Discovery Channel celebrates 25 years of biting
programming
By Mekeisha Madden Toby
Special to MSN TV
Sharks are complicated creatures.They are both the gangsters of the sea and,
in the case of the great white variety, endangered because of man. Such facts
are common knowledge, ... more thanks in large part to the Discovery Channel, which for
25 years' worth of summers has brought us closer and closer to these fascinating
and dangerous predators via the safety and comfort of our living rooms.
In time for the anniversary and this year's kickoff of Shark Week, which
begins Sunday, Aug. 12, we've compiled a list of 10 things we love about this
bitingly beautiful and epic television event. From the ads to the specials,
slogans and pop-culture references, Shark Week is yummy chum for those who might
not go in the water but can't wait to fill their jaws with all things
Selachii.
1. The 25th anniversary of Shark Week
There's something oddly comforting about the fact that the Discovery Channel
has been teaching and frightening us about sharks for a quarter of a century.
Blame it on nostalgia or this country's love of milestones, but this kind of TV
benchmark is something special, as are slogans such as "Treat every week like
it's Shark Week" and "Bite after bite."
Don't believe us? Do a Bing search on Chompie the Inflatable Shark. He's the
fabric shark -- OK, he's mostly a head, fin, flippers and a tail -- the
Discovery Communications' folks attach to their headquarters building in
Maryland to trumpet Shark Week. The tradition began in 2007, when the network
celebrated its 20th anniversary of Shark Week, but last year, when Chompie was
MIA, some residents and fans cried foul. Yeah, people like their inflatables.
Bing: More about Shark Week | Pics of Chompie
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(Discovery Channel/Scot Anderson)
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