Discovery Channel Documentaries
Season 2014
TV-G
Documentaries that have been produced by the Discovery Channel.
Where to Watch Season 2014
25 Episodes
- Billy Bob's Gags To RichesE1
Billy Bob's Gags To RichesJonah is always on the lookout for the next big, million dollar idea, but he doesn't do it alone - he utilizes his ‘Redneck Think Tank' to test, develop and come up with new products. From cowboy sandals, redneck pumpkin teeth and a gun toilet plunger, Jonah is constantly taking pitches from hopeful inventors who are trying to cash in on their own crazy ideas but the negotiations can get pretty intense and in the end, Jonah could make some lucky inventors rich, or send them back to the drawing board. - The Ape Who Went To CollegeE2
The Ape Who Went To CollegeThe Ape Who Went To College documents the amazing relationship between an orangutan called Chantek and his 'cross species foster mother' Dr Lyn Miles. Miles first met Chantek when he was months old when she started the experiment at the University of Tenessee. Over the course of ten years, Miles taught Chantek how to speak through the use of sign language and treated him like her own child; at ten years old Chantek had the cognitive level of a five year old and linguistic ability of a two year old, and by the time he was old enough to receive an allowance, even regularly visited his local McDonalds where he would spend his money on cheeseburgers! But despite the success of the experiment Chantek's erratic behaviour was starting to cause difficulties within the University campus where he lived and consequently Lyn lost control of her beloved Chantek, and he was moved and isolated from humans. Lyn spent two years desperately fighting for his freedom. This heart-warming, and at times heart-breaking, documentary looks at how the successful experiment changed science, and also exposes the bond between a human and an orangutan that allowed communication as never seen before. - Captain Philips-Somali Pirates Inside StoryE5
Captain Philips-Somali Pirates Inside StoryTold through eyewitness accounts, exclusive Navy footage and hijacked with extra facts, this is the story of Captain Phillips and crew aboard the Maersk Alabama and their dramatic rescue after being taken hostage by Somalian Pirates. (Source: Discovery Channel) - Flight 370: The Missing LinksE6
Flight 370: The Missing LinksIn an age when we can use apps to locate handheld devices, the special also looks at how a state-of-the-art airliner and its 239 passengers and crew can simply vanish. Since flight MH370 went off the grid on 8March 2014, questions about flight safety have once again taken centre stage. In an attempt to answer some of these questions, FLIGHT 370: THE MISSING LINKS addresses seven missing links: airport security, air traffic control, on-board communication systems, mechanical failure, tracking (both radar and satellite), international cooperation, and the black box. - Everest Avalanche TragedyE7
Everest Avalanche TragedyOriginally announced as a series following Joby Ogwyn's preparation as he trains to become the first person to jump from the peak of Mount Everest. The series would have culminated in attempting the stunt live on air. However due to the death of 12 Sherpa guides on April the 18th, the stunt was cancelled and instead NBC News will use the footage shot to present a special documentary highlighting the events leading up to the tragedy. - Surviving the Kill ZoneE9
Surviving the Kill ZoneSurviving the Kill Zone transports viewers to Africa during the final days of the longest dry season in living memory. More than 65 high-tech, remote-control cameras and expert visual teams film the wild animals of Zambia's Luangwa Valley. Thirst has trapped the hungry animals close to the Luangwa River - the last substantial source of water and food for hundreds of miles - and its banks and surrounding land are transformed into killing fields. The valley has become a temporary home to an extraordinary assortment of herbivores and predators, including lions, leopards, wild dogs, elephants, Nile crocodiles and hippos. Surviving the Kill Zone gives viewers unprecedented access to the both the harrowing and uplifting sides of the circle of life as these species collide in a daily battle for existence - Russian Yeti: The Killer LivesE10
Russian Yeti: The Killer LivesOn February 2, 1959, nine college students hiked up the icy slopes of the Ural Mountains in the heart of Russia but never made it out alive. Investigators have never been able to give a definitive answer behind who - or what - caused the bizarre crime scene. Fifty-five years later, American explorer Mike Libecki reinvestigates the mystery - known as The Dyatlov Pass incident - but what he uncovers is truly horrifying. Follow Mike as he traces the clues and gathers compelling evidence that suggests the students' deaths could be the work of a creature thought only to exist in folklore. - Drug Kingpin HipposE11
Drug Kingpin HipposDuring his stronghold on Columbia, Pablo Escobar, one of the richest and most violent drug lords in history, imported a host of rare and exotic animals for his private zoo on his famous estate, Hacienda Napoles, including four hippos. Over three decades later, this one-off special reveals another side to the cocaine trafficker, and explores the lasting threat that he and his hippos, now multiplied to over 30, pose for the country. Columbian authorities are battling to contain the hippos which now form the largest population of non-native hippos outside of Africa. If they keep reproducing at the alarming rate they are, experts believe there will be at least one hundred hippos in Columbia by the end of the decade. Thankfully there hasn't been a human tragedy but with reports of a hippo escaping the Hacienda Napoles, now a theme park and zoo, and running wild in the Magdalena river basin, that could be only a matter of time. Drug Kingpin Hippos joins a team of veterinarians as they race to capture, castrate, and relocate the male bull hippo before it reaches the huge expanse of the river, with major cities either side. The film also features rare archival footage and exclusive interviews, including one with Roberto Escobar, Pablo's eldest brother and best friend, providing viewers with a history of Escobar's rise to prominence, his demise as the world's preeminent narco-terrorist, and the continued hold he still has on the country, in the shape of hippos. - 9/11 Rescue Cops
E129/11 Rescue CopsOn the thirteenth anniversary of September 11th, Discovery tells the story of the heroism and sacrifice of the NYPD's elite Emergency Service Unit (ESU) and the E-Men heroes who were tasked with rescuing as many people as possible - by any means possible. Featuring previously unseen archive material and moving first-hand testimony, the truly inspirational story of the 9/11 rescue cops will be told on national television for the first time. New York City's elite ESU is a unique institution in law enforcement made up of around 300 highly specialized officers trained in search and rescue, building collapse and heavy weapons and hazardous materials containment. Of the 31 E-Men who rushed into the World Trade Center on that fateful day, only 17 survived. The 14 E-Men who perished were among 60 law-enforcement personnel who died on 9/11, the worst single day in US police history. Despite their devastating losses, the brotherhood of New York's E-Men has emerged stronger than ever and they are finally ready to tell their story. - Diving with Dinosaur Fish
E13Diving with Dinosaur FishThe hunt for a mythic animal once thought to have been extinct for 65 million years: the coelacanth. It can be found 120 metres beneath the ocean off the wild coast of South Africa. French scientists and South African scientists teamed up with experienced Trimix divers, including Peter Timm, who discovered the coelacanths in Sodwana Bay in 2000 and award-winning underwater photographer Mr Laurent Ballesta and his advanced technical dive team to bring you this eye-opening documentary. - The Real Apes of the Planet
E14The Real Apes of the PlanetThis Documentary explores the surprising and mind-blowing similarities that humans share with our fascinating primate cousins. Passing on family traditions and grooming practices as well as ingenious survival tactics and the primates' ability to solve complex problems and form communities with a hierarchy system, the special highlights devoted parenting to fun-loving kids. Viewers also witness how, akin to humans, apes may demonstrate deceitful behavior to get what they want, overindulge in life's pleasures and not always get along. With their highly intelligent minds, chimpanzees in Uganda demonstrate their problem- solving skills and tool use when posed with a honey challenge. The long-tailed macaques in Thailand find a clever way to floss after a meal, and an orangutan in Borneo maintains her personal hygiene with a little soap and water. In Iowa, a male bonobo named Kanzi picks his own food for a picnic; he uses lexigram and toasts marshmallows in a fire he makes himself while the white-faced capuchins in the rain forest of Costa Rica uncover the secret that the sap of the Guyabano tree acts as a mosquito repellent if rubbed on their fur. The Real Apes of the Planet uncovers how these animals are individuals with their own personalities and why brainpower is essential to primate survival. - The Science of Interstellar
E15The Science of InterstellarKip Thorne, the physicist who assisted Nolan on the scientific aspects of the film Interstellar, shows us that the movie’s jaw-dropping events and stunning, never-before-attempted visuals are grounded in real science. Thorne shares his experiences working as the science adviser on the film and then moves on to the science itself. In chapters on wormholes, black holes, interstellar travel, and much more, Thorne’s scientific insights—many of them triggered during the actual scripting and shooting of Interstellar—describe the physical laws that govern our universe and the truly astounding phenomena that those laws make possible. - Stem Cell Universe with Stephen Hawking
E18Stem Cell Universe with Stephen HawkingThe use of embryonic stem cells has ignited fierce debate across the spiritual and political spectrum. But what if we could create manmade stem cells - or find super cells in adults that could forever replace embryonic cells and remove the controversy? Today, we are on the brink of a new era - an age where we may be able to cure our bodies of any illness. Stephen Hawking has spent his life exploring the mysteries of the cosmos, now there is another universe that fascinates him - the one hidden inside our bodies - our own personal galaxies of cells. Hawking takes us on a fascinating journey exploring what these wondrous and baffling mechanisms are capable of. He is joined by the scientists who are on the front lines of discovery in this field including Dr. Doris Taylor who is customizing a donor's heart with the recipient's stem cells - her goal is to revolutionize heart transplants, Dr. Paul Lu and Dr. Mark Tuszynski may have created a breakthrough that could cure paralysis, and Dr. Vincent Giampapa who believes that stem cells can be used to stem the tide of aging and create a fountain of youth. - Red Planet RoverE20
Red Planet RoverA behind-the-scenes documentary of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission. From the Curiosity rover’s famous "7 minutes of terror" before landing in 2012 to this week’s stunning discovery of organics on the Martian surface, we will be treated to exclusive footage of the NASA team that made it happen and fresh details of what this week’s findings means for the search for extraterrestrial life throughout our solar system. - 2014: The Year in Sci-TechE21
2014: The Year in Sci-Tech2014: The Year in Sci-Tech In this year-end special, Science Channel reviews the biggest science and technology stories from 2014 Space technology this year reached some important goals, culminating with the spectacular landing of a space probe on a comet, millions of kilometers from Earth. But there were some setbacks, too. 2014: The Year in Sci-Tech shows some of the highlights and lowlights. - Ebola: Inside the Deadly OutbreakE22
Ebola: Inside the Deadly OutbreakEbola: Inside the Deadly Outbreak As the worst Ebola virus outbreak in our history continues to spread and leave an unprecedented body count in its path, fear strikes around the globe. With inside access to families devastated by the death of their loved ones and the healthcare workers struggling to contain the widespread epidemic, risking their own lives in the process, Discovery Fit & Health and ABC News partner to bring viewers the one-hour premiere special Ebola: Inside the Deadly Outbreak. In a comprehensive look into the history, containment, and medical implications of this highly infectious disease, ABC News' chief medical editor and former acting director of the CDC, Dr. Richard Besser, leads viewers throughout the hour. Dr. Besser risks his life by traveling to the heart of the hot zone in Monrovia, Liberia, to share the heart wrenching journeys of patients and caretakers and reveals the moment that left him scared for his life. - Which Universe Are We In?E23
Which Universe Are We In?Which Universe Are We In? The most dangerous idea in science might turn out to be true: we live in a multiverse of truly infinite proportions. The universe we live in may not be the only one out there. In fact, our universe could be just one of an infinite number of universes making up a "multiverse The first 'hard evidence' that other universes exist has been found by scientists. Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft have concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes. The map shows radiation from the Big Bang 13.8billion years ago that is still detectable in the universe - known as cosmic microwave radiation. Scientists had predicted that it should be evenly distributed, but the map shows a stronger concentration in the south half of the sky and a 'cold spot' that cannot be explained by current understanding of physics. Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Richard Holman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that anomalies in radiation existed and were caused by the pull from other universes in 2005. - Santa Sent Me to the ERE24
Santa Sent Me to the ERIt’s “Ho, ho, oh no!” as, ‘Santa Sent Me To The ER’, unwraps the mortifyingly hilarious details of what really happens when Christmas cheer leads to “oh dear.” Each year, millions of Americans dream of celebrating the perfect holiday. Now, real people confess how their holiday dreams turned into yuletide nightmares. When their high expectations turn into spectacular disasters it’s up to trained medical professionals to pick up the pieces. We’re there as they sort out the details and patch up the damage, all the while keeping up just enough Christmas spirit to hopefully save the day for our red-faced revellers. - Spies in the SkyE25
Spies in the SkyFor the first time in history we go inside the closely guarded National Reconnaissance Office, a secret intelligence agency, to meet the men and women behind America's spy satellite programme. ‘Spies in the Sky' explores this place that only a few people know exists. For over 50 years the NRO has been the United States' eyes and ears in space. The show takes you inside the National Reconnaissance office itself, speaking with the men and woman working there. Take a look inside this mysterious and previously unknown compound and the incredibly complex spy satellite systems, while exploring the development of high-tech surveillance through history.
