Discovery is "at it again"

[stargatedalek]

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/videos/evidence-of-a-50-ton-megalodon.htm

they can do this? like, its legal to claim this is educational?
-50 ton megalodon
-doctored WWII footage
-oh god no, not the whole "whale killer" shiz again

I think they should have had their educational license removed years ago

[Roselaar]

Absolutely preposterous. But I kinda like silly Cryptozoology clips like these. On YouTube though, not on something that claims to teach people. This has no place on Discovery, or Discovery has no place claiming to be an educational network.

[stargatedalek]

I'm sure they would be entertaining in the right context, this premise could make an interesting science fiction film

this shark week worse than any prior, because they are even doing mockumentaries about modern day sharks, since so many people seem to believe these its just going to paint sharks in a negative light (completely defeating the purpose of education in itself)

[Minnesota Jones]

Very sad.  I've given up on Discovery Channel since last year's Shark Week.  The whole Megalodon thing got me steamed.  And Shark Week "Live?"  Really?  A nighttime talk show with such Shark specialists as Tara Reid(!) - ugh!  It's as bad as Sci-Fi (I refuse to say SiFi... opps, I did....) with their Sharknado!  You know, Tara Reid has stated a Sharknado is possible....  ARGH!

I use to love Discovery for all the science shows.  Now it's reality TV at it's worst:  Amish Mafia (really?), Naked and Scared (ugh!) and it's kin.  History Channel is better, but not by much.  I stick to just a few shows on History, some Nat Geo and Nat Geo Wild, and maybe the Science Channel (yeah, it's owned by Discovery).  But since last year, I refuse to turn the regular Discovery Channel on.  At least the old dinosaur and prehistoric life shows they did in the past are on DVD.  I'll stay with those.

[tyrantqueen]

Now it's reality TV at it's worst:  Amish Mafia (really?), Naked and Scared (ugh!) and it's kin.

Amish Mafia...that almost sounds like an oxymoron.

Where I live the history and science channel are pretty much combined into one..not sure why. All we ever get is endless documentaries about WWII and the Holocaust. I avoid the channel because it's so depressing.

I miss the days of good dino documentaries, like WWD and Dinosaur Revolution.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Another "documentary" will discovery ever learn? First you had mermaids, then mermaids two, them megalodon lives! Now this? What's next, sharks secretly developed jetpacks?

[Ultimatedinoking]

Now it's reality TV at it's worst:  Amish Mafia (really?), Naked and Scared (ugh!) and it's kin.

Amish Mafia...that almost sounds like an oxymoron.

Where I live the history and science channel are pretty much combined into one..not sure why. All we ever get is endless documentaries about WWII and the Holocaust. I avoid the channel because it's so depressing.

I miss the days of good dino documentaries, like WWD and Dinosaur Revolution.

Sadly I only got to see two episodes of Dino revolution.  The last one and the second one.

I gave up on animal planet, all it is is dog shows, treehouses (?) and pools (?). Luckily we got a cable package, so I can watch nat geo wild. So much better than animal planet, there was a snake day and spider day once. There was this mini series called "secret lives of predators" but I only got to se the pilot episode.

[Newt]

Another "documentary" will discovery ever learn?

Oh, they learned. They learned that making stuff up is cheaper and attracts more viewers. It's really a shame- there's definitely a major market out there for educational programming, but it's apparently not profitable enough.

[Minnesota Jones]

Here's Science Sushi (by Discover magazine, not channel):

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/science-sushi/#.U_OmN_ldUi6

Christie Wilcox is a marine scientist (not an actor) and had some candid (and truthful) things to say nowadays about "Shark Week" and about that Discovery Channel just wants ratings.  Current blog is on Sharkageddon, which was totally misleading (the Discovery channel show, not Christie's blog, which debunks the show).

[Ultimatedinoking]

Another "documentary" will discovery ever learn?

Oh, they learned. They learned that making stuff up is cheaper and attracts more viewers. It's really a shame- there's definitely a major market out there for educational programming, but it's apparently not profitable enough.

I heard science Channel was going to have a show about dropping animals on bungie cords to test gravity, but the dropped it because the test audience said it was too "sciencey" it's all about the ratings now, not the facts. So much for educational programing. 

[leidy]

wasn't there a time when they had at least some credibility?

There's probably something I just don't get, but I've always felt they should have clear mission statements that they try to stick to.  Maybe that approach is doomed to failure, but at least it would be an honest fail.

If they want to be about reality television and hype, fair enough, there's probably a market for that, but that should really be another channel.  Of course the argument is long since lost, a whole generation already grew up without knowing what the M in MTV was for. 

[Quen]

I heard science Channel was going to have a show about dropping animals on bungie cords to test gravity

That sounds inhumane to me.

Also, what I didn't understand about this year's Shark Week were all the anti-shark shows. I always thought the point of Shark Week was to show sharks more positively. Now, the only episodes I ended up watching this year had a Jaws-esque portrayal of sharks. As someone who is heading towards a career in conservation, this portrayal disheartens and disgusts me. 

[stargatedalek]

what bothers me most is the wild claims that sea turtles conservation equates to more shark attacks, there are already idiots lobbying for the protection being removed from them, not imagine if this starts a public rebuke against the sea turtles, this is frightening

[Quen]

what bothers me most is the wild claims that sea turtles conservation equates to more shark attacks, there are already idiots lobbying for the protection being removed from them, not imagine if this starts a public rebuke against the sea turtles, this is frightening

That. Is. Ridiculous.

[Ultimatedinoking]

I heard science Channel was going to have a show about dropping animals on bungie cords to test gravity

That sounds inhumane to me.

Also, what I didn't understand about this year's Shark Week were all the anti-shark shows. I always thought the point of Shark Week was to show sharks more positively. Now, the only episodes I ended up watching this year had a Jaws-esque portrayal of sharks. As someone who is heading towards a career in conservation, this portrayal disheartens and disgusts me. 

I know, how they planned on airing it is beyond me.

The poster showed a brown bear.

[Paleogene Pals]

Next on Discovery, Mermaid vs. Bigfoot, Smackdown hosted by Vince McMahon. I'm surprised nobody has come up with a "documentary" yet about how Ebola can escape into the US. What better way to get your audience into a tizzy and generate ratings.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Next on Discovery, Mermaid vs. Bigfoot, Smackdown hosted by Vince McMahon. I'm surprised nobody has come up with a "documentary" yet about how Ebola can escape into the US. What better way to get your audience into a tizzy and generate ratings.

After that it's "sharks are evolving to live on land!" Says shark "scientist."

[stargatedalek]

[Ultimatedinoking]

Ah, that explains a lot.

[Paleogene Pals]

Knock, knock..."Yes?"..."Land Shark!"  Bull Sharks can swim up the Mississippi River. Discovery needs to do Sharkageddon II: The Midwest Under Attack!