Tag Archives: Discovery Channel

Kristy Lee’s Secret and a Deadliest Controversy?

After being a bottom vote getter for four of the last six weeks, Kristy Lee Cook was finally eliminated from “American Idol” last week, despite getting praise from the week’s mentor Mariah Carey. The country singer, who sold her horse to buy a ticket to the auditions, was sad to leave, but there is a little something keeping her upbeat. Kristy Lee could finally disclose to the press that her boyfriend Andy proposed to her in her Idol apartment on March 15. He proposed again last Wednesday night on the set of Idol, dropping to his knee this time. No … Continue reading →

Discovery Channel’s Shark Week: I Stand Corrected

Earlier this week I wondered if the Discovery Channel was sending mixed messages with its Shark Week programming. On the one hand they had sponsors like the Ocean Conservancy advocating shark awareness and conservation, but on the other they were running programs like Ocean of Fear, which, well, inspires fear of sharks. I’ve been following some of the other shows they’ve aired this week. They’re not just running sensational shark attack stories. (Although they are running a fair amount of those as well.) They’re also running ones that feature people trying to better understand and save sharks. The Myth of … Continue reading →

Shark Week on Discovery Channel: Mixed Messages?

Last night the Discovery Channel kicked off its 20th anniversary celebration of Shark Week with a documentary: “Ocean of Fear: Worst Shark Attack Ever.” It examined what happened to the surviving soldiers left to float in the water for five days in the Philippine Sea after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during WWII. (If you missed it they’ll replay it again on August 4 and September 2.) Here’s the thing: the documentary was dandy. It was entertaining and thought-provoking, but also frightening. Not that it was scary like a horror movie but it emphasized the dangerous and predatory nature … Continue reading →

A New Steve Irwin Special to Air January 21st

It has been about four months since we all learned of the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. I still find it hard to believe he is gone. He worked with creatures far more dangerous than the stingray that killed him. After Steve’s death, we heard all types of statistics about how stingray attacks are rare and even then, even fewer are fatal. I cannot remember the exact statistic, but I think I remember Steve was the first person to be killed by a stingray in something like 40+ years. You may have watched the memorial that aired for Steve … Continue reading →