Whale Wars (2008)

In 2007, Paul Watson persuaded the Discovery Channel to make a reality show documentary about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's campaign against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary off the coast of Antarctica. The Japanese claim that their whaling is legally accepted research, which Sea Shepherd and others contend is a cover for banned commercial whaling. Sea Shepherd has been both criticized and praised for tactics of direct action sabotage which include throwing stink bombs of butyric acid as well as ramming, boarding, and otherwise attempting to disable the Japanese vessels.

The program premiered on November 7, 2008, on the Animal Planet cable channel and follows events on the vessel Steve Irwin as the group attempts to deter the hunting of Minke and Fin whales in the Southern Ocean. The show came at a time when Animal Planet was being rebranded to attract broader audiences and compete with non-animal-centric programming.

Deadliest Catch: Crab Fishing in Alaska

aka: Deadliest Catch

A documentary series chronicling the real-life high-sea adventures of the Alaskan crab fishermen. This is the most deadly profession in the world.

It's the world's deadliest job-where a man could die every week-the most macho of manly occupations: the Alaskan crab fisherman. Deadliest Catch features the wild and treacherous life of the crab fisherman.

This dramatic series will document the end of an era-what veteran crab fishermen are calling "The Last Rodeo." Because many believe this race against the clock contributes to the high injury and mortality rate, the frenzied world of crab fishing, as they have always known it will soon change forever. After this year, Alaskan authorities will eliminate the traditional time element from crab fishing. A simple, slowed-down seasonal quota system will go into effect and the ticking clock of crab fishing will be silenced.

Nominated for 7 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Deadliest Catch spin-off; "After The Catch":

Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

Penn and Teller not only investigate how frauds, cons, charlatans and even officials in government operate, but they offer it with an easy to understand step by step discovery.

MythBusters

Who are the MythBusters? Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are the hosts and the MythBusters.
Joining them are Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara and the very lovely Kari Byron. What do they do? The show takes myths like Can you put a jawbreaker into the microwave? and has to state whether the myth in their opinions Busted (the myth is wrong), Confirmed (the myth is right), or Plausible (it could possibly happen)

Each episode takes a different look at myths from ages ago or ones that they have just heard about. The show also gets a lot of myths from its website were fans go on to submit myths to the show.

Dirty Jobs (2005)

Host Mike Rowe takes a look at different dirty jobs with a hands on approach. The show tackles everything from pigeon feces removal to household clean up after a sewer back up.

Survivorman (2004)

No food, no shelter, no fresh water - one man alone in the wild for seven days with only his wits and stamina to sustain him.

Man vs. Wild (2007)

aka: Man vs Wild

Bear Grylls is a seasoned adventurer who served with the Special Air Service, a special forces unit of the British army, where he was trained as a survival expert. His experiences include climbing Mount Everest, crossing the freezing North Atlantic Ocean in a small, open boat and climbing a Himalayan peak described by Sir Edmund Hillary as 'unclimbable'. He has been places and done things that would defeat most normal people. But now, he is up against something completely different.

In each episode of Man vs. Wild Bear strands himself in popular wilderness destinations where tourists often find themselves lost or in danger. As he finds his way back to civilization, he demonstrates local survival techniques, including escaping quicksand in the Moab Desert, navigating dangerous jungle rivers in Costa Rica, crossing ravines in the Alps and surviving sharks off Hawaii.

Cosmos (1980)

Astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan is host and narrator of this 13-hour series that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States. Dr. Sagan describes the universe in a way that appeals to a mass audience, by using Earth as a reference point, by speaking in terms intelligible to non-scientific people, by relating the exploration of space to that of the Earth by pioneers of old, and by citing such Earth legends as the Library of Alexandria as metaphors for space-related future events. Among Dr. Sagan's favorite topics are the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and a warning about a similar effect taking place on Earth due to global pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light, the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing, and the search, using radio technology, for intelligent life in deep space.

Unsolved Mysteries (1987)

Reality based TV series that combines dramatic re-enactments with interviews to tell stories of REAL mysteries.

American Chopper (2002)

aka: American Chopper: The Series

Documentary series about the goings-on behind the scenes at Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle fabrication company located in Rock Tavern, New York. The series is also a study of the interplay between the Teutels, Paul Sr. and Jr., and the stress that both experience when creating motorcycles as works of art.

30 Days

30 Days documentary series starring the man who made the movie Supersize Me.

BBC: Planet Earth (2006)

This is a beautifully shot 11 part series looking at the world in all it's natural wonder, showcasing a breathtaking diversity of life from the poles to the deserts. Narrated by David Attenborough, who is also known for his narration of the equally good "Blue Planet" series.

Episode List:

1.From Pole to Pole
2. Mountains
3. Fresh Water
4. Caves
5. Deserts
6. Ice Worlds
7. Great Plains
8. Jungles
9. Shallow Seas
10. Seasonal Forests
11. Ocean Deep

-{BBC version}-

AX Men

AX MEN on History!
The first ever non-fiction series about the treacherous life of Pacific Northwest timber cutters, AX MEN every Sunday at 10pm ET/PTbeginning March 9th on History.

From History and Original Productions, the same team responsible for the mega hit, Ice Road Truckers, this series looks at the legacy that the pioneers of our country laid for the present and future generations of loggers. Over the course of thirteen episodes, Ax Men follows four logging crews through a season in the remote forests of northwest Oregon.

Plagued by mechanical failures, relentless weather-including a hurricane that ripped through the area- and violent and unpredictable terrain, these brave men risk their lives retrieving the very timber we depend upon to build our country. Snapped cables, runaway logs and treacherous machinery are among the many dangers that threaten the lives and safety everyday. Anything and everything can go wrong on these sites and the price of even the simplest mistake can mean death.

Supernatural Science (2001)

Supernatural Science uses a panoply of tools of modern science to illuminate the boundaries of human experience and belief. Dramatic reconstruction is combined with expert interviews and personal testimony to explore phenomena which defy rational explanation.

Walking with Dinosaurs (1999)

Using the latest technology the amazing lost world of the Cretaceous, Triassic and Jurassic periods of Earth's history, when the dinosaurs reigned supreme, is brought stunningly back to life. The series provides insights into how these mammoth creatures appeared, how they survived for millions of years and probes the mysteries of their sudden disappearance leaving only a fossil record to show they had ever existed!

Battles BC (2009)

Their feats are legendary. Serving as a blueprint for warfare thousands of years later, the strategic military prowess of ancient warriors are still analyzed today. The new HISTORY™ series, BATTLES BC, uses a stunning graphic style comparable to 300, the hit feature film, to show leaders from the ancient world in some of the greatest conflicts in history. The eight episode series premieres Monday, March 9th at 9pm ET/PT on HISTORY.

These are the tales of historic battles and bloodshed. Now, with cutting edge animation techniques, and the expertise of military historians—BATTLES BC explores the strategies, tactics and weapons used by ancient commanders such as Hannibal, David, Caesar and Alexander. The truths and myths behind these heroes and villains are brought to life, in dramatic and epic proportions.

BATTLES BC provides fresh insight into the icons and events that helped shape the course of ancient history.

National Geographic: Naked Science (2004)

There are a reported 3 535 comets as of June 2008, of which several hundred are short-period. This number is steadily increasing. However, this represents only a tiny fraction of the total potential comet population: the reservoir of comet-like bodies in the outer solar system may number one trillion.

The number of naked-eye comets averages to roughly one per year, though many of these are faint and unspectacular. When a historically bright or notable naked-eye comet is witnessed by many people, it is often considered a Great comet.


Scientists are only now starting to unravel the secrets of comets. Often referred to as dirty snowballs, they contain ice and elements from the very start of the universe. Some theorize that a comet, crashing into our planet, brought with it the organic material that started life on Earth.

Spacecraft continues to offer new information on their makeup, from bringing back samples from a comet's tail to direct contact when a NASA-launched craft slammed into the comet Tempel-1.

45mins

Ice Road Truckers (2007)

The story behind the most dangerous trucking routes in the world: hauling freight across the frozen lakes of Canada's Northwest Territories during the arctic winter

Life BBC (2009)

David Attenborough's legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth in 10 episodes...

Life In The Undergrowth (2005)

David Attenborough's ground-breaking exploration of a group of organisms that are vast in number, yet often too small to be noticed: the invertebrates.

How The Universe Works (2010)

A users guide to the cosmos from the big bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons. Where did it all come from and how does it all fit together. A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.

Good Eats (1999)

Pop culture, comedy, and plain good eating: host Alton Brown explores the origins of ingredients, decodes culinary customs and presents food and equipment trends...

MythBusters (2003)

A weekly documentary in which two Hollywood special effects experts attempt to debunk urban legends by directly testing them.

Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (2012)

Ghostly Encounters (2005)