Discovery Communications Unveils Multi-Network 2015-16 Highlights

NEW YORK: Discovery Communications' 2015-16 Upfront programming presentation revealed a slew of new highlights coming to its bouquet of networks, including the flagship Discovery Channel, which is introducing a special Elevation Weekend stunt.

The Elevation Weekend will feature a number of documentaries all centered on men and women conquering the elements. The annual event kicks off in 2015 with the premiere of Valley Uprising, which explores the stories of those who pushed the limits of what's possible at Yosemite Valley. Discovery Channel's Motor Mondays will feature motoring programming for male-skewed audiences each week, including the series Fast N' Loud. The channel also lined up the documentary film Racing Extinction, which comes from the team behind the Academy Award-winning film The Cove. The doc will seek to uncover the race to save endangered species from mass extinction. Scripted highlights include a show based on the true story of Harley-Davidson. New unscripted series and specials include Naked and Afraid XL, a summer series that features people who previously appeared on Naked and Afraid; Treasure Quest, which follows a team of top explorers on a two-month quest to find the "Treasure of the Trinity"; Pacific Warriors, about commercial fishermen who work solo from kayaks; Killing Fields, revealing the history attached to areas in America that are killing fields; and Cuban Chrome, featuring a group of car enthusiasts living in Cuba. Discovery Channel also scheduled Lunar XPRIZE, which takes viewers to new frontiers of space exploration.

Rich Ross, the president of Discovery Channel, said: "Discovery Channel is going from strength to strength this coming year. We're adding new documentaries, scripted series and themed programming to a strong lineup of new unscripted series. Our male audience has broken records this year which has been complimented by strong growth in women."

TLC is planning more than 500 hours of original programming for 2015. Under the "family" theme are Long Lost Family, which helps people reunite with those they've been desperately seeking; Hardly Royal (working title), about a blue-collar Maryland native who discovered he is the King of the Isle of Mann in the U.K.; Quinceañera (w.t.) is about party planners and dress shop owners servicing Latin American families as they celebrate their teenager's transition into womanhood; and I Got You Babies (w.t.) is about four sets of parents as they manage their first year with children. Featured under the theme "Aisle and Style" are Dare to Wear, hosted by style expert Tai Beauchamp; Brides Gone Styled, transforming brides with bad fashion sensibilities; Extreme Dream Weddings (w.t.), about fantasy weddings; #SaveMyStyle (w.t.), which uses social media to find people in need of fashion overhauls; and Swipe Right (w.t.), which helps to revamp the social media profiles of those looking for love. TLC is also addressing the theme of "Life's Milestone Moments," with shows such as 3 Bad Dates, 1 Soul Mate (w.t.), which retells dating disasters of women, who wind up marrying one of the men; Marriage Pact (w.t.), a social experiment that sees if marriage success comes from marrying your best friend or friend with benefits; Married by Mom and Dad (w.t.), which sees parents picking their son's/daughter's perfect match; and an untitled 3Ball weight loss show, following the journey of an obese person who is changing their life.

Animal Planet unveiled its new "Living Wild" lineup, which includes fresh programming such as Sheriff of Cross River, in the muscular conservation genre; America Builds a Shelter, about revamping animal shelters; Restoration Wild, a nature-build series; and Living with Maneaters, exploring the lives of people in India who live right next to predatory cats. Additional highlights for Animal Planet include Last North, featuring the journey of Polar adventurers Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters; Patagonia: Edge of Earth (w.t.), which comes from BBC Worldwide Americas; and Lands of the Monsoon, a blue-chip natural-history special.

Investigation Discovery is planning to debut more than 650 hours of originals during the 2015-16 season, including its first-ever scripted series, Serial Thriller. The lineup also includes American Scandal, led by TV legend Barbara Walters, exploring headline-grabbing cases, and Death By Gossip, hosted by Wendy Williams, featuring the dark side of rumors.

Science Channel revealed the new original series Secret Space Disasters, which profiles the real stories of near misses, close calls, unexpected encounters, and dangerous discoveries in the history of human space exploration. In 2016, the channel will introduce Geek Out or Freak Out, part game show and part science experiment. Further upcoming Science Channel highlights include Short-Attention-Span Science, Outrageous Acts of Psych and Race to Escape.

Velocity touted more than 220 hours of premieres to come, including 100 live hours. There are 12 returning franchises and several all-new additions, headlined by Unique Rides with Will Castro (w.t.), set in the Long Island garage of Will Castro, who turns out one-of-a-kind custom autos for a global client base of A-list celebrities, professional athletes, corporate clients and more.

American Heroes Channel is bringing back Gunslingers and Against the Odds for 2015-16, alongside the new highlights American Empire (w.t.), which tells the little-known stories of the men who made America what it is today; Blood Feuds (w.t.), shining a spotlight on the country's iconic feuds; and Natural Born Outlaws, featuring tales of history's most notorious criminals. The channel's 2016 lineup includes the new series The Civil War Project (w.t.) and American Lawmen (w.t.), as well as the specials One Giant Leap and The Cowboy (w.t.).

Destination America's upcoming schedule is led by two landmark specials: Epic America, which takes viewers on a larger-than-life tour across the U.S., and 9/11: The Lost Hero (w.t.), which documents the story of the mysterious unknown soldier responsible for an incredible rescue mission following the 9/11 attacks.

Discovery Life Channel has ordered two more seasons of the hit franchise Untold Stories of the ER. The network also lined up the new series Sex in Public, An Hour to Save Your Life, In An Instant, The Day I Almost Died and Vegas 911, as well as Faking It and Shock Trauma. New specials include How to Make Love to Your Wife, The Meeting and My Son's Face Won't Stop Growing.

Discovery Family Channel announced 200 hours of new programming for 2015-16. New series include From Wags to Riches with Bill Berloni (w.t.), which brings viewers into the world of theatrical animal trainer Bill Berloni; American Finders (w.t.), about thanking people from your past who changed your life; Beasts Behaving Badly, featuring the authentic stories behind clips involving wild animals invading human spaces; and Babies Behaving Badly, which shows little humans engaged in bad behaviors. The network also lined up Secret America and Who's Been Sleeping in My House?, and a range of family movies that includes Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Alice in Wonderland and Where the Wild Things Are.