New York Comic-Con audiences will get an exciting and exclusive first-look at Science Channel’s all-new series, SECRET SPACE ESCAPES, on Saturday, October 10 at 5:15 PM in Room 1A21. The panel will feature astronauts and space travelers Robert Curbeam, Jerry Linenger and Soyeon Yi with Alex George, Tech Editor for Popular Mechanics, serving as moderator.
The panel will reveal never-before-seen footage and rare first-hand accounts by the people who lived and endured the harrowing near misses, toxic contamination, fires in space, outages and landings gone wrong. In addition, fans will be treated to a special appearance from one astronaut who gives singer David Bowie a run for his money.
Fans will get to see exclusive clips and receive unprecedented access behind-the-scenes at Industrial Light & Magic, as science and creativity give birth to some of today's top films. The secrets behind AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, STAR WARS, JURRASIC PARK, and many more will be revealed during this once-in-a-lifetime panel. Join Science Channel as they celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Industrial Light & Magic at this year's Comic-Con like no one else can. Come see exclusive footage and hear from some of ILM’s finest featuring Lorne Peterson, John Goodson and Jeff White at this VIP experience where the science behind the movies is unveiled for the first time ever.
This Saturday on Science Channel, Kevin Moore and Grant Reynolds take you on another 60 minute adventure as they recreate internet video fails in an all new episode of WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? In each episode, this best friend duo scours the internet for the most epic video fails and then makes it their personal mission to successfully recreate each video. Using science and a little creativity, Kevin and Grant make these experiments safer and bigger than before.
Nope, it's not the newest Japanese robo warrior hero. It's nerdery at its finest.
A massive
glowing “super comet” made its path toward Earth at speeds exceeding
425,000 miles per hour – and Science Channel will air the definitive
special chronicling
its historic voyage. The world premiere special SUPER COMET ISON 2013 will
offer stunning views of the Comet ISON from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter and leading observatories across Earth as it completed its 4.5
trillion mile journey which began
millions of years ago. SUPER COMET ISON 2013 will premiere on Science Channel on Saturday, December 7 at 10PM ET/PT.
What if you could read minds using a Bluetooth device, or have your own personal superhuman Iron Man-style suit? How about curing cancer by inserting a “super chip” into the human body? What was once considered science fiction is more of a reality than you may think. A future that once existed solely in the human imagination is beginning to take shape. Science Channel and celebrated actor James Woods take an unprecedented look at the next breakthroughs in science and technology with the world premiere of the new six-part series FUTURESCAPE WITH JAMES WOODS which debuts Tuesday, November 19 at 10 PM ET/PT.
"Science has fueled my imagination since I was in grade school. I had the benefit of an early education centered around the magic of understanding the universe through this magical process of thinking. My involvement in the creation of FUTURESCAPE is the fulfillment of a life long dream." Says James Woods, host and executive producer of FUTURESCAPE.
Karl Pilkington has experienced things many only dream of. He’s gained notoriety for his pilgrimage to see the Seven Wonders of the World and to conquer the ultimate “Bucket List.” But after all of that, Karl is just as annoyed and unhappy as ever. Now, Ricky Gervais has convinced Karl to embark on another ambitious expedition; from Italy to China following in the footsteps of the famous explorer Marco Polo. Joining Karl on the excursion is Ricky’s diminutive friend–film and television star Warwick Davis (“Life's Too Short”, “Return of Jedi,” the “Harry Potter” franchise)–who tries to raise Karl’s spirits while broadening his perspective on AN IDIOT ABROAD 3, premiering Saturday, January 19 at 9 PM ET/PT on Science Channel.
Before we get into the specifics of this weekend's long awaited special, I have a confession to make. I started in on Firefly...backwards. My first run in with the show was Diamond Select asking for coverage of their tiny action figure line. I wasn't familiar with the property, but I'm sure we ran some news on Action-figure.com. At around the same time, Universal was looking to push the film along the same grass roots channels that got it made in the first place, and so a little toy news site like A-F seemed like a good place to shout out to the masses. We pushed the movie, ran trailers and a contest and for my efforts, the studio sent me a mini poster with autographs from the cast. Remember, I'd never seen the show, but I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer so I held onto the mini and probably wound up seeing the movie when it came to DVD. Suffice to say, I loved what I saw so I went out in search of the TV show and the rest is history. I've lost count of how many devotees of the show I've created by just saying "FUCKING IGNORE that it is a western...and FUCKING IGNORE the space ships. It's Joss Whedon. TRUST ME!!" When people give the show a chance they are more likely to fall in love than not.
I know there are plenty of readers out there waiting for this and now....KARL COMMETH!!! BBC Home Entertainment sends over the details...
"The most expensive practical joke I've ever done."- Ricky Gervais
In this hilarious series Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, co-creators of The Office and Extras, send their friend Karl Pilkington (The Ricky Gervais Show) around the world...against his will. Karl thinks he’s visiting the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but along the way the “Little Englander” must endure camel rides, jungle treks, tribal customs and local oddballs while dining on toads and testicle and searching for a clean bathroom. Will this be the trip of a lifetime, or the vacation from hell? And will Karl even know the difference? Bonus features include The Preview Show, deleted scenes, and a photo gallery.
Now..that's the friendly version. Amazon UK tells a different story and isn't afraid to go heavy on the snark.
Are the Seven Wonders really as wondrous as everybody says? Karl Pilkington doesn't think so, but then Karl is no Michael Palin. He's more of a 'Lanzarote man' to be precise, who hates travelling and prefers throwing sand at crabs or, at a push, eating English food in Spain. In his mind, Pisa is 'badly built ...it's a hazard', the Pyramids have 'a crap design ...all the space at the bottom and not at the top' and the Taj Mahal 'is probably shit at the back'. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are outraged, goading Karl to broaden his mind and visit each of these famous sites for himself. Will a close encounter with Christ the Redeemer in Brazil or a trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu be enough to change their friend? For Ricky and Stephen it is a genuine social experiment. It's full of the unusual observational skills and counter-intuitive logic that the millions of Ricky Gervais podcast fans have learnt to love.
We've also been seeing commercials for the NEW series premiering on the Science Channel January 21, 2012 which sees Karl taking on tasks other people have put on their "Bucket Lists", no matter how bizarre or death defying. Here's the teaser...
Gervais comments "We’re thrilled to return to Science for another grand experiment. It was hard work getting Karl to agree to another torture session, I mean series. It was time to give him a piece of the pie. It will most probably end up in his face. Most people think that the name of our production company, RiSK, is a combination of our initials. It’s also because there is a small chance that Karl could die."
Back to Amazon UK, which is in the future, has already seen the show and is presently selling it, so they can speak on the content...
Everyone’s favourite reluctant traveler is back in the departure lounge, but this time Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are sending Karl Pilkington around the world with a list of the ultimate things to do before you die.
Armed with this definitive bucket list, Karl will be dispatched to far flung corners of the world to swim with dolphins, travel Route 66 and stay on a private desert island, in an attempt to prove whether these so called ‘things to do before you die’ really are what they’re cracked up to be.
After seeing the Seven Wonders, Karl’s not exactly eager to travel again, so he’s only agreed to do another series if the rules change. Karl wants to choose where he goes and what he does from the Bucket List. Ricky and Steve are both happy to go along with Karl’s wishes to get him through the departure gates. Once Karl’s back on the road, they’ll be back to their old tricks though, throwing in unwelcome surprises for Karl along the way to make sure he’s always pushed out of his comfort zone.
Some time back we introduced you to Karl Pilkington, lead jester in Ricky Gervais' twisted universe AKA his normal, everyday life. Karl is the star of The Science Channel's "An Idiot Abroad", pitting a simple man with simple needs against a planet full of adventure, be it in ancient places, interesting people, once in a lifetime events or just a daring night with foods seemingly designed to destroy your bowels. If it is hot and uncomfortable, Ricky will send Karl there. Good times!
Now, having watched a bit of television...we know Ricky Gervais is funny...and we know when Ricky is in the same room as Karl the conversation will be epic (so much so that the setting is often just two chairs and the two people)..so now we'll throw Warwick Davis (the most famous little person on the planet from Harry Potter, Star Wars and my favorite, The Leprechaun) into the mix and let the magic happen.
WARNING: What you are about to watch is too amazing to be real and unscripted...but it is..and it's magic...so take a pee and set down all drinks before watching. You can thank me later.
Keep watching for details of Warwick's new show "Life's Too Short", coming to HBO in 2012, and a second season of "An Idiot Abroad" is filming with the masochist Pilkington for the Science Channel, also for 2012.
You've watched all you can of Monster Quest and generally only get your fix of the odd and unexplained once a year round' October time in one massive dose...but your TV knows you need MORE. Discovery answers the call for further exploration of man clashing with science and those things that actually do go bump in the night...
This August, SCIENCE examines what happens when scientific research goes too far, with the world premiere of DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE. The six-part series takes viewers inside the laboratory to profile strange science and expose some of history’s most bizarre experiments. Hosted by noted science fiction actor John Noble (Fringe, Lord of the Rings), DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE delves into the most unusual research ever conducted, including attempts to crossbreed humans and apes, actual zombie investigations and head transplantation studies. Cutting-edge CGI recreations enable viewers to witness the pivotal moments when brilliant minds face controversy or ethical crossroads on the fringes of science. DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE premieres Wednesday, August 31, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT).
“The stories we share in DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE are as outlandish as a great sci-fi script or as disturbing as a classic horror tale — the only difference is that they’re all true,” said Noble. “The series offers a glimpse into the dark side of science, as well as human nature.”
“DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE offers a fascinating insight into moments of scientific history where individuals went to extreme measures to achieve a breakthrough. It’s impossible to turn away from these true stories that you always assumed were just outlandish urban legends,” said Debbie Adler Myers, general manager and executive vice president of SCIENCE. “This is real science — just the dark side of it, featuring brilliant minds who eventually took a dramatic turn. John Noble is the perfect tour guide to escort viewers through this bizarre world of research gone horribly wrong, but that in some cases, actually led to technology and science that we use today.”
The series premiere features the shocking story of Soviet scientist Dr. Ilya Ivanov, who in the 1920s attempted to start his own “planet of the apes.” In an attempt to build an invincible army, Ivanov tried to crossbreed humans with apes to create a race of supersoldiers. Viewers also will be introduced to Morris Jessup, a self-identified UFO expert who attempted to expose what he believed to be a military cover-up involving experiments with invisibility. Finally, unorthodox studies by America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison, result in a dark and unintended invention which remains infamous today.
DARK MATTERS: TWISTED BUT TRUE is produced for SCIENCE by Wide-Eyed Entertainment. Dan Gold and Jasper James are executive producers for Wide-Eyed Entertainment. Rocky Collins is executive producer and Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production for SCIENCE.
Here's the full episode run down. Mark your calendars!
EPISODE 1: The Philadelphia Experiment, Ape-Man Army, Zapped to Death
Premieres Wednesday August 31, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
UFO expert Morris Jessup tested invisibility and teleportation after receiving an extraordinary letter stating that the U.S. Navy had experimented with this very concept before. Would his investigation be the end of his career?
In the 1920s, Soviet scientist Dr. Ilya Ivanov began performing disturbing experiments to crossbreed humans with apes. Could he create intelligent apes, or would his experiments result in horror?
In the early 20th century, a race was under way to increase America’s flow of electricity. To that end, Thomas Edison conducted a number of unorthodox studies to meet this growing demand. To his surprise and regret, however, these experiments would eventually lead to a dark creation that remains infamous today.
EPISODE 2: Unidentified Flying Nazis, I Have Einstein’s Brain, Killer Thoughts
Premieres Wednesday, September 7, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
A fireball streaks through the skies of Pennsylvania in 1965. Could it be a UFO, or had the U.S. gotten hold of an outlandish piece of Nazi antigravity technology?
After Einstein’s death in 1955, Dr. Thomas Harvey, the man in charge of the autopsy, stole his brain. Does Einstein’s brain hold the key to where genius lies within its physical structure?
During the Cold War, with the world on the brink of nuclear destruction, Russian and American scientists engage in a top-secret psychic arms race.
EPISODE 3: Sexy Secret Agent, Full Body Transplant, Honey I Nuked the Planet
Premieres Wednesday, September 14, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
When a talk show host married a former model, he had no idea that she would reveal she was a brainwashed CIA secret agent. Was she the subject of government mind control experiments, or is her troubled childhood to blame?
When Dr. Robert White transplanted the head of a monkey onto the body of another, had he discovered a way to preserve humanity’s brightest minds? Or was he exercising unnecessary animal cruelty?
In 1962 the United States exploded a 1.4 megaton H-bomb in space. Was this detonation a necessary action taken during the Cold War, or one of mankind’s greatest mistakes that could lead to Armageddon?
EPISODE 4: It’s Alive!, Tripping with Uncle Sam, My Hand Is Killing Me
Premieres Wednesday September 21, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
At the beginning of the 19th century, an Italian scientist believes he has found a way to bring the dead back to life. Could electricity be the God-given vital force of life?
In the late 90s, journalist Hank Albarelli believes he has found a connection between a French town gone insane and the apparent suicide of an American scientist. Is madness contagious, or has Albarelli found himself in the middle of a government conspiracy?
In 1908, a German woman is attacked by the hand of the one who knows her best: her own. Are we alone in our minds, or is there another, darker entity hidden deep within?
EPISODE 5: 21 Grams, Missing Cosmonauts, Sound of Death
Premieres Wednesday, September 28, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
When French scientist Vladimir Gavreau finds his laboratory flooded with a mysterious energy, his research takes a menacing new direction. Had Gavreau invented a new weapon of mass destruction?
At the dawn of the age of space exploration, two radio buffs stumbled across a heart-stopping sound. Were the Soviets covering up a space mission gone terribly wrong?
Boston medic Dr. Duncan MacDougall sets out to scientifically prove the existence of the human soul by weighing a man at the moment of death.
EPISODE 6: Radio Waves of Death, How to Make a Zombie, Jekyll vs. Hyde
Premieres Wednesday, October 5, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
Death by deadly ray sounds like a scene from a science fiction movie. However, the legendary Nikola Tesla claims to have created one in the early 20th century. Some say an 800-mile area in Siberia was devastated during his radio-wave experiments, leaving very few survivors. Could this be true?
Scientist Wade Davis was obsessed with cracking the zombie secrets. After tracking down a man with his own death certificate, he believed he had uncovered the science to zombie legend.
After Dr. Horace Wells fails to invent anesthesia using laughing gas, he experiments with a new drug: chloroform. Wells’ experiments would lead to horrific, devastating mistakes.
So you've got this friend. He's a good friend and a very nice guy, but he's a bit stubborn in his way of thinking. His reactions to situations are what cause people to describe him as having a "unique perspective." He can look completely bored standing in front of the great pyramid but stare, infinitely fascinated, at a baby cow trying to climb a ridge. More importantly, he's willing to try anything once, though he'll complain the whole time if he isn't liking the experience and describe in great detail why its dumb. Ricky Gervais has such a friend and delights in "pushing him into a corner and poking him with a stick" to see what happens next. This is the primary premise behind An Idiot Abroad on the Science Channel.
Ricky Gervais calls An Idiot Abroad, "The most expensive practical joke I've ever done." Ricky and longtime friend Stephen Merchant are sending their uncultured colleague, Karl Pilkington to visit the 7 Wonders of the World. Will it open his eyes or will he hate every second?
And now that you've been properly introduced, here's a sample...
I know there are plenty of readers out there waiting for this and now....KARL COMMETH!!! BBC Home Entertainment sends over the details...
Some time back we introduced you to Karl Pilkington, lead jester in Ricky Gervais' twisted universe AKA his normal, everyday life. Karl is the star of The Science Channel's "An Idiot Abroad", pitting a simple man with simple needs against a planet full of adventure, be it in ancient places, interesting people, once in a lifetime events or just a daring night with foods seemingly designed to destroy your bowels. If it is hot and uncomfortable, Ricky will send Karl there. Good times!
You've watched all you can of Monster Quest and generally only get your fix of the odd and unexplained once a year round' October time in one massive dose...but your TV knows you need MORE. Discovery answers the call for further exploration of man clashing with science and those things that actually do go bump in the night...
So you've got this friend. He's a good friend and a very nice guy, but he's a bit stubborn in his way of thinking. His reactions to situations are what cause people to describe him as having a "unique perspective." He can look completely bored standing in front of the great pyramid but stare, infinitely fascinated, at a baby cow trying to climb a ridge. More importantly, he's willing to try anything once, though he'll complain the whole time if he isn't liking the experience and describe in great detail why its dumb. Ricky Gervais has such a friend and delights in "pushing him into a corner and poking him with a stick" to see what happens next. This is the primary premise behind An Idiot Abroad on the Science Channel.