Discovery Channel (often referred to as simply Discovery) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
specialty television
A specialty channel (also known in the United States as a cable channel or cable network) can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted ...
channel owned by CTV Speciality Television Inc. (a
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...
between
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
/
ESPN Inc.
ESPN Inc. is an American multinational sports media conglomerate majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Hearst Communications as an equity stakeholder. For management and financial reporting purposes, the company is the main entity wit ...
(80%) and
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at 230 Park Avenue South in New York City. It was formed after the spin-off of WarnerMedia by AT&T, and its merger with D ...
(which owns the remaining 20%).
Launched on January 1, 1995 by NetStar Communications, this channel is devoted to nature, adventure, science and technology programming. The channel is headquartered at
9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court (alternatively known as the CTV Toronto Studios, CFTO-TV Studios, Glen Warren Studios or Bell Media Agincourt and temporarily known as 9 Dave Devall Way)Agincourt neighbourhood of
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.
History
Licensed by the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...
(CRTC) in 1994, Discovery Channel launched on January 1, 1995 under the ownership of NetStar Communications Inc.
On March 24, 2000, the CRTC approved a proposal by CTV Inc. to acquire voting interest in NetStar Communications Inc. CTV renamed the company CTV Speciality Television Inc.
A high definition simulcast feed of Discovery Channel that broadcasts in the
1080i
1080i (also known as Full HD or BT.709) is a combination of frame resolution and scan type. 1080i is used in high-definition television (HDTV) and high-definition video. The number "1080" refers to the number of horizontal lines on the screen. ...
resolution format was launched on August 15, 2003. The feed would later be shut down on December 19, 2005, and be replaced by a separate category 2
digital cable
Digital cable is the distribution of cable television using digital data and video compression. The technology was first developed by General Instrument. By 2000, most cable companies offered digital features, eventually replacing their previou ...
specialty channel
A specialty channel (also known in the United States as a cable channel or cable network) can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted ...
called Discovery HD Theatre.
On June 17, 2011, Bell Media announced that it would launch, for a second time, an HD simulcast feed of Discovery Channel; this feed was launched on August 18, 2011.
In November 2015, Bell Media announced Discovery Channel Canada's first original scripted drama, the
Jason Momoa
Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series '' Baywatch: Hawaii'' (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of Ronon Dex on the ...
-fronted ''
Frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
'', chronicling the
North American fur trade
The North American fur trade is the commercial trade in furs in North America. Various Indigenous peoples of the Americas traded furs with other tribes during the pre-Columbian era. Europeans started their participation in the North American fur ...
. The series was picked up internationally by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
Programming
In addition to shows acquired from its American counterpart, the Canadian Discovery Channel produced much of its own original programming through its Exploration Production group including its former flagship daily science news program, ''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
Cash Cab Cash Cab may refer to:
* ''Cash Cab'' (British game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (American game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Canadian game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Japanese game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Australian game show)
{{disambiguation ...
''. Several programs produced by the Canadian Discovery Channel (such as ''
How It's Made
''How It's Made'' (''Comment c'est fait'' in French) is a Canadian documentary television series that premiered on January 6, 2001, on the Discovery Channel in Canada and the Science Channel in the United States. The program is produced in th ...
'') have also aired on the U.S
Science Channel
Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, manu ...
.
Since 2018, enabled by the 2015 retirement of CRTC genre protection rules which mandated that it predominantly air factual programming, the channel has added reruns of scripted series from other Bell Media networks that contain scientific themes, such as ''
The Big Bang Theory
''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'',
Bones (TV Series)
''Bones'' is an American crime procedural comedy-drama television series created by Hart Hanson for Fox. It premiered on September 13, 2005, and concluded on March 28, 2017, airing for 246 episodes over 12 seasons. The show is based on forensi ...
and ''
CSI: NY
''CSI: NY'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: New York'', stylized as ''CSI: NY/Crime Scene Investigation'') is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine seaso ...
''.
Original series
* ''A Cut Above''
*'' Against All Odds''
*''Acorn the Nature Nut''
*''Aerospace''
*''
Airshow
An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited.
They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground.
The largest air show m ...
Blood, Sweat & Tools
''Blood, Sweat & Tools'' was a Canadian television series that aired on Discovery Channel hosted by Helder Brum, Rob Koci and Hillary Manion, who also acted as the challenge judges and expert advisers to the contestants.
Format
The series is the ...
''
*'' Blueprint for Disaster''
*''BBQ Pit Wars''
*'' Breaking Point''
*''Break It Down''
*''Building the Biggest''
*''Building the Ultimate'' (UK:
Five
5 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
5, five or number 5 may also refer to:
* AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era
* 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era
Literature
* ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram
* ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
Canada's Greatest Know-It-All
Canada's Greatest Know-It-All is a reality series that debuted January 30, 2012, on Discovery Channel (Canada).
In the series, ten competitors claim to be "know-it-alls" and compete in a series of challenges. The challengers depend upon practical ...
Cash Cab Cash Cab may refer to:
* ''Cash Cab'' (British game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (American game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Canadian game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Japanese game show)
* ''Cash Cab'' (Australian game show)
{{disambiguation ...
''
*''
Combat School
released as ''Boot Camp'' in North America, is a 1987 arcade video game produced by Konami. The player takes control of a military recruit who is undergoing basic training at a United States Marine Corps Recruit Training camp, also known as a ...
''
*''Connections''
*''
Creepy Canada
''Creepy Canada'' is a Canadian television series that aired on OLN. It focused on paranormal activities around Canada. The show first premiered on October 23, 2002 and began its third season on May 5, 2006. With the third season, the show's sco ...
''
*''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
'' (formerly ''@discovery.ca'') (cancelled in 2018 as the result of Bell Media layoffs)
*''
Dangerous Flights
''Dangerous Flights'' is a documentary-style reality television show that airs on the Discovery Channel. The show follows the pilots of C.B. Aviation as they ferry light aircraft to their new owners across distances the aircraft weren't design ...
Eco-Challenge
''Eco-Challenge: The Expedition Race'' is a multi-day expedition length adventure race in which teams of four (five in the early years) competed. It originally aired on TV from April 1995 to April 2002. Based closely on the Raid Gauloises adventu ...
Frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
''
*''Frontiers of Construction''
*''Great Canadian Parks''
*''
Guinea Pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ani ...
''
*''
Highway Thru Hell
''Highway Thru Hell'' is a Canadian documentary TV series that follows the operations of Jamie Davis Motor Truck & Auto Ltd., a heavy vehicle rescue and recovery towing company based in Hope, British Columbia. Quiring Towing, Aggressive Towing, ...
''
*''High Tech Rednecks''
*''
How Do They Do It?
''How Do They Do It?'' is a television series produced by Wag TV for Discovery Channel. Each programme explores how 2 or 3 ordinary objects are made and used. The show's slogan is "Behind the ordinary is the extraordinary." The series is broa ...
'' (UK
Wag TV
Martin Richard Durkin is an English television producer and director who has been commissioned by Britain's Channel 4.
He has produced, directed and executive-produced programmes covering the arts, science, history, entertainment, features and s ...
coproduction)
*''
How It's Made
''How It's Made'' (''Comment c'est fait'' in French) is a Canadian documentary television series that premiered on January 6, 2001, on the Discovery Channel in Canada and the Science Channel in the United States. The program is produced in th ...
I Shouldn't Be Alive
''I Shouldn't Be Alive'' is a documentary television series made by Darlow Smithson Productions, a UK-based production company, that featured accounts of individuals or groups caught in life-threatening scenarios away from civilization in natu ...
''
*''Jacked!''
*''
Jade Fever
''Jade Fever'' is a Canadian documentary television series from Discovery Channel Canada, produced by Omnifilm Entertainment. The series follows a long-standing jade mining family as they explored and placer-mined nephrite jade in the Dease Lake ...
''
*''
Jetstream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow, meandering air currents in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. On Earth, the main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds (flowing west to east) ...
Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
''
*''
Mega Builders
''Mega Builders'' is a documentary television series appearing on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel. Each episode takes a look into the people and the machines involved into the construction of many huge engineering projects.
Episode lis ...
''
*''MegaSpeed''
*''Mega World''
*Mean Machines'' (UK IWC Media coproduction)
*''Mean Green Machines''
*''Mighty Planes''
*''
Mighty Ships
''Mighty Ships'' is a documentary television program produced by Exploration Production Inc. in Canada and aired on Discovery Channel Canada and also broadcast around the world. Each episode of the series follows a particular sea-going vessel ...
''
*''
Mighty Trains
''Mighty Trains'' (also known as Megatrains on Discovery Channel Australia) is a documentary television program, part of the "Mighty" franchise, alongside Mighty Planes, Mighty Cruise Ships and Mighty Ships. The series was produced in Canada ...
''
*''
Naked Science
''Naked Science'' is an American documentary television series that premiered in 2004 on the National Geographic Channel and ran through November 2011. The program featured various subjects related to science and technology. Some of the views e ...
Pyros Pyros may refer to:
* Pyros (bomb), a bomb designed for unmanned aerial vehicles
* Pyros (TV series), ''Pyros'' (TV series), a Canadian reality TV series
* ''Pyros'', alternate North American title of Wardner (video game), ''Wardner'' (video game)
...
''
*''
Qubit
In quantum computing, a qubit () or quantum bit is a basic unit of quantum information—the quantum version of the classic binary bit physically realized with a two-state device. A qubit is a two-state (or two-level) quantum-mechanical system, ...
Star Racer ''Star Racer'' is a reality-genre TV show which originally aired on Discovery Channel Canada in 2006. It has been airing from October 2008 on Discovery's HD Theater, partly filmed from Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Star Racer chronicles the discovery and ...
''
*''Superships''
*''The Body Machine''
*''
The Exodus Decoded
''The Exodus Decoded'' is a 2006 documentary film by "investigative archaeologist" and filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and producer/director James Cameron. It aired April 16 on The History Channel. The documentary proposes naturalistic origins for the ...
''
*''
The Sex Files
''The Sex Files'' is a television program broadcasting on Discovery Channel Canada and was broadcast on CTV Television Network, CTV network stations after the Watershed (broadcasting), watershed, due to its highly explicit discussion of the natur ...
''
*''The World's Strangest UFO Stories''
*''Ultimate Cars'' (UK IWC Media coproduction)
*''Ultimate''
*''Vegas Rat Rods''
*''White Hot Winter''
*''What's That About?''
*''You Asked For It''
See also
*
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
(US)
*
Science Channel
Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, manu ...
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...