DISCOVERY'S #1-RATED SHOW "GOLD RUSH" RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON WITH NEW CREWS, NEW MACHINES AND BOLD CHALLENGES

Two-Hour GOLD RUSH Season Premiere Kicks off Friday, October 17, at 9 PM ET/PT with The Dirt Airing at 8 PM ET/PT on the Discovery Channel

(Los Angeles, Calif.) - Discovery's ambitious gold miners are back at it again and the stakes have never been higher. Who's in and who's out? This season, everything has changed - new miners, new claims, new machines and new ways to pull gold out of the ground. But will big risks lead to an even bigger pay out? Discovery's #1-rated show GOLD RUSH returns for its fifth season on Friday, October 17 at 9 PM ET/PT, with the pre-show The Dirt, hosted by series executive producer Christo Doyle, at 8 PM ET/PT.

Returning this season is 20-year-old Parker Schnabel who proved himself in only his rookie season mining the Klondike - raking in over 1,000 ounces of gold worth 1.4 million dollars. Parker is taking off his "training wheels" this year, setting an unprecedented goal of 2,000 ounces worth more than $2.5 million dollars - double his take from last season. Parker re-invests every last cent in a mad scramble to get to good gold, asks more of his crew than ever before and manages to steal one of rival gold miner Todd Hoffman's top mechanics. If Parker can hit his lofty goal, he could be on his way to becoming a Klondike legend. If not, it will become clear that his first season was simply a stroke of good luck.

Last season, Todd Hoffman rolled the dice and fell flat on his face. He hit rock bottom after braving the jungles of Guyana, South America, in an attempt to make a fortune along with his father Jack, Dave Turin, Jim Thurber and the rest of the Hoffman crew. This year, Todd is back at square one. His right hand man, Dave, has had enough, deserting Todd to mine with legends Freddie and Derek Dodge. Not only has Todd lost his land, most of his money, his crew, but worst of all, he has lost his dignity. His dream of mining in the jungle nearly destroyed him, but will he be able to rise from the ashes and turn things around? Or will this be the season that Todd throws in the towel once and for all? One thing is for certain -- Todd will not go down without a fight.

Meanwhile, Tony Beets and his crew dive in full-time to take on the unthinkable. Tony, known throughout the Klondike as "The Viking," buys a million dollar, 75-year-old floating gold dredge. But to resurrect the gold catching monster, he needs to take it apart piece by piece. The 210-foot dredge hasn't been used in over 30 years and is a risky proposition. Can The Viking resurrect the machine capable of pulling millions out of the ground or will he be left with a 1,000 metal pieces of junk?

Also returning is the GOLD RUSH pre-show The Dirt, a series of one-hour shows, beginning 8 PM ET/PT on Friday, October 17. Series Executive Producer Christo Doyle sits down with the miners to get the inside scoop on all things GOLD RUSH. Fans are given the unique opportunity to interact with the miners and get access to behind-the-scenes, cutting room floor material that never makes it into the show.

With shocking twist and turns, season 5 of GOLD RUSH introduces fresh blood, new claims and MORE GOLD than ever seen before. Tune in on October 17 for a season of GOLD RUSH like none other.

GOLD RUSH is produced for Discovery Channel by Raw Television, where Dimitri Doganis and James Bates are executive producers and Marc Heffernan is series producer. For Discovery Channel, Christo Doyle is executive producer and Meagan Davis is producer.

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 and territories, 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 two billion cumulative subscribers in 223 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 162 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Across the Nordic region, Discovery owns and operates SBS Discovery Media, a top-three portfolio of 20 television brands that feature leading nonfiction content, as well as locally produced entertainment programs, sports and the best scripted series and movies from major studios. Discovery also is the leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of digital textbooks, and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.