Discovery Channel Orders Second Seasons for Five Series

Discovery Channel has renewed five of its freshman series for second seasons, including Expedition Files.

Produced by Ping Pong Productions, Expedition Files sees explorer Josh Gates travel through history to uncover new evidence and answers to some of the world’s unexplained mysteries. The series became Discovery’s highest-rated freshman series of 2024.

Another Ping Pong Productions series was renewed by Discovery: Hustlers Gamblers Crooks. The show features true stories of high-stakes hustlers, gamblers and crooks told by those who lived them.

In the Eye of the Storm, produced for Discovery Channel by Arrow Media, reveals the chaos and drama that takes place in the epicenter of recent natural disasters. Each episode is told exclusively through firsthand accounts of everyday people and seen through the lens of phones, security cameras and other points of view.

The Last Woodsmen, from Warm Springs Productions in association with Jolt Life, also scored a renewal. Veteran logger Jared Douglas risks life and livelihood to harvest the most massive and valuable timber on Earth. Armed with old-school axes and chainsaws, Douglas and his crew purposefully leave the modern world behind to pursue their dreams in the wild.

Lastly, Discovery Channel has greenlit a second season of Mud Madness as well. From Original Productions, the series follows the off-road subculture of extreme UTV and ATV mud racing and the passionate characters that take part in the sport as they prepare to put everything on the line to win the coveted Mud Cup.

Each of these five titles was a top three cable series among men 25 to 54 in their respective time slots, excluding news and sports. Each reached at least 8.5 million viewers.

“With these five series, Discovery Channel discovered new worlds, offering magnetic characters in epic settings that resonated with viewers,” said Howard Lee, chief creative officer of U.S. networks and president of Discovery Networks. “This success reinforces our commitment to finding interesting subcultures and fascinating people who have extraordinary stories to tell.”