Discovery Brings More Than 800 New Hours of Nonfiction Entertainment to MIPTV 2009

March 27, 2009

(Cannes) Discovery Communications, the world's number one nonfiction media company, today announced that it is adding more than 800 hours of new releases to its MIPTV program sales catalogue, which is managed by Discovery Enterprises International, the company's program sales and licensing arm. New titles include Jockeys, Dark Days in Monkey City, JFK: Inside the Target Car and Megalab Antarctica.

"As the industry's leading producer of factual content, Discovery distributes the world's number one library of nonfiction programming, delivering unmatched breadth and depth across multiple genres," said Caleb Weinstein, Senior Vice President, Discovery Enterprises International. "With over 800 news hours of new original content at MIPTV, we are committed to bringing international broadcasters the strongest new titles from Discovery's US networks in order to meet their unique genre needs." 

Encompassing more than 18,000 hours of the highest quality original content from the company's portfolio of U.S. networks, led by flagship channel Discovery Channel and including TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and Planet Green, Discovery's program sales catalogue is one of the most extensive in the industry, covering an unmatched range of nonfiction genres including factual entertainment, animals and nature, science and engineering, crime and investigation, lifestyle, health and world affairs.

New titles that will be available for sales opportunities at MIPTV include the following:

Factual Entertainment

  • Jockeys (12x30) is an exciting new series that chronicles the lives and careers of seven 112-pound jockeys and their 1,200-pound horses. Cameras take viewers on and off the track - from their homes to the jock's room where we see how these athletes physically and emotionally prepare for each race. See who crosses the finish line first in the quest to win a share of more than 35 million dollars in purse money at the prestigious Oak Tree Meet.  
  • Dark Days in Monkey City (14x30) is a new series that takes viewers to the deserted city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka, where large populations of gray langurs and toque macaques live on the streets. Revealing intense tales of love, treachery, betrayal and triumph, their stories are all part of the Smithsonian Primate Project, the longest-running study of primates in the world.

Animals & Nature

  • Almost Human with Jane Goodall (1x60; Animals & Nature) highlights nearly a quarter of a century the chimps of Gombe National Park that have been studied by Jane Goodall and filmed by cameraman Bill Wallauer. Seeing the chimps through their eyes, we begin to understand just how similar humans really are to these great apes. Almost Human is an emotional journey to a better understanding of these amazing animals and of ourselves.
  • Weird, True & Freaky (26x30; Animals & Nature) uncovers rare and bizarre scenarios in a fast-paced rundown of the strangest, craziest, real-life stories. Each episode tackles a tantalizing topic and tallies amazing animal antics that became front-page news stories.

 Science & Engineering

  • Megalab Antarctica (1x60; Science & Engineering) follows research from exciting and important scientific developments in one of the most hostile conditions on Earth - Antarctica. Covered by an ice sheet that is kilometers thick, Antarctica is a diverse continent with mountains, volcanoes, deserts and some of the oldest surface rocks on the planet. See how scientists from Antarctica-based labs study animals, the environment and geology.
  • Build it Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg (4x60; Science & Engineering) is hosted by young architect Danny Forster, and shows viewers the science that goes into engineering green buildings. It focuses on the many elements that go into building a "sustainable" or "green" structure, and demonstrates how it's being done - from controlling the amount of waste material at a building site to reducing a project's reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

Crime & Investigation

  • Undercover: Double Life (13x60; Crime & Investigation) explores a criminal netherworld through the unique experiences of the law enforcement agents who crossed over and returned from the brink, transformed by their experiences, for better or worse. 
  • The Shift (8x60; Crime & Investigation) follows Christine Mannina, a star homicide detective with the Indianapolis Police Department with a 100% solved rate and her fellow officers in one of the most crime-ridden cities in the U.S. The series takes a 360-degree look at their lives - jobs, families, personal struggles and the bonds they have with one another as they put their lives on the line each day.

Lifestyle

  • Get Your Face On (10x60; Lifestyle) with Napoleon Perdis, top Australian makeup artist, is a reality competition series where 12 aspiring makeup artists compete to be Napoleon's protégé as he launches his products in America. In each episode, the students must compete in a pop quiz as well as a test, which often takes them into real-life situations such as a wedding and a fashion photo shoot. In the end, one talented artist will work side by side with Australia's preeminent makeup artist. 
  • Mother Knows Sex (1x60; Lifestyle) follows Patty Brisben, a typical Midwestern housewife, devoted churchgoer and mother of four, and entrepreneur. Mother Knows Sex chronicles the touching, often hilarious, struggles Patty and her family face running as she manages Pure Romance, a company that sells sex toys through Tupperware party-like gatherings across America.

World Affairs

  • JFK: Inside the Target Car (1x120; World Affairs) analyzes theories that still linger about additional locations and accomplices decades after the Warren Commission determined that three shots were fired from the Texas School Book Depository building. To find the answers once and for all, a team of experts will perform an array of ballistic tests, trajectory analysis and the latest in forensic artificial body creation. 
  • Fuga De Las FARC (1x60; World Affairs) delves into the amazing story of John Frank Pinchao, a man who shouldn't be alive, literally. As a police officer in his native town of Mitú in Colombia in 1998, he survived a three-day attack by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). This documentary narrates how a malnourished, severely dehydrated man escaped a FARC encampment and survived 17 days in the virgin jungles of Colombia (Spanish language only).

Health

  • Deliver Me - Season 2 (10x60; Health) follows physicians Alane Park, Yvonne Bohn and Allison Hill as they juggle the pressing demands of careers in medicine while raising young children. These former school friends, now partners in a busy ob-gyn practice, share both their personal and professional lives in Deliver Me.
  • Could You Survive? (4x60; Health) follows everyday people as they are put to the test to see if they are fit enough to survive emergency situations - everything from escaping a flash flood to surviving a blizzard. Guided by health and fitness expert Dr. Pamela Peeke and a team of trainers, this four-part series uses rigorous physical challenges and a tough-love approach to prove that your fitness level can mean the difference between life and death.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 170 countries.  Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Science and Discovery HD, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Enterprises International serves as the streamlined access point for all of Discovery Communications' content franchises and brands, licensing properties in multiple markets including the UK, Japan, France, Germany, China, India and Russia. For more information, please visit www.discoveryenterprisesinternational.com. Discovery Networks International distributes 19 international brands, reaching 893 million cumulative subscribers with programming available in 35 languages. For more information please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.