DISCOVERY’S FIRST IN HUMAN IS AN UNPRECEDENTED LOOK INSIDE THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH’S BUILDING 10, WHERE THE NATION’S GREATEST MINDS ARE MAKING THE MEDICINE OF TOMORROW

DISCOVERY’S FIRST IN HUMAN IS AN UNPRECEDENTED LOOK INSIDE THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH’S BUILDING 10, WHERE THE NATION’S GREATEST MINDS ARE MAKING THE MEDICINE OF TOMORROW

Three Part Medical Documentary Begins Airing August 10

Narrated by Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and Critics Choice® winning actor Jim Parsons

Just miles from the nation’s capital, on the campus of the revered National Institutes of Health, sits the Clinical Center, or Building 10: the largest hospital in the world devoted solely to medical research. The building houses the brilliant minds and courageous patients that enroll in “First in Human” clinical trials. Wading into uncharted medical territory in the hopes of discovering scientific breakthroughs, these early, highly experimental – and at times risky tests – are all in an effort to develop new, breakthrough treatments for patients suffering from currently untreatable diseases and conditions.

Narrated and executive produced by Emmy,® Golden Globe®, and Critics Choice® winning actor Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,”  “Hidden Figures,”)  FIRST IN HUMAN is a three-part, six-hour medical documentary series taking viewers inside the crucial beginning phase of scientific research. The powerful series follows four diverse patients as they participate in a “First in Human” trial – the initial time when a new therapy is tested in humans, revealing the quiet heroism of both doctors and patients. If successful, the next chapter of medicine is written.  The series, directed by Emmy® winner John Hoffman and executive produced by Hoffman and Emmy® winner Dyllan McGee, begins airing August 10 at 9pm ET/PT exclusively on Discovery. 

FIRST IN HUMAN represents the first time cameras have embedded in Building 10 and followed first-in-human patients throughout their entire trial. This unique access is the product of Hoffman’s nearly twenty years of filmmaking in partnership with the NIH on various award-winning projects exploring such issues as obesity, Alzheimer’s, sleep, as well as drug and alcohol addiction.

From the first use of chemotherapy for cancer, initial treatments for HIV/AIDS, and lithium for depression, Building 10 has been ground zero to many medical breakthroughs. While unassuming, this building houses what has been arguably the most exciting and innovative work for over sixty years.  Some of the greatest minds in medicine have spent their careers at Building 10, including Steven Rosenberg, MD, who in 1985 cured the first patient of cancer with immunotherapy – the training of one’s own immune system to fight his/her cancer. 

Patients treated in Building 10 are volunteering to be part of medical research. They receive care at no expense, and receive no guarantee that they will benefit from it – all in the name of advancing medicine.  Due to the risky nature of the trials in Building 10, the doctors can often only partner with patients who have exhausted all the standard options the medical establishment has to offer. “Virtually every patient that we treat have been told by their home doctors, I’m sorry, there’s nothing in modern medicine that can help you today,” explains Dr. Rosenberg. “The NIH exists to create tomorrow’s medicine.” 

“It’s a powerful thing to consider if you are in a circumstance where some medical intervention has been offered to you that’s provided some benefit,” said Dr. Francis Collins, MD, PHD, Director, NIH. “It came from all those other people who were part of the studies that ultimately proved there’s a standard of care here and it helped you. They’re your ancestors in a certain way - some of them lived, some of them died.  All of those individuals who you’ve never met, whose willingness to take a chance and to be part of something – maybe something right here in Building 10 – has now led to an outcome that might save your life.”

Despite suffering from remarkably different diseases, each patient ventures to Building 10 – also nicknamed the “House of Hope” – for their final chance at survival.  As mother of three, Anita McAllister who was diagnosed with melanoma explains, “I have heard of this place referred to as The National Institutes of Hope. They’re curing people of melanoma. To know that I can have the hope for that for myself as well um…it’s very humbling.”

McAllister’s doctor, Stephanie Goff, MD, describes how special even the layout of Building 10 making it feel like this is truly a team effort between patient, doctor, and families.  “Building 10 is incredibly unique. We have labs right next to patient floors,” explains Dr. Goff.  “That’s symbolic of the work that we can do here. We can go back and forth between bench to bedside in a way that, that most people just talk about.”

While each patient comes to Building 10 for their own diagnosis, they learn that they are also participating in history in the making.  Dr. John Tisdale, a hematologist, has spent the last two decades searching for a cure for sickle cell disease.  The revolutionary work he has been doing in Building 10 for patients suffering from sickle cell disease could help thousands of people suffering around the world.  It is one of the reasons he decided to be a research doctor.  “I thought I could do more as a research doctor,” explains Dr. Tisdale to his patient Deidra Flowers-Williams.  “..if this works…then people read about it and then they use the same kind of treatment wherever they are. And the reach is farther than just you.”

FIRST IN HUMAN is produced by McGee Media for Discovery Channel.  The series is directed by John Hoffman; produced by, John Hoffman, Beth Wichterich, and Michael Epstein; narrated by, Jim Parsons; executive producers Dyllan McGee, Jim Parsons, Todd Spiewak, and Eric Norsoph; producer, Jon Bardin; supervising producer, Stacia Thompson; senior editor, Adriana Pacheco; director of photography, Simon Schneider. For Discovery Channel, supervising producer, Jon Bardin; executive producer, John Hoffman.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL ANNOUNCES SUMMER SLATE OF ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING

DISCOVERY CHANNEL ANNOUNCES SUMMER SLATE OF ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING

(Los Angeles) – Discovery Channel’s summer schedule is jam-packed with a wide variety of both fan favorites and all-new programming. On the heels of the broadcast success of HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS – TV’s best single-network miniseries in more than three years – Discovery will premiere an all-new scripted anthology series called Manhunt: UNABOMBER that tracks how FBI agent Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerald brought down Ted Kaczynski, the “Unabomber,” through his pioneering work in forensic linguistics. The schedule will also include DARKNESS, a new unscripted series that takes the survival genre to the next level; MOSQUITO, a documentary that sheds unique insight into the growing threat of this insidious insect; FIRST IN HUMAN, a new documentary series narrated by Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and Critics Choice® winning actor Jim Parsons; and RANCHER, FARMER, FISHERMAN, an official selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival narrated by award-winning journalist Tom Brokaw. And of course, there will be lots and lots of sharks with the return of SHARK WEEK. Below you’ll find a selection of key show highlights and air dates.

TOP HIGHLIGHTS

SHARK WEEK
Premieres Sunday, July 23 at 7 PM ET/PT on Discovery As television’s longest running summer event, from exotic, unexplored locations to incredible breaches and shark sonograms, SHARK WEEK has given viewers extensive insight into the mysterious world of sharks – taking them where cameras have never been before. Along the way, Shark Week has built a community of scientists, including Craig O'Connoll, Neil Hammerschlag, and Tristan Gutteridge, who have come on board to share science-based shark stories and exciting shark research from the field. Discovery will employ new technology, from genetic profiling to miniaturized camera tags, to peer more deeply into the shark ecosystem. The shows of the 30th anniversary will combine the best of science and technology to capture the fascinating and misunderstood behavior of sharks. Whether looking for the largest great white sharks deep in the ocean, or exploring for strange new shark species, Shark Week 2017 will deep dive into the secret lives of sharks, and find better ways to share the oceans we co-inhabit.

MOSQUITO
New documentary special premieres July 6 on Discovery Shot on four continents and featuring insights from some of the world’s leading experts, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention former Director Tom Frieden, MOSQUITO sounds the alarm about the deadliest animal in the world highlighting the immense international efforts that will be required to stop it in its tracks. 

DARKNESS

All new series coming this July to Discovery

This all-new series takes the survival genre to the next level. Inspired by extreme training scenarios conducted by the U.S. Military, Department of Defense, and NASA, three strangers each episode will push themselves to their absolute limits in complete darkness – enduring days buried underground while navigating prehistoric cave systems, ancient subterranean cities and centuries-old abandoned mines.

Manhunt: UNABOMBER
The 2-hour series premiere begins Tuesday, August 1 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
Manhunt: UNABOMBER tells the dramatic and gripping true story of the FBI’s hunt for the Unabomber, the deadliest serial bomber in history. The story focuses on FBI Agent and Criminal Profiler Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerald (played by Sam Worthington of “Avatar” and “Hacksaw Ridge”), who pioneered the use of forensic linguistics to identify and ultimately capture the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski (Paul Bettany, “Gangster No. 1,” “Captain America: Civil War”). As a fresh faced Criminal Profiler and the newest member of the Unabom Task Force (UTF), Fitz faced an uphill battle not just against the Unabomber – one of the most sophisticated and brilliant criminals in history - but also against the bureaucracy of the UTF itself as his maverick ideas and new approaches were dismissed by the system. MANHUNT: UNABOMBER is produced by John Goldwyn, serving as consultant to Discovery, Lionsgate, Discovery Channel and Trigger Street Productions. Emmy® Award-winning television producer and director Greg Yaitanes (“Quarry,” “Banshee”) will executive produce, direct and serve as showrunner and Andrew Sodroski, whose “Holland, Michigan” topped Hollywood’s famed Black List for screenplays in 2013, created the series and serves as an Executive Producer. Jim Fitzgerald will serve as Consulting Producer.

FIRST IN HUMAN

All new documentary series premieres August 10 on Discovery

From the first use of chemotherapy for cancer, lithium for depression, and immunosuppressive therapy for lupus, NIH’S Building 10 has been at the forefront of the world’s medical breakthroughs. FIRST IN HUMAN is an unprecedented look inside Building 10, the nation’s largest research hospital, where the medicine of tomorrow is made.  The three-part documentary series explores the lives of the doctors, researchers, and patients who together make progress possible in this cutting-edge testing ground. The series is narrated by Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and Critics Choice® winning actor Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Hidden Figures”), directed by Emmy winner John Hoffman, and executive produced by Hoffman and Emmy winner Dyllan McGee.

RANCHER, FARMER, FISHERMAN

An official selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival premieres August 31 on Discovery

From the Montana Rockies to the Kansas wheat fields and the Gulf of Mexico, families who work the land and sea are crossing political divides to find unexpected ways to protect the natural resources vital to their livelihoods. Narrated by award-winning journalist Tom Brokaw and directed by Emmy®-winning and Oscar-nominated Susan Froemke and Emmy®-winning filmmaker John Hoffman, the film is based on Miriam Horn’s book, “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman: Conservation Heroes of the American Heartland.”

FULL LIST BELOW

DISCOVERY CHANNEL SUMMER PROGRAMMING GUIDE

JUNE-AUGUST 2017

Deadliest Catch: Legend of Wild Bill
Special airing Tuesday, June 6 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery
DEADLIEST CATCH fans know Wild Bill as the tough talking captain who isn’t afraid of taking risks. A hired gun since 1975, Wild Bill gambled a small fortune to buy the crab vessel. But being a boat owner, brings boat owner problems. This 1-hour special follows the legendary captain who – for the first time in the show’s history – will have skin of his own in the game.

Devil’s Canyon
All new series premieres Tuesday, June 6 at 10 PM ET/PT on Discovery
Deep in the bush of British Columbia there is a new gold rush happening in area known as Devil’s Canyon. Hundreds of millions of dollars in gold are waiting for anyone who is willing to risk their life to get it. Extreme prospectors Boyce Goff, Ben van der Valk and John Belchik travel separately into the areas of Devil’s Canyon that are far beyond the reach of big mining companies, in search of the next big pay streak. No roads, no trails, no camera crew, no help. It’s man vs. nature in one of the harshest environments on Earth, all for the chance to steal the Devil’s gold.

ALASKAN BUSH PEOPLE

Returns Wednesday, June 14 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery

Alaskan Bush People follows the Brown family as they are determined to harness 34 years of wilderness experience to reclaim their dream of living free.

Homestead Rescue

All-new season premieres Wednesday, June 14 at 10 PM ET/PT on Discovery

For the hundreds of families who decide to move entirely off-grid, the learning curve is a steep one. Even the most resourceful and determined families often succumb to their first winter, monsoon or drought season. That’s where the Raney family steps in. Father and builder Marty Raney – flanked by farmer daughter Misty and son Matt, an expert hunter and fisherman – teach homesteading hopefuls the off-the-grid basics and prepare them for nature’s worst. At the end of the day, the prospects must heed lessons to learn and survive on their own or give up their dream forever.

THROWBACK WEEKEND

Programming Stunt Coming to Discovery Channel June 17 at 7 PM ET/PT

Discovery Channel is turning back the clocks to revisit some of the most iconic series in television history. Packed with nostalgia, THROWBACK WEEKEND revisits epic experiments and maverick mechanics with original episodes of Mythbusters and Monster Garage.

DIESEL BROTHERS: THE DOUBLE HEADER
Special premieres Monday, June 19 at 9 PM ET/PT on DiscoveryHeavy D, Diesel Dave, Redbeard and The Muscle have built an empire with DieselSellerz, bringing extreme tricked out trucks to fans across America. Internet sensations, the team showcase crazy pranks and stunt driving to their loyal followers. They work hard and play hard, but this time they’re taking their diesel game to the ballpark… with Detroit Tigers’ superstar Miguel Cabrera and MLB Network analysts Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez and former All-Star Carlos Peña.  The two-night special, DIESEL BROTHERS: THE DOUBLE HEADER, premieres on Monday, June 19th at 9pm ET/PT and concludes on Thursday, June 22nd at 9PM ET/PT on the Discovery Channel. The special will also air in Spanish on Discovery Español on June 19 and June 26 at 10pm ET/PT.

MOSQUITO
New documentary special premieres July 6 on Discovery Shot on four continents and featuring insights from some of the world’s leading experts, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention former Director Tom Frieden, MOSQUITO sounds the alarm about the deadliest animal in the world highlighting the immense international efforts that will be required to stop it in its tracks. 

SHARK WEEK
Premieres Sunday, July 23 at 7 PM ET/PT on Discovery As television’s longest running summer event, from exotic, unexplored locations to incredible breaches and shark sonograms, SHARK WEEK has given viewers extensive insight into the mysterious world of sharks – taking them where cameras have never been before. Along the way, Shark Week has built a community of scientists, including Craig O'Connoll, Neil Hammerschlag, and Tristan Gutteridge, who have come on board to share science-based shark stories and exciting shark research from the field. Discovery will employ new technology, from genetic profiling to miniaturized camera tags, to peer more deeply into the shark ecosystem. The shows of the 30th anniversary will combine the best of science and technology to capture the fascinating and misunderstood behavior of sharks. Whether looking for the largest great white sharks deep in the ocean, or exploring for strange new shark species, Shark Week 2017 will deep dive into the secret lives of sharks, and find better ways to share the oceans we co-inhabit.

DARKNESS

All new series coming this July to Discovery

This all-new series takes the survival genre to the next level.   Inspired by extreme training scenarios conducted by the U.S. Military, Department of Defense, and NASA, three strangers each episode will push themselves to their absolute limits in complete darkness – enduring days buried underground while navigating prehistoric cave systems, ancient subterranean cities and centuries-old abandoned mines.

Manhunt: UNABOMBER
The 2-hour series premiere begins Tuesday, August 1 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery
Manhunt: UNABOMBER tells the dramatic and gripping true story of the FBI’s hunt for the Unabomber, the deadliest serial bomber in history. The story focuses on FBI Agent and Criminal Profiler Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerald (played by Sam Worthington of “Avatar” and “Hacksaw Ridge”), who pioneered the use of forensic linguistics to identify and ultimately capture the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski (Paul Bettany, “Gangster No. 1,” “Captain America: Civil War”). As a fresh faced Criminal Profiler and the newest member of the Unabom Task Force (UTF), Fitz faced an uphill battle not just against the Unabomber – one of the most sophisticated and brilliant criminals in history - but also against the bureaucracy of the UTF itself as his maverick ideas and new approaches were dismissed by the system. MANHUNT: UNABOMBER is produced by John Goldwyn, serving as consultant to Discovery, Lionsgate, Discovery Channel and Trigger Street Productions. Emmy® Award-winning television producer and director Greg Yaitanes (“Quarry,” “Banshee”) will executive produce, direct and serve as showrunner and Andrew Sodroski, whose “Holland, Michigan” topped Hollywood’s famed Black List for screenplays in 2013, created the series and serves as an Executive Producer. Jim Fitzgerald will serve as Consulting Producer.

FIRST IN HUMAN

All new documentary series premieres August 10 on Discovery

From the first use of chemotherapy for cancer, lithium for depression, and immunosuppressive therapy for lupus, NIH’S Building 10 has been at the forefront of the world’s medical breakthroughs. FIRST IN HUMAN is an unprecedented look inside Building 10, the nation’s largest research hospital, where the medicine of tomorrow is made.  The three-part documentary series explores the lives of the doctors, researchers, and patients who together make progress possible in this cutting-edge testing ground. The series is narrated by Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and Critics Choice® winning actor Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Hidden Figures”), directed by Emmy winner John Hoffman, and executive produced by Hoffman and Emmy winner Dyllan McGee.

RANCHER, FARMER, FISHERMAN

An official selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival premieres August 31 on Discovery

From the Montana Rockies to the Kansas wheat fields and the Gulf of Mexico, families who work the land and sea are crossing political divides to find unexpected ways to protect the natural resources vital to their livelihoods. Narrated by award-winning journalist Tom Brokaw and directed by Emmy®-winning and Oscar-nominated Susan Froemke and Emmy®-winning filmmaker John Hoffman, the film is based on Miriam Horn’s book, “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman: Conservation Heroes of the American Heartland.”

NAKED AND AFRAID AND NAKED AND AFRAID XL

NAKED AND AFRAID airs Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT and XL airs at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery

The television pop culture phenomenon is upping the ante and changing the game with the most real, raw, dangerous and insane moments you won’t see anywhere else on television. Last season, America’s #1 cable survival show garnered over 47M viewers P2+ and this year’s twists and turns promise to deliver naked and extreme television. Each week on NAKED AND AFRAID, meet a new man and woman as they take on the toughest survival challenge out there. Will these survivalists have the emotional strength and drive to endure these grueling conditions and find out what they’re made of? Watch as each couple battles the elements, each other, and their own inner weaknesses to see who will triumph over the terrain, or fail under the force of nature.

On NAKED AND AFRAID XL this season, only 9 survivalists have been selected to conquer the elements and tasked to survive in one of the most grueling and merciless environments on earth… The Amazon. Not only will they need to tackle and overcome this unforgiving terrain, but they need to do so for six weeks, 40 days.

Carspotting

All new series coming this summer on Discovery

Entrepreneurial brothers Carlos and Pedro, coupled with their car savant and best friend Niko, are in the business of re-glorifying the holy grails of American muscle cars. The trio hunt, restore, and sell these abandoned relics in a remote region of the Pacific Northwest, a hidden region for car-hunting gurus. The experts dig around remote locations for classic cars that have been left for dead, and are determined to find the most sought after hidden cars and make huge profits doing it.

Garage Rehab
All new series coming this summer on Discovery

Richard Rawlings is the owner of several successful businesses including Gas Monkey Garage a world-renowned hot rod shop and Gas Monkey Bar and Grill. Now, he’s ready to help other business owners find that same success. So, he’s traveling the country in search of struggling automotive and motorcycle shops that are desperate for cash and on the brink of failure. Will Richard and his team be able to save a struggling garage from closing its doors forever?

Misfit Garage
Returns this summer on Discovery
An all-new season of FAST N’ LOUD spin-off series MISFIT GARAGE revs up with bigger builds and more drama when it returns to Discovery this summer. From Fast N’ Loud producer Pilgrim Media Group, MISFIT GARAGE follows the crew at Fired Up Garage who joined forces to create their own hot rod start-up rivaling FAST N’ LOUD’s Richard Rawlings and his mega-successful Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas. The crew wants to prove once and for all that they’re the best and make Fired Up the #1 shop in the world for custom street rods. But things don’t always go so smoothly.