• by Paul Gough , March 30, 2003

Discovery Networks has set out its plans for the upcoming TV season, nearly doubling original productions at its flagship Discovery Channel and expanding unscripted offerings at TLC and Discovery Health Channel. It's also the first upfront for the newly branded Discovery Times Channel, which launched last week.

The company's namesake channel - which has 86.5 million households in the U.S. - plans more original series and miniseries and an expansion of some of its franchise shows. Moving beyond Monster Garage (which will return) is Monster House, which uses hammer and blowtorch for home renovation. Among the renewals are Unsolved History and Surprise By Design. The channel will work with the BBC on Ancient Evidence and Heroes of D-Day, which will mark the 60th anniversary of the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy. Shark Week will return for a 17th year and be complemented by Discovery's first Bike Week.

"This next upfront will see the fruits of the substantial programming investments we implemented over the past year. We have already seen strong success with the introduction of new series and personalities and this coming year will see a dramatic increase in innovation, high-quality original series and specials that define Discovery," said Clark Bunting, EVP/general manager of Discovery.

TLC renews its two unscripted phenomena, Trading Spaces and While You Were Out, along with Junkyard Wars, Mega Machines and Demolition. What Not To Wear, which received a preview in January, is on the third quarter schedule. TLC plans several specials around Trading Spaces, including a win-a-house challenge in Q4, a $100,000 challenge in Q1, celebrity specials and a look behind the scenes in Q2 and a blooper show in Q3 2004.

Animal Planet offers several new series, including Beverly Hills Vet, Five Go Wild, Pet Found and Miami Animal Vice. Beverly Hills Vet follows an animal behaviorist who makes house calls in Los Angeles. Miami Animal Vice shows the Florida city's animal control division in action as it rescues wild and domestic animals. A partnership with scientist Jane Goodall announced last week is leading to a program about Goodall's work with chimpanzees at the Gombe National Park in Tanzania. Returning shows include The Jeff Corwin Experience, The Pet Psychic, Animal Precinct, The Crocodile Hunter and Pet Star.

The Travel Channel's new offerings include new series Made in America and Get Packing plus the Q2 rollout of three new primetime programs: Road Trip, which takes tours of interest to fans of TV, movies, sports and other genres; The Jim Rose Twisted Tour, an unscripted series that gives a behind-the-scenes look at a performing troupe; and the World Poker Tour, a 13-episode series that will culminate in the World Poker Tour Championship.

Discovery Health Channel will continue its focus on parenting, babies, weight loss and what it calls transformation. Returning series include Berman and Berman, Plastic Surgery Before and After, Super Surgery, Impact: Stories of Survival; Medical Profile and American Baby. Two new shows are Buff Brides, which follow prospective brides on their way to fitness and American Medical Honors, an awards show.

BBC America will continue its mix of 75% original programming, with programs like Changing Rooms (the progenitor of Trading Spaces), Monty Python and Absolutely Fabulous. BBC America will premiere Cambridge Spies, Waking the Dead and Ground Force America.