Robin Williams, Samuel L. Jackson and Brendan Fraser Join the All Star Hosts of Discovery Channel's 'CURIOSITY'

-- Television Series Event Premieres Sunday, August 7 at 8PM E/P on Discovery Channel --

(Silver Spring, Md. ) Discovery Channel announced today that Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams and stars Samuel L. Jackson and Brendan Fraser will join the cast of hosts for the landmark event series CURIOSITY premiering Sunday, August 7 at 8PM E/P and airing each Sunday. From the visionary mind of Discovery's iconic founder John Hendricks comes an unprecedented new special series bringing the 'I wonder?' moment to television with a unique array of provocative subjects such as Williams studying what drugs do to our bodies, Jackson surveying how the world might end and Fraser digging deep to study what really lies beneath Egypt.

In addition to Williams, Jackson and Fraser, CURIOSITY hosts include actor, auteur director Eli Roth testing the nature of evil, Academy Award(R) winner Morgan Freeman investigating the possibility of a parallel universe, Maggie Gyllenhaal exploring why sex is fun, Lost and Avatar star Michelle Rodriguez asking how we might survive an alien attack, Morgan Spurlock seeing if living as a primitive caveman would actually improve our health, MythBusters' Adam Savage testing if we can really live forever and award-winning filmmaker and Dirty Jobs' Mike Rowe revealing the hidden live organisms that call our bodies home.

"We all wonder. Curiosity is the driving force in every discovery that has advanced our civilization. From the most obscure details to the biggest questions of our lives, the innate desire to ask why makes us uniquely human. Each week, the CURIOSITY series will capture that fundamental sense of wonder and present an engaging visualization of our minds' search for answers," said John Hendricks, Founder and Chairman of Discovery Communications and CURIOSITY Series Creator.

Online viewers whose wonder has been set to overdrive by CURIOSITY the series, can find in-depth video interviews with an eclectic cavalcade of experts, short segments from the show, articles related to episodes and blogs from writers dedicated to thoughtfully dissecting episode questions at: www.curiosity.com. In addition, CURIOSITY is multi-platform in offering educational opportunities through partnerships with Discovery Retreats, Discovery Education, and top colleges and universities.

CURIOSITY premieres Sunday, August 7 at 8PM E/P on Discovery Channel as the biggest mystery of the universe is posed by the biggest name in science: Professor Stephen Hawking asks, 'Did God Create the Universe?' CURIOSITY spans five years with 60 episodes and companion content across Science Channel, HD Theater, Planet Green, and Discovery's international networks.

CURIOSITY launches with a bang on Sunday, August 7th -- some might even say a Big Bang, as world-renown astrophysicist Stephen Hawking unabashedly takes on the third rail of academia. For centuries religion and science have clashed over the question of explaining the universe. How was the world created? Can the laws of Nature co-exist equally with a belief in God? Blending cutting-edge CGI with unparalleled scholarship, Hawking traces the ancient discoveries of Artistocus and Galileo to the scientific breakthroughs of Einstein in arguing that the simple properties of our universe far outweigh the possibility of the invisible hand of God.

Following CURIOSITY, Discovery Channel presents a special roundtable discussion at 9PM E/P featuring well-known theologians challenging Hawking's findings and theories. The special panel of experts will explore mysteries at the heart of the cosmos, including a question that resonates for our modern world: 'how can science and religion coexist?'

CURIOSITY: Did God Create the Universe? is produced for Discovery Channel by Darlow Smithson. John Smithson and Ben Bowie are Executive Producers. Susan Winslow is Executive Producer for Discovery Channel. For the CURIOSITY series, Simon Andreae is the senior executive producer and Alan Eyres is executive producer.

Intel, (C) Nissan North America and University of Phoenix are presenting sponsors of CURIOSITY.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 130-plus worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as US joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

About Discovery Retreats

Discovery Retreats are a new vacation concept that blends lifelong learning with unique travel experiences. Inspired and developed by John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel, these themed retreats provide a gathering place for the "incurably curious." The retreats combine exclusive opportunities for adult learners to mingle with leading visionaries on compelling topics - ranging from curiosity and happiness to dinosaurs, the universe and beyond. Based in the majestic Red Rocks region of Western Colorado at the Gateway Canyons Resort, Discovery Retreats inspire participants to challenge and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit. For more information, visit Discoveryretreats.com.