Exploring baffling medical mysteries, dramatic tales from the ER and harrowing personal journeys, Discovery Life Channel delivers the heart-wrenching drama of those overcoming extreme adversity in an immersive storytelling style that captures the very best of nonfiction television. Since being renamed on January 15, 2015, Discovery Life's strategy of fusing gripping health and medical dramas with inspirational stories that explore life's twists and turns has proved a success with viewers, with performance up 14% among W18+ Prime delivery.*
Moving into the 2015-16 Upfront, medical means business on Discovery Life. The network has greenlit two additional seasons of its most successful franchise, UNTOLD STORIES OF THE ER, beginning in fourth quarter 2015. Location-based series VEGAS 911 and SHOCK TRAUMA in Baltimore capture the life-or-death stakes of emergency room drama that Discovery Life's viewers crave.
Reinvigorating the approach to health storytelling with intensity and drama,
FAKING IT documents interventions of people who fake an illness or condition for attention and it has reached a crisis point; and the one-hour special THE MEETING provides unprecedented access into the raw and anonymous world of addiction recovery. Additionally, Discovery Life will continue to air brand-expanding series that shine a light on often overlooked worlds such as the upcoming docu-series NEW GIRLS ON THE BLOCK, premiering Saturday, April 11 at 10/9c, as the first series ever to profile a group of female friends in the transgender community, as well as the provocative series SEX IN PUBLIC in the third quarter of this year, following sex expert Jill Dictrow as she goes undercover to get unsuspecting pedestrians to dish about their private lives in public settings.
"Discovery Life Channel is a trusted source for powerful, emotional stories of people facing adversity. Whether they are struggling with a mysterious medical condition, urgently searching for a cure, or drowning in a toxic cluttered home, we are the only television destination for true-life inspirational journeys as told by the survivors themselves and heroes that help them through their darkest times," said Jane Latman, General Manager of Discovery Life Channel. "Discovery Life chronicles the high stakes and raw emotion of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. We will continue to be bold in our programming choices as we share relatable and authentic life-defining moments."
Discovery Life's full programming slate for the 2015-16 Upfront season is below. Please note the new series and specials are working titles:
NEW SERIES
SEX IN PUBLIC
In a provocative mix between "What Would You Do" and "Taxicab Confessions," host Jill Dictrow, who has a master's in psychology with a specialty in sex and intimacy, goes undercover in the most unsuspecting places in an attempt to get real people to open up about the good, the bad and the ugly in their private lives. SEX IN PUBLIC is a new series that is more than just talking dirty; it is about helping people who are too shy, nervous, busy, or scared to actually go into a therapist's office, ultimately helping unassuming pedestrians with some much needed sex and relationship help.
AN HOUR TO SAVE YOUR LIFE
AN HOUR TO SAVE YOUR LIFE explores the life or death decisions facing doctors in the first critical hour of emergency care. With fixed-rig cameras and 360-degree access to the specialists' perspectives both at the scene and in the hospital, this observational series gives a unique insight into the dilemmas and innovations of emergency care where this is no such thing as routine procedure. Minute by minute, this series tracks the decisions made by paramedics, ambulance staff and doctors at the scene of different medical procedures, as patients pass through to the surgeons and specialists in the adrenaline-fueled Emergency Room.
IN AN INSTANT
Freak accidents, the wrath of Mother Nature or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can create life-changing events at a moment's notice.
IN AN INSTANT captures first-person accounts as they relive their harrowing tales of survival from bridges collapsing during
RUSH hour traffic to near-death
ANIMAL attacks and planes going down in remote Alaska.
THE DAY I ALMOST DIED
Accidents occur without warning, but what if it was your own doing that put yourself into a deadly situation? THE DAY I ALMOST DIED is a series that combines astounding first-person accounts with stunning dramatic recreations and real life footage to reveal that anyone, at any time, can fall victim to a fatal self-inflicted injury. From falling off a boat only to be sucked under the motor, to shooting a nail gun through your heart, or getting nearly crushed by a big rig, each episode features three harrowing stories of people who almost accidentally killed themselves.
VEGAS 911
In this compelling dramatic series, VEGAS 911 recounts untold stories from the case files of one of the busiest and most unique ERs in America: University Medical Centre (UMC) in Las Vegas. From the 911 call to the first responders to ER personnel and the victims themselves, this series tells a 360-degree perspective of all walks of life in the ER. From mystery illnesses, infections and poisonings, to major trauma events or bizarre only-in-Vegas events caused by bites, sex acts, or gambling, the stories profiled are as diverse and unique as Vegas itself. Either way, UMC's ER has a saying: "what happens in Vegas, ends up here."
FAKING IT
Munchausen syndrome is a disorder that compels individuals to fake an illness, inflict harm on their own body or make themselves sick all in the pursuit of attention from doctors, family, or friends.
FAKING IT is an
INTERVENTION show presented by loved ones that follows people who are faking a series illness or condition, and choose to live a life of perceived suffering. These people risk their well-being, take on unnecessary debt and undergo unnecessary treatment and surgeries - doing anything to satisfy their desire for medical or personal attention. With the guidance of an expert and the help of their families, they are confronted with an unexpected and life-saving intervention.
SHOCK TRAUMA
SHOCK TRAUMA is an unscripted docudrama telling the parallel stories of the doctors, nurses and the patients at the world-renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. With a 97% survival rate and treating more than 8,000 patients annually, compared to the typical 3,000 per year, it is the best trauma center in the country. Only the most critically injured patients facing death in Maryland are transported here, and even the White House has a direct line to them if services are needed. Whether it's a bridge collapse, gang shooting, or massive over-turned tracker trailer accident, the SHOCK TRAUMA Center is always ready and in position to save lives.
NEW SPECIALS
HOW TO MAKE LOVE TO YOUR WIFE
HOW TO MAKE LOVE TO YOUR WIFE is a light hearted, brutally honest and self-deprecating examination of one suburban dad's ineptitude in bed and his hilarious - and sometimes humiliating - attempts to turn himself into a world-class lover and finally please his wife.
THE MEETING
With unprecedented access to stories of addiction and recovery, THE MEETING deploys an innovative and provocative visual approach as it follows four incredible, universal stories shared first-hand from the perspective of long recovery. Whether a viewer is personally dealing with an addiction or has an addict or recovered addict in their personal or professional lives, THE MEETING shares invaluable tools to navigate the everyday and live our lives more fully in the moment. Crucially, while this special offers viewers a groundbreaking glimpse into the often secretive world of recovery, the people sharing their stories remain anonymous in a visually compelling manner.
MY SON'S FACE WON'T STOP GROWING
This heart-wrenching documentary joins ordinary couple Karl and Vikki Smith on their extraordinary quest to save the life of their 3-year-old son Aidan and solve the baffling mystery of his rare illness. With Aidan's condition disfiguring, potentially life-threatening and unlike anything seen before in the U.K., the Smith family must embark on a rocky medical road while persevering to secure a definitive clinical diagnosis that will improve their son's life forever. Their remarkable journey takes Aidan through a series of critical surgeries and to a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the world experts in Boston to help diagnose Aiden with Cloves Syndrome, a 1-in-100 million disease.
RETURNING PROGRAMMING
UNTOLD STORIES OF THE ER
In one of the most successful franchises on television,
Discovery Life Channel pulls back the curtain to expose more
OUTRAGEOUS medical situations when UNTOLD STORIES OF THE ER returns for two new seasons in the next year. In an environment where everything can change as quickly as the rip of a Band-Aid, prepare to witness the true, dramatic nature of medicine practiced under pressure - where nothing about the situation is routine and doctors have mere seconds to answer life-or-death questions. Each hour-long episode of UNTOLD STORIES OF THE ER features emergency physicians revisiting the cases they weren't exactly taught in med school, and highlights how a doctor's personal blend of expertise, coolness under fire, and decision-making ability are challenged by unpredictable circumstances.
HOARDING: BURIED ALIVE
HOARDING: BURIED ALIVE takes an inside look at extreme
HOARDERS and the psychology behind their compulsion to accumulate and store large quantities of nonessential things. Each episode tells the stories of
HOARDERS struggling with behavior that has made daily existence unbearable for them and their loved ones. With the help of expert therapists and organizers, the
HOARDERS will attempt to unlock the key to their obsessions in hope of reclaiming their lives.
SEXTEMBER
In an annual exploration of sex in America,
Discovery Life Channel encores provocative programming from its complete library of content for the SEXTEMBER programming stunt. Offering a sneak peek behind bedrooms doors to explore unconventional relationships, bizarre practices and mysterious sexual health conditions, Discovery Life offers programming centered on unveiling common sexual dysfunctions, dishing out sex advice, revealing sexual health issues and enlightening sex subcultures.
PSYCH WEEK
Each year,
Discovery Life Channel opens a meaningful dialogue on mental health with
PSYCH WEEK, a weeklong programming event running every May for Mental Health Awareness Month. With programming airing nightly,
PSYCH WEEK profiles individuals dealing with a spectrum of afflictions and addictions in order to help end the stigma surrounding mental health, from agoraphobia, sexsomnia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, hoarding, OCD, multiple-personality disorder, and more.
NURSES WEEK
In an annual celebration of nurses for National Nurses Week beginning on May 6,
Discovery Life Channel is proud to bring viewers programming full of the most memorable moments featuring the brave and unflappable men and women in scrubs. Highlighting the most action-packed, life-altering, or just downright unforgettable nursing moments ever caught on tape, the programming proves that nurses have seen it all! Each year,
Discovery Life Channel partners with various nurse organizations to help honor every day nurses with a special treat or experience to thank them.
ABOUT DISCOVERY LIFE CHANNEL
On January 15, 2015, Discovery Fit & Health became
Discovery Life Channel - a network that embraces all of life's unplanned moments. Discovery Life brings viewers a kaleidoscope of human emotions and experiences through the true stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. From critical turning points to unexpected moments, Discovery Life tackles life's surprising twists and turns. The network is under the purview of Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, Destination America,
Discovery Family Channel, and Discovery Life Channel, with Jane Latman as General Manager.
Discovery Life Channel is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-TV provider reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.
