Discovery Channel marks 20 years in Asia with ‘Firsts’

MANILA, Philippines – The month of May marks Discovery Channel’s 20^th year of being in Asia and what better way to celebrate this monumental milestone and thank our fans for joining us on this awe-inspiring journey of endless curiosity, learning and exploration than through DISCOVERY CHANNEL FIRSTS, a five-day special that looks back at the first episodes of the channel’s most iconic and loved series.

Relive your fondest memories of your very first Discovery Channel experience and most mind-bending moments to date, through a power-packed smorgasbord of absolute fan favourites that include MAN VS. WILD, MYTHBUSTERS, RIVER MONSTERS, DIRTY JOBS, GOLD RUSH, DUAL SURVIVAL and AMERICAN CHOPPER, amongst others. DISCOVERY CHANNEL FIRSTS airs daily from Monday, May 19 to Friday, May 23 from 8:00 p.m. (2000 hrs) to 10:00 p.m. (2200 hrs) SIN/HK. Encores on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 from 1:00 p.m. (1300 hrs) to 6:00 p.m. (1800 hrs).

DISCOVERY CHANNEL FIRSTS is a commemorative throwback and teleports all the way through to today for a nostalgic retrospection of #20YearsOfDiscovery. Reminisce the time when you were at the edge of your seat during your first plunge into the extreme world of survival with adventurer and survival guru Bear Grylls in MAN VS. WILD.

How about the very first “eureka!” moment when the curious team from the Emmy^®-nominated MYTHBUSTERS set your scientific sparks ablaze and your inner Einstein loose? And that first time when world renowned extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade got us hooked on some of the most spine-chilling and harrowing freshwater fish tales of bloodthirsty giant killers – with a taste for human flesh – in RIVER MONSTERS?

Gathering sperm from stallions? Worm dung farmer? Zoo poop pickers? Throwback Thursday with the international man of grime, Mike Rowe, who willingly got down and filthy in the Emmy^®-nominated DIRTY JOBS, taking on some of the most seemingly unpleasant or unthinkable jobs and spotlighting the unsung men and women who overcome fear, danger and sometimes stench and ickiness to get the work done for the benefit of society. Then, do a Flashback Friday with GOLD RUSH whose Midas touch hit pay dirt, kick-starting an ever-growing fascination and fever for gold across Asia.

Historic world-changing events, scientific breakthroughs, revolutionary innovations and technologies that could change the world, breathtaking natural history, real individuals with true stories and emotions; DISCOVERY CHANNEL FIRSTS is a toast to our viewers – the insatiably curios people who have spurred this continuous quest to understand and question the big things and the little ones, turning wow to how for 20 years running.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL FIRSTS: Episode Guide

Wednesday, May 21

MYTHBUSTERS (premiered in 2004)
This Emmy^®-nominated series aims to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends by mixing scientific methods with gleeful curiosity and plain old-fashioned ingenuity to create a signature style of experimentation. Called “the best science show on television”, MYTHBUSTERS is hosted by science-crazy Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage along with co-hosts Tory Belleci, Kari Byron and Grant Imahara. In the series premiere, the team tries to prove if a ’67 Chevy can turn into a 350-mile per hour (over 563 kilometres) road warrior and if the Pop Rocks candy and soda myth is in fact a recipe for disaster.

FUTURE WEAPONS (premiered in 2007)

Ex-Navy SEAL Richard Machowicz goes in search of the latest, cleverest and most terrifying technology. These are weapons that, almost unaided by human hand, actually seek out and destroy their targets by themselves. In the deserts of Arizona, he witnesses Excalibur – a smart 155 cannon fired projectile that can correct its own trajectory in flight.  It can hit its target from 25 miles away, to within 5 yards! Thor is a new missile system that beats the 10 second attack window – when an attack helicopter prepares to strike a ground target it can take it out within seconds. The stakes are raised when Richard goes on a midnight exercise with the Apache Longbow that can take out targets that are way out of sight.

Thursday, May 22

DIRTY JOBS (premiered in 2007)

Mike Rowe has had more jobs than most. The fearless Mike gets his hands deep in grime and some other not-so-nice substances taking on some of the most unthinkable vocations, shining the spotlight on the dedicated men and women who make a living doing inconceivable and very often, undesired jobs. Mike’s prepared to do all it takes to uncover and understand what it takes to tackle some of the toughest jobs out there. In the series premiere, Mike visits a cave where bat guano (also known as poop) is collected for some of the world’s best fertiliser, discovers the dirty secret behind major league baseball and takes an up-close look at seafood at a fish factory.

AMERICAN CHOPPER (premiered in 2005)

Paul Teutul Senior, owner and designer of Orange County Choppers (OCC) and his team have been producing custom-made motorcycles for over three decades. In the series premiere, the team is involved in a massive project of transforming a heap of scrap into a world class motorbike in time for the Laconia Bike show in central New Hampshire, United States. Relive the effort, pain, frustrations, problems, solutions, long days and nights and triumphs as Paul and his team work tirelessly through eight weeks to get it done.

Friday, May 23

GOLD RUSH (premiered in 2011)

When the going gets tough, the tough seek new frontiers. Six recession-hit patriots from Oregon become greenhorn old miners and risk everything. Heading north to Alaska to dig for gold they hope to strike big and save themselves from financial ruin. The team of mining greenhorns begs, borrows and builds all the equipment they need to mine for gold. Loaded with supplies, they leave their loved ones behind and drive from Oregon to Alaska in a Klondike convoy. They have just five months to set up a gold mine and strike gold before winter closes them down. They face, bear attacks, flooding, constant breakdowns, infighting, fatal illness and many more adventures as they struggle to get down to the gold and save their families.

BERING SEA GOLD (premiered in 2012)
In the frontier town of Nome, Alaska, there is a gold rush taking over. For two million years, glaciers have been melting into the Bering Sea and depositing sediments rich with gold into its waters. As the ice melts in summer, this isolated town booms with enthusiasm as pioneer dredgers rush out to the sea for gold mining unlike any other! Here, the precious metal is not found in the ground, its sitting at the bottom of the frigid and erratic Bering Sea. The series premiere documents the kick start of the dredging season and follows four gold dredgers that range wildly in size and sophistication, but all have one thing in common: they are run by ambitious people whose very livelihoods depend on finding that one big payoff.