TORONTO — Discovery Channel’s fall 2017 lineup promises several new original programs alongside new episodes of returning favourites. In all, six brand new programs will join 13 returning original series to headline Discovery’s schedule for the 2017/18 broadcast year.
“Discovery’s original Canadian productions continue to drive the success of the network year after year,” said Ken MacDonald, vice-president and general manager of Discovery, in a press release announcing the network’s fall 2017 lineup. “We are very proud to offer an inspiring and entertaining schedule filled with aspirational programs, led by the six-episode television event — Season 2 of Frontier — Season 6 of Top 10 entertainment specialty series Highway Thru Hell, and our flagship powerhouse Daily Planet, making Discovery the key destination for viewers this fall season.”
Following the network’s first foray into original scripted drama last fall, the second season of Frontier will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT beginning Oct. 18. Featuring international film star and Canadian Screen Award nominee Jason Momoa (Justice League), the new season of Frontier sees new alliances threatening to topple the established power dynamic, as loyalties shift and old wounds fester.
But first, Discovery’s fall 2017 schedule will kick off with Season 23 of the network’s flagship series Daily Planet, as part of its “Boldly Go Week”, airing Monday, Aug. 28 through Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. In addition, Season 6 of Highway Thru Hell will air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT beginning Sept. 5.
Brand new to Discovery’s production lineup are:
- Last Stop Garage (airing Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT beginning Oct. 23), which follows the antics of CRB Automotive, the sole auto repair shop at the end of the only road left before hitting the most remote North American wilderness.
- Rocky Mountain Railroad (premiering Winter 2018), which takes viewers on an action-packed journey to discover an extraordinary Canadian way of life, meeting everyone from off-gridders whose only source of resupply is the rail to the hardy crews who do whatever it takes to keep these extreme railroads running.
- Hellfire Heroes (premiering Spring 2018), a character-driven docuseries that gets up-close-and-personal with firefighters who’ll do just about anything to keep their community safe in the bullseye of the forest fire danger zone, Alberta’s remote Slave Lake.
These new series will be complemented by three original specials, including the Exploration Production Inc. (EPI)-produced Saturn: Inside the Rings (airing Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT), featuring Daily Planet’s Dan Riskin, as well as Drain Alcatraz (November 2017) and Mother Nature is Trying to Kill You (Fall 2017).
Leading up to the launch of Discovery’s fall schedule, the most recent previous seasons of key programs Highway Thru Hell (Season 5, beginning Aug. 15), Canada’s Worst Driver (Season 12, beginning Sept. 12) and Gold Rush (Season 7, beginning Sept. 12) are available for subscription-free catch-up viewing on the Discovery Go app, at Discovery.ca, and Set Top Box On-Demand via participating service providers. In addition, beginning Aug. 1, the entire library of past seasons of all three of these Discovery programs are available on Discovery Go and On-Demand to subscribers of participating service providers. Subscribers can also access live streaming or next-day catch-up of Discovery’s entire fall schedule through Discovery Go.
Click here for a sneak peek at Discovery’s 2017/18 programming highlights.
