The BEST episodes of Discovery Channel Documentaries season 2014

#1 - Everest Avalanche Tragedy

Season 2014 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/4/2014

Originally announced as a series following Joby Ogwyn's preparation as he trains to become the first person to jump from the peak of Mount Everest. The series would have culminated in attempting the stunt live on air. However due to the death of 12 Sherpa guides on April the 18th, the stunt was cancelled and instead NBC News will use the footage shot to present a special documentary highlighting the events leading up to the tragedy.

#2 - Eaten Alive

Season 2014 - Episode 19 - Aired 12/7/2014

Naturalist and wildlife filmmaker Paul Rosolie enters the belly of an anaconda in a snake-proof suit.

#3 - Skyscraper Live with Nik Wallenda

Season 2014 - Episode 26 - Aired 11/2/2014

#4 - Santa Sent Me to the ER

Season 2014 - Episode 24 - Aired 12/13/2014

It’s “Ho, ho, oh no!” as, ‘Santa Sent Me To The ER’, unwraps the mortifyingly hilarious details of what really happens when Christmas cheer leads to “oh dear.” Each year, millions of Americans dream of celebrating the perfect holiday. Now, real people confess how their holiday dreams turned into yuletide nightmares. When their high expectations turn into spectacular disasters it’s up to trained medical professionals to pick up the pieces. We’re there as they sort out the details and patch up the damage, all the while keeping up just enough Christmas spirit to hopefully save the day for our red-faced revellers.

#5 - Which Universe Are We In?

Season 2014 - Episode 23 - Aired 11/10/2014

Which Universe Are We In? The most dangerous idea in science might turn out to be true: we live in a multiverse of truly infinite proportions. The universe we live in may not be the only one out there. In fact, our universe could be just one of an infinite number of universes making up a "multiverse The first 'hard evidence' that other universes exist has been found by scientists. Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft have concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes. The map shows radiation from the Big Bang 13.8billion years ago that is still detectable in the universe - known as cosmic microwave radiation. Scientists had predicted that it should be evenly distributed, but the map shows a stronger concentration in the south half of the sky and a 'cold spot' that cannot be explained by current understanding of physics. Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Richard Holman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that anomalies in radiation existed and were caused by the pull from other universes in 2005.

#6 - Ebola: Inside the Deadly Outbreak

Season 2014 - Episode 22 - Aired 9/18/2014

Ebola: Inside the Deadly Outbreak As the worst Ebola virus outbreak in our history continues to spread and leave an unprecedented body count in its path, fear strikes around the globe. With inside access to families devastated by the death of their loved ones and the healthcare workers struggling to contain the widespread epidemic, risking their own lives in the process, Discovery Fit & Health and ABC News partner to bring viewers the one-hour premiere special Ebola: Inside the Deadly Outbreak. In a comprehensive look into the history, containment, and medical implications of this highly infectious disease, ABC News' chief medical editor and former acting director of the CDC, Dr. Richard Besser, leads viewers throughout the hour. Dr. Besser risks his life by traveling to the heart of the hot zone in Monrovia, Liberia, to share the heart wrenching journeys of patients and caretakers and reveals the moment that left him scared for his life.

#7 - 2014: The Year in Sci-Tech

Season 2014 - Episode 21 - Aired 12/22/2014

2014: The Year in Sci-Tech In this year-end special, Science Channel reviews the biggest science and technology stories from 2014 Space technology this year reached some important goals, culminating with the spectacular landing of a space probe on a comet, millions of kilometers from Earth. But there were some setbacks, too. 2014: The Year in Sci-Tech shows some of the highlights and lowlights.

#8 - Red Planet Rover

Season 2014 - Episode 20 - Aired 12/18/2014

A behind-the-scenes documentary of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission. From the Curiosity rover’s famous "7 minutes of terror" before landing in 2012 to this week’s stunning discovery of organics on the Martian surface, we will be treated to exclusive footage of the NASA team that made it happen and fresh details of what this week’s findings means for the search for extraterrestrial life throughout our solar system.

#9 - Stem Cell Universe with Stephen Hawking

Season 2014 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/3/2014

The use of embryonic stem cells has ignited fierce debate across the spiritual and political spectrum. But what if we could create manmade stem cells - or find super cells in adults that could forever replace embryonic cells and remove the controversy? Today, we are on the brink of a new era - an age where we may be able to cure our bodies of any illness. Stephen Hawking has spent his life exploring the mysteries of the cosmos, now there is another universe that fascinates him - the one hidden inside our bodies - our own personal galaxies of cells. Hawking takes us on a fascinating journey exploring what these wondrous and baffling mechanisms are capable of. He is joined by the scientists who are on the front lines of discovery in this field including Dr. Doris Taylor who is customizing a donor's heart with the recipient's stem cells - her goal is to revolutionize heart transplants, Dr. Paul Lu and Dr. Mark Tuszynski may have created a breakthrough that could cure paralysis, and Dr. Vincent Giampapa who believes that stem cells can be used to stem the tide of aging and create a fountain of youth.

#10 - Landing On A Comet: Rosetta Mission

Season 2014 - Episode 17 - Aired 11/12/2014

Watch live on NASA TV as Rosetta's Philae lander attempts to land on Comet 67P, the first time a man-made object will ever touch down on a comet.

#11 - The Science of Interstellar

Season 2014 - Episode 15 - Aired 10/29/2014

Kip Thorne, the physicist who assisted Nolan on the scientific aspects of the film Interstellar, shows us that the movie’s jaw-dropping events and stunning, never-before-attempted visuals are grounded in real science. Thorne shares his experiences working as the science adviser on the film and then moves on to the science itself. In chapters on wormholes, black holes, interstellar travel, and much more, Thorne’s scientific insights—many of them triggered during the actual scripting and shooting of Interstellar—describe the physical laws that govern our universe and the truly astounding phenomena that those laws make possible.

#12 - The Real Apes of the Planet

Season 2014 - Episode 14 - Aired 10/21/2014

This Documentary explores the surprising and mind-blowing similarities that humans share with our fascinating primate cousins. Passing on family traditions and grooming practices as well as ingenious survival tactics and the primates' ability to solve complex problems and form communities with a hierarchy system, the special highlights devoted parenting to fun-loving kids. Viewers also witness how, akin to humans, apes may demonstrate deceitful behavior to get what they want, overindulge in life's pleasures and not always get along. With their highly intelligent minds, chimpanzees in Uganda demonstrate their problem- solving skills and tool use when posed with a honey challenge. The long-tailed macaques in Thailand find a clever way to floss after a meal, and an orangutan in Borneo maintains her personal hygiene with a little soap and water. In Iowa, a male bonobo named Kanzi picks his own food for a picnic; he uses lexigram and toasts marshmallows in a fire he makes himself while the white-faced capuchins in the rain forest of Costa Rica uncover the secret that the sap of the Guyabano tree acts as a mosquito repellent if rubbed on their fur. The Real Apes of the Planet uncovers how these animals are individuals with their own personalities and why brainpower is essential to primate survival.

#13 - Diving with Dinosaur Fish

Season 2014 - Episode 13 - Aired 9/27/2014

The hunt for a mythic animal once thought to have been extinct for 65 million years: the coelacanth. It can be found 120 metres beneath the ocean off the wild coast of South Africa. French scientists and South African scientists teamed up with experienced Trimix divers, including Peter Timm, who discovered the coelacanths in Sodwana Bay in 2000 and award-winning underwater photographer Mr Laurent Ballesta and his advanced technical dive team to bring you this eye-opening documentary.

#14 - 9/11 Rescue Cops

Season 2014 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/11/2014

On the thirteenth anniversary of September 11th, Discovery tells the story of the heroism and sacrifice of the NYPD's elite Emergency Service Unit (ESU) and the E-Men heroes who were tasked with rescuing as many people as possible - by any means possible. Featuring previously unseen archive material and moving first-hand testimony, the truly inspirational story of the 9/11 rescue cops will be told on national television for the first time. New York City's elite ESU is a unique institution in law enforcement made up of around 300 highly specialized officers trained in search and rescue, building collapse and heavy weapons and hazardous materials containment. Of the 31 E-Men who rushed into the World Trade Center on that fateful day, only 17 survived. The 14 E-Men who perished were among 60 law-enforcement personnel who died on 9/11, the worst single day in US police history. Despite their devastating losses, the brotherhood of New York's E-Men has emerged stronger than ever and they are finally ready to tell their story.

#15 - Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives

Season 2014 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/1/2014

On February 2, 1959, nine college students hiked up the icy slopes of the Ural Mountains in the heart of Russia but never made it out alive. Investigators have never been able to give a definitive answer behind who - or what - caused the bizarre crime scene. Fifty-five years later, American explorer Mike Libecki reinvestigates the mystery - known as The Dyatlov Pass incident - but what he uncovers is truly horrifying. Follow Mike as he traces the clues and gathers compelling evidence that suggests the students' deaths could be the work of a creature thought only to exist in folklore.

#16 - Surviving the Kill Zone

Season 2014 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/13/2014

Surviving the Kill Zone transports viewers to Africa during the final days of the longest dry season in living memory. More than 65 high-tech, remote-control cameras and expert visual teams film the wild animals of Zambia's Luangwa Valley. Thirst has trapped the hungry animals close to the Luangwa River - the last substantial source of water and food for hundreds of miles - and its banks and surrounding land are transformed into killing fields. The valley has become a temporary home to an extraordinary assortment of herbivores and predators, including lions, leopards, wild dogs, elephants, Nile crocodiles and hippos. Surviving the Kill Zone gives viewers unprecedented access to the both the harrowing and uplifting sides of the circle of life as these species collide in a daily battle for existence

#17 - Flight 370: The Missing Links

Season 2014 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/16/2014

In an age when we can use apps to locate handheld devices, the special also looks at how a state-of-the-art airliner and its 239 passengers and crew can simply vanish. Since flight MH370 went off the grid on 8March 2014, questions about flight safety have once again taken centre stage. In an attempt to answer some of these questions, FLIGHT 370: THE MISSING LINKS addresses seven missing links: airport security, air traffic control, on-board communication systems, mechanical failure, tracking (both radar and satellite), international cooperation, and the black box.

#18 - Captain Philips-Somali Pirates Inside Story

Season 2014 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/26/2014

Told through eyewitness accounts, exclusive Navy footage and hijacked with extra facts, this is the story of Captain Phillips and crew aboard the Maersk Alabama and their dramatic rescue after being taken hostage by Somalian Pirates. (Source: Discovery Channel)

#19 - The Ape Who Went To College

Season 2014 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/26/2014

The Ape Who Went To College documents the amazing relationship between an orangutan called Chantek and his 'cross species foster mother' Dr Lyn Miles. Miles first met Chantek when he was months old when she started the experiment at the University of Tenessee. Over the course of ten years, Miles taught Chantek how to speak through the use of sign language and treated him like her own child; at ten years old Chantek had the cognitive level of a five year old and linguistic ability of a two year old, and by the time he was old enough to receive an allowance, even regularly visited his local McDonalds where he would spend his money on cheeseburgers! But despite the success of the experiment Chantek's erratic behaviour was starting to cause difficulties within the University campus where he lived and consequently Lyn lost control of her beloved Chantek, and he was moved and isolated from humans. Lyn spent two years desperately fighting for his freedom. This heart-warming, and at times heart-breaking, documentary looks at how the successful experiment changed science, and also exposes the bond between a human and an orangutan that allowed communication as never seen before.

#20 - Billy Bob's Gags To Riches

Season 2014 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/28/2014

Jonah is always on the lookout for the next big, million dollar idea, but he doesn't do it alone - he utilizes his ‘Redneck Think Tank' to test, develop and come up with new products. From cowboy sandals, redneck pumpkin teeth and a gun toilet plunger, Jonah is constantly taking pitches from hopeful inventors who are trying to cash in on their own crazy ideas but the negotiations can get pretty intense and in the end, Jonah could make some lucky inventors rich, or send them back to the drawing board.