Kicking off its 27th consecutive year in the television limelight, this past Sunday, August 10th, Discovery's annual sharktastic event began with a record-setting debut. Pulling in a record-breaking 3.825 million viewers for new program "Air Jaws: Fin of Fury", the inaugural evening of Shark Week was one of many firsts and viral sensation.
Creating a frenzy amongst American viewers, the programming for this year's Shark Week is far more intense than anyone expected. Fourteen hours of tantalizing shark-filled scenes makes this year's coverage the most comprehensive in the series' history, and popular evening show "Shark After Dark" will bring viewers an up-close and personal view of the dangerous fish.
A bit of backlash has arisen of Discovery's past specials during Shark Week, highlighting their exploitation of the fish's predatory nature. And the extent of celebrity involvement has not helped with the popular opinion amongst biologists and conservationists in the field.
"I'm kind of disappointed, and think most researchers are too" director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, George Burgess said. "It obviously is a big draw, but I'm afraid that the programs have gone more to entertainment and less to documentary over the years. It's kind of a shame, because [Discovery] has the opportunity to teach good stuff in what's going on with science."
But in spite of some opinions, this year's programs are far more inclusive of the scientific community. Bringing in a large panel of professional experts in the field of marine biology, with a focus on these majestic and frightening vertebrates, viewers can expect a splash of a show accompanied by a wealth of knowledge about the seas.
Sparking a social phenomenon on nearly every networking site, Shark Week "continues to take a bite out of the social conversation" Discovery says. "Driving more than four million interactions on Facebook on Sunday, the premiere lineup kept #SharkWeek a trending topic on Facebook all day, and drove 11 trending topics on Twitter during primetime." A ten percent increase from last year's total interaction. And that's just the beginning of the conversation!
Although the entire week will be dedicated to shark species and the nature of the seas, a few new programs that might peak your interest are listed below. So set your DVR or tune in throughout the week for your fill of sharks and daily dose of the predators of the sea.
Programs (Check Local Listings for Times):
Tuesday Aug. 12
8pm: "Monster Hammerhead" explores the 60-year-long career of a hammerhead shark that has patrolled Florida's shores for an entire generation, becoming somewhat of an urban legend.
9pm: "Alien Sharks: Return to the Abyss" follows researcher Paul Clerkin into the Indian Ocean in search of the elusive bioluminescent sharks that live at the ocean's depths.
Wednesday Aug. 13
8pm: "Lair of the Mega Shark" takes us to New Zealand on a life-or-death mission to bust the myth of sightings of a 20-foot-long great white that is the doppelganger of a fish native Maoris call the "lord of the sharks".
9pm: "Zombie Sharks"
Thursday Aug. 14
9pm: "I Escaped Jaws II" is a shark feature about attack stories told from the perspective of the survivors with actual footage of the attacks. (May contain graphic footage)
Friday Aug. 15
8pm: "Megalodon: The Extended Cut" is another view of the April 2013 event where an entire fishing vessel off of the coast of South Africa was attached, and everyone on board was killed.
Saturday Aug. 16
9pm: "Great White Matrix" follows shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder on a dare-devil expedition into shark infested waters of Australia.
