The BEST episodes of Discovery Channel Documentaries season 2012
Every episode of Discovery Channel Documentaries season 2012, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Discovery Channel Documentaries season 2012!
Documentaries that have been produced by the Discovery Channel.
#1 - The World's Most Expensive Cars
Season 2012 - Episode 19 - Aired 12/20/2012
Velocity Classic Special: The Auto Union is one of the rarest & most expensive race cars in history. This special focuses on the controversy surrounding its auction in Paris France (2007).
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#2 - Falklands Hero: Bravo November
Season 2012 - Episode 42 - Aired 3/27/2012
While filming Frontline Battle Machines in Afghanistan, Mike Brewer was aboard a Chinook describing the vital work that these helicopters do in the theatre of war when the vehicle was sent on an urgent MERT mission to pick up servicemen injured in a firefight with the Taliban. During the rescue the pilot, Ian Fortune, was shot in the head, but courageously managed to land the aircraft. Back at base - as Ian was patched up - Mike found out that the helicopter, Bravo November, was The longest serving helicopter in the Royal Air Force. This ignited in him a desire to discover the full story behind the aircraft and the Chinook fleet it is still part of. Bravo November has been in service since 1982 and has served in the Falkland Islands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Kurdistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. And it was in the Falklands where it first entered the public consciousness.
#3 - Reign of the Dinosaurs: Evolution's Winners
Season 2012 - Episode 37 - Aired 12/6/2012
This episode highlights new discoveries that shed light on the evolution from early dinosaurs such as the tiny Eoraptor to the bizarre looking crested dinosaurs of the Jurassic to the giant carnivores such as Tyrannosaurus Rex.
#4 - Reign of the Dinosaurs: The Watering Hole
Season 2012 - Episode 38 - Aired 12/7/2012
This episode transports us to the town of Lourinha, Portugal, where the largest concentration of fossils in Europe exists. We’ll show you how this watering hole looked 150 million years ago, during the late Jurassic, where giant sauropods (four-legged herbivores) took a break along migration routes.
#5 - Reign of the Dinosaurs: Survival Tactics
Season 2012 - Episode 39 - Aired 12/8/2012
Remember the ferocious Velociraptors made famous by "Jurassic Park?" Watch as bigger versions of them, Utahraptors, take down larger prey by hunting in groups. It takes revolutionary adaptations to stay alive during the era of the dinosaur, and this episode exposes how different species changed to survive.
#6 - Reign of the Dinosaurs: End Game
Season 2012 - Episode 40 - Aired 12/9/2012
We get an up close and personal look at how they lived, from nesting in pairs to caring for their young and how they played together. The reign of the T.Rex ended when the impact of a huge asteroid hurtling toward Earth decimated the dinosaur population -- but not all dinosaurs died.
#7 - Sport Under Threat
Season 2012 - Episode 21 - Aired 7/15/2012
SPORT UNDER THREAT looks at how organisers of sporting events handle the increased risk of terrorist activity, learning from past events that were disrupted by terrorism. Find out what security measures being taken at current major sports events, including housing special forces and attack helicopters in the Royal Navy's biggest warship the HMS Ocean, which will be anchored in the Thames during the 2012 Olympic Games.
#8 - Sport Under Threat
Season 2012 - Episode 41 - Aired 7/15/2012
SPORT UNDER THREAT looks at how organisers of sporting events handle the increased risk of terrorist activity, learning from past events that were disrupted by terrorism. Find out what security measures being taken at current major sports events, including housing special forces and attack helicopters in the Royal Navy's biggest warship the HMS Ocean, which will be anchored in the Thames during the 2012 Olympic Games.
#9 - Finding Atlantis
Season 2012 - Episode 22 - Aired 7/17/2012
They say it was the most advanced society in the world: the most powerful army and navy, the most incredible architecture and riches beyond imagination. And, they say it vanished in a single day and a single night. The most extraordinary civilization, lost forever. And what if this astonishing tale was true? The discovery of Atlantis would change history. Myth would become reality. And we would meet for the first time an advanced culture, one that changes what we know about the progress of Western civilization. Now, the impossible may be in our grasp...Archeologists have identified a stele that may have stood at the entrance of this very city. It records a symbol suggestive of Atlantis; carved in stone is what looks to be an Atlantean warrior, guarding the entrance to the lost, multi-ringed city. Finding Atlantis follows a team of Spanish, American and Canadian scientists as they employ satellite space photography, ground penetrating radar, underwater archaeology, and historical sleuthing in an effort to find a lost civilization. Calgary-based Geophysicist Paul Bauman is one of those scientists examining the ancient site. "I'm a lot like a radiologist on a surgical team - I can provide archeologists with a lot of information, non-intrusively," says Bauman. In the vast mudflats of the Guadalquivir river delta, scientists examined strange geometric shadows of what look to be the remains of a ringed city. Here, Bauman and others employed the most advanced imaging technologies in the world to determine whether or not an ancient cataclysm suddenly buried a thriving civilization under metres and metres of ocean and mud. "There is evidence of cataclysmic events happening in that region over the course of history. There's no question about earthquake hazards and a tsunami specifically hitting this exact spot. There is also evidence further inland of memorial sites established by refugees fleeing such a cataclysm," says Bauman. Finding Atlant
#10 - Ultimate Armored Car: The Presidential Beast
Season 2012 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/12/2012
Ultimate Armored Car: The Presidential Beast takes a in-depth look at the world’s ultimate armored vehicle; Cadillac One, The Beast, a key component in the Presidents security detail. The custom elements are the work of Texas Armoring Corporation, a company that has armored hundreds of cars for celebrities, athletes, and heads of state. This high tech team has delivered high-quality custom armored cars across the world. Applying their knowledge of armoring cars, they’ll create the highest-level armor they’ve ever attempted, and put it to the test.
#11 - Zombie Apocalypse
Season 2012 - Episode 18 - Aired 12/18/2012
Could humans really turn into zombies? Hear from scientists who are seriously studying the question, and from the “zombie preppers” who are getting ready for what they believe is the inevitable. It may not be what the Mayans were thinking about when they were creating the Mayan Calendar, but in today’s world many think zombies could actually be a part of society’s demise. Who knows though…perhaps zombies were all part of the Mayan vision of the end.
#12 - Titanic: The Aftermath
Season 2012 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/1/2012
Explores what happened after the Titanic sank: the lives the disaster affected and the changes it brought to sea travel.
#13 - The Ultimate Climb
Season 2012 - Episode 25 - Aired 4/1/2012
Ever since he was a teenager, when he was inspired by the efforts of Bear Grylls, Geordie Stewart has been fired by a hugely ambitious desire - to climb the highest mountain in each of the world's seven continents. Last year, he attempted to fulfill that dream - and Discovery followed him every step of the way. The Ultimate Climb is an absorbing one-off film that features exclusive access to the footage Geordie shot on his epic quest, including some breath-taking moments. It tracks Geordie as he embarks on the greatest test of all, as the intrepid explorer tries to complete his seven summit dream, by climbing the highest and most famous mountain in the world: Everest. If he can achieve his goal, he will set a new record becoming the youngest Briton ever to climb all seven summits.
#14 - Secrets Of Bin Laden's Lair
Season 2012 - Episode 43 - Aired 10/24/2012
When SEAL Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden during Operation Neptune Spear in 2011, they captured a treasure trove of hard drives, computers, videos and personal papers that revealed invaluable information about the world’s most wanted man. Providing an exclusive, razor sharp insight into this highly classified information, one-hour special ‘Secrets Of Bin Laden’s Lair’ explores the herculean effort to seize and analyse this vital intelligence. Featuring exclusive interviews with the government insiders and journalists who were briefed on the findings, this compelling programme uncovers extraordinary details about the personal life of the notorious terrorist, his leadership of Al Qaeda, his life on the run, and chilling evidence of plots against the West. What have intelligence agencies learned from this material and what impact will it have on America’s war against terrorism?
#15 - Alaska Marshals
Season 2012 - Episode 27 - Aired 11/13/2012
Discovery News November 07, 2012 U.S. Marshals in Alaska Track Down Dangerous Fugitives While Battling the Elements in America's Last Frontier -- ALASKA MARSHALS premieres Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 10 PM E/P on Discovery Channel -- (Los Angeles, Ca.) In Alaska, America’s last frontier, some of the country’s most hardened criminals are on the run. In this cold, unforgiving landscape, only the most highly-trained deputies – with expertise in wilderness tracking and survival – are up to the task of hunting down and apprehending these extremely dangerous fugitives. ALASKA MARSHALS, takes viewers inside the barren Alaskan wilderness where law enforcement is unlike any other assignment in the U.S. Marshal Service. Each year, hundreds of fugitives flee here hoping to escape from the law. But this hasn’t stopped the dozen Marshals in charge from successfully taking down over 2,500 criminals in the past decade. For most of these Marshals, Alaska is home. Besides breaking the law, the biggest mistake these criminals make is thinking they could outsmart the deputies by hiding in their backyard.
#16 - Mayday Fire in the Hold
Season 2012 - Episode 28 - Aired 8/10/2012
When mysterious cargo boxes ignite on ValuJet flight 592, they bring the whole plane down within a short time. The investigator struggle to find out what kind of cargo could possibly cause such fierce fire to bring a whole plane down.
#17 - Osama Bin Laden: The Finish
Season 2012 - Episode 29 - Aired 10/18/2012
The riveting inside story of the biggest manhunt in history, the search for Osama Bin Laden, including a startling new revelation on the origin of the plans for 9/11. After masterminding the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden vanished. Over the course of the next decade, America discovered that its war with al Qaeda - a scattered group of individuals who were almost impossible to track - required a more innovative approach. Discovery Channel presents OSAMA BIN LADEN: THE FINISH on October 17 at 10 PM ET/PT, based on author Mark Bowden's gripping new book, "The Finish: The Killing of Osama bin Laden" (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2012) which was released today. With access to key military and agency sources, OSAMA BIN LADEN: THE FINISH goes inside the rooms where decisions were made and on the ground where the action unfolded. The one-hour special begins by looking at the tragic 2009 suicide bombing by a Jordanian triple agent who killed 10, including Jennifer Matthews, a mother of three and the CIA operative leading the hunt for bin Laden. A new strategy is needed to find bin Laden. Based off of Bowden's meticulously researched book that included first hand reporting, exclusive access to the White House and an exclusive interview with President Obama, the special looks at the step-by-step development to finally track down bin Laden and how intelligence agencies and special ops gathered information to find al-Qaeda and Taliban targets. After thousands of Special Forces missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the right weapon to go after bin Laden had finally evolved. By spring 2011, intelligence pointed to a compound in Abbottabad; it was estimated that there was a fifty-fifty chance that bin laden was there. OSAMA BIN LADEN: THE FINISH gives viewers a look at the top-secret strategies employed to finish the mission and President Obama's campaign promise: to get bin Laden. David Keane of Wild Eyes Productions, Bowden'
#18 - Death Row: The Final 24 Hours
Season 2012 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/30/2012
What happens in the final 24 hours before an execution? Hear extraordinary insider stories told by the men who work on death row: the last minute appeals, what happens when things go wrong, and what it feels like to share a man's final moments on earth.
#19 - Shark Week 2012: 25 Best Bites
Season 2012 - Episode 32 - Aired 8/1/2012
In honor of Shark Week's 25th anniversary, we count down the breaches and bites that have captivated audiences for all these years and kept them coming back for more.
#20 - Birth of a Kia Optima
Season 2012 - Episode 34 - Aired 9/22/2012
From conception to creation, witness the birth of the KIA Optima; get an all-access pass inside the innovative design and manufacturing operation and experience what it takes to design and build these vehicles.
#21 - Meet the Elephant Man
Season 2012 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/12/2012
Experts use photographs and first-hand accounts to produce a virtual re-creation of Joseph Merrick's body, examining how the proteus syndrome sufferer dealt with his condition.
#22 - An Inside Look: Secrets of the Inca
Season 2012 - Episode 35 - Aired 11/12/2012
A look into the culture of the people of Peru as it relates to their Inca heritage. Festivals in Cuzco today celebrating the Inca Sun god and the wonders of Maccu Picchu are only some of the topics covered in this documentary.
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#23 - The 9-11 Tapes: Chaos in the Sky
Season 2012 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/19/2012
Newly released audio recordings which offer a unique insight and moving perspective on 9/11 and the fateful minutes that changed America forever. On the morning of the attacks, hundreds of hours of military and air traffic control conversations were captured on tape painting a chilling and tragic picture of events spiraling inexorably out of control. With events unfolding at breakneck-speed, the tapes reveal in minute-by-minute detail, the chaos and confusion wrought by the attacks. Revelations include how Air Force fighter jets, scrambled to protect Washington, set out in the wrong direction - ending up 60 miles out across the Atlantic ocean and that permission to shoot down hijacked passenger planes only came through after the last plane crashed. And while air traffic controllers watched the second plane crash into the World Trade Center tower, fighter jets were still 100 miles away from New York and amid all the confusion it took 39 minutes for the news of United 93's hijack to reach the military. With testimonies from the people who appear on the tapes, the film vividly conveys the emotion, courage and panic in the voices of air traffic controllers and military personnel whose job it was to protect America as it came under attack.
#24 - Cruise Ship Disaster: Inside The Costa Concordia
Season 2012 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/19/2012
Cruise Ship Disaster: Inside The Concordia gives you an eyewitness account of the tragedy as the Concordia runs aground. The human and environmental toll captured the attention of the public eye and now Discovery Channel takes you inside the stranded ship. With never before seen footage from the evacuation, you can follow the Concordia passengers as they relive their flight to abandon ship and find safety.
#25 - Alive! Sixty Days Under the Snow
Season 2012 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/25/2012
What is the longest a human can survive without food? How long does it take for hypothermia to set in? Can a human go into a form of hibernation? We tell the story of Peter Skyllberg who defied the weather, biology and human science by surviving for sixty days inside a car buried under a snow drift with only a few snacks. He was forced to live off nothing but snow from Dec 19 2011 until he was finally rescued on February 17 2012. Skyllberg was rescued by chance as a man on a passing snowmobile stopped thinking he had found a crashed car, after digging through a metre of snow to peer in he saw Peter wrapped in a sleeping bag in the back seat. When Peter was pulled out of the car he was suffering from hypothermia, starvation and was barely able to speak and now the questions as to his survival have begun.