variety of people who were impacted by the life of Steve Jobs, including: former Apple employees and execs, scientists, musicians such as Stevie Wonder, and other notables like Tom Brokaw.

    One half of the Mythbusters, Adam Savage, hinted on Twitter that the project might have been in the works for a little while –

    @donttrythis
    Adam Savage    I’ve been sitting on this news but now I can tell you: http://t.co/FlBCt02q 14 hours ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    “Someone once said that to follow the path that others have laid before you is a very reasonable course of action, therefore all progress is made by unreasonable men,” says Savage.

    “Steve Jobs was an unreasonable man. He didn’t simply give the public what they wanted, he defined entirely new ways of thinking about our lives in the digital space: productivity, creativity, music, communication, media and art. He has touched, directly and indirectly, all of our lives.”

    If you aren’t familiar with Savage and Hyneman, here they are turning a water heater into a rocket –

    [Image Courtesy Mythbusters official site]

  • Netflix Grabs Discovery Channel Content For Streaming

    Finally, there’s some (decently) good news for Netflix. They have announced that an agreement has been reached with Discovery Communications to “renew and expand” their streaming content contract.

    This means that Netflix streaming customers will have access to past seasons of shows from the Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. Note – “past” seasons, not the most recent seasons. The release mentions that the highlights from this agreement are popular shows like Man vs. Wild, Say Yes to the Dress and River Monsters.

    Unfortunately for Netflix, this new deal is unlikely to completely reassure customers who have been rattled by the series of changes that Netflix has already enacted or announced. It is a significant content acquisition for Netflix, however. Until now, Discovery shows like Man vs. Wild, Deadliest Catch and Dirty Jobs weren’t available at all to watch instantly. This is a pretty nice catalog of TV to add to the watch now collection.

    The agreement will also add content from the Investigation Discovery, Science and Military Channel.

    “Netflix is pleased to announce the renewal and expansion of our relationship with Discovery,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “With television shows playing an ever more important role for Netflix, Discovery is one our finest suppliers of top quality programming. We look forward to bringing our members the wide range of the additional episodes and series covered in this deal.”

    As far as content for their streaming service, the last big announcement that Netflix made was that they were losing all of their Starz programming. Unable to negotiate a new deal, Starz Play will vanish from Netflix streaming in February 2012. This is huge loss for Netflix, as Starz provides a lot of the new release content as well as films and shows from Walt Disney and Sony.

    This new content won’t make up for that, but it definitely shows that Reed Hastings wasn’t lying when he said that the money saved from the Starz agreement would be put to good use finding more content.

    The somewhat bad side of this for Netflix is that the agreement is only a “two-year non-exclusive licensing agreement,” which definitely shows Discovery’s hesitancy.

    From the Wall Street Journal –

    “We don’t know” yet what will happen as a result of the Netflix deal, Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav said, although he acknowledged that the deal includes “meaningful economics” for the owner of the Discovery Channel, TLC and Science.

    Of course, the tumult at Netflix regarding the recent split of the streaming and DVD services in two companies (the Qwikster thing) has many people worried about the future of Netflix.

    Moving forward, will other content providers be hesitant when it comes to agreements with Netflix? That’s yet to be determined, but for today, chalk this one up as a win for Netflix – albeit a decidedly minor win.