DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRESENTS ALASKA WEEK APRIL 20-26

(Silver Spring, Md) � Discovery Channel explores America's rugged and spectacular last great frontier during ALASKA WEEK, premiering April 20-26 at 9PM ET/PT each night. From a look at the region's environmental concerns to programs that showcase the everyday working world of Alaska, immersive and powerful episodes capture the full, dangerous beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. A groundbreaking premiere special, EXPEDITION ALASKA, kicks off the week on Sunday, April 20 at 9 PM (ET/PT), and follows a team of scientists and naturalists as they assess the impact of global warming on Alaska.

In another ALASKA WEEK first, a dramatic and visceral new seven-part series, THE ALASKA EXPERIMENT, premieres Tuesday, April 22 at 10 PM (ET/PT) with subsequent episodes airing Tuesdays at 10 PM (ET/PT). This series documents the epic struggle of man vs. nature, as four groups of ordinary people struggle to survive in the tremendous Alaskan wilderness for nearly three long months. Living in shelters ranging from cabins to canvas tents, the teams of friends, families, and couples are outfitted with basic food stuffs and equipment, but to survive, they need to learn to hunt, fish, and cut their own firewood. Will they be tough enough to take on the freezing, brutal environment?

The full list of ALASKA WEEK programs follows:

EXPEDITION ALASKA

Sunday, April 20, 9 PM (ET/PT)

A team of naturalists, scientists and wilderness filmmakers explore the effects of global warming on the Alaskan wilderness, an environment that features some of the world's most stunning landscapes and is experiencing change faster than anywhere on the planet.

DIRTY JOBS: FLOATING FISH FACTORY

Monday, April 21, 9 PM (ET/PT)

Host Mike Rowe travels to Alaska for an epic adventure aboard a fish processing ship. Braving freezing temperatures, treacherous seas, and learning the fine art of bleeding and gutting fish, Rowe gains a new appreciation for the men and women who get dirty on a daily basis to keep fresh fish on our dinner table.

DEADLIEST CATCH

Tuesday, April 22, 9 PM (ET/PT)

In this episode of the popular series' fourth season, the crab fishing fleet is underway on the icy Bering Sea, but the crews face frustrating setbacks. Mechanical breakdowns slow the Northwestern and the Wizard, while the Time Bandit hits the jackpot. Plain old hard work starts to separate the greenhorns on the Wizard, and the entire crew of the Cornelia Marie is in danger.

THE ALASKA EXPERIMENT: INTO THE WILDS

Tuesday, April 22, 10 PM (ET/PT)

This episode kicks off a new seven-part series, premiering Tuesdays at 10PM. In this episode, four groups of friends, families, and couples are introduced. They've been dropped into the remote Alaskan wilderness and must now find their shelters. Confronted with danger just minutes into their journey, the groups must overcome bears, glaciers, and their fears as the ultimate test of survival begins.

MYTHBUSTERS: ALASKA SPECIAL

Wednesday, April 23, 9 PM (ET/PT)

Alaska is one of the most extreme places on Earth and for the MythBusters, it provides an ideal habitat to test Alaskan anecdotes. Packing up their sleds, snowshoes and gold pans, the team gears up for some northern exposure, but will the myths withstand the freeze?

FUTURE WEAPONS: ALASKA SPECIAL

Thursday, April 24, 9 PM (ET/PT)

Venturing into the intense battlefield of Alaska, host Richard �Mack� Machowicz takes viewers on a wild ride as he tests one of the world's best sniper rifles for cold weather warfare, fires a 105mm canon from the newest Styker armored vehicle, and learns how to become virtually invisible from the enemy by using a smoke generator to hides heat and radar signatures.

SURVIVING ALASKA

Friday, April 25, 9 PM (ET/PT)

People have been living in Alaska for longer than anywhere else in America, and vigilance in this part of the world is not just practical -- it's a matter of survival. In this special, SURVIVORMAN host Les Stroud will put his survival skills to the test as he embarks on a quest to find out how the inhabitants of this frontier survive. With the help and guidance of experts and Alaskan natives, Stroud experiences some of the most extreme weather scenarios that nature has to offer.

MAN VS. WILD: ALASKAN MOUNTAIN RANGE

Saturday, April 26, 9 PM (ET/PT)

He has traveled the Arctic and climbed Everest; now adventurer Bear Grylls faces the icy peaks of the Chugach Mountains in Alaska, one of the toughest known environments on the planet. Bear puts himself into the position of a stranded skier and uses his specialist survival skills to journey through glacier tunnels, forests, treacherous ice floes, and across extreme mountain slopes.

About Discovery Communications:

Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.