EXCLUSIVE: You only turn 40 once, and Discovery is mark its milestone birthday in a unique way.
The network is today launching Discovery Changed My Life, a four-part international series about how Discovery’s programs and content have sparked passions in remarkable people across Europe and Africa. Series will pair footage from stunning natural locations with user-generated content.
Discovery Channel began broadcasting in the U.S. on June 17, 1985. It’s set to become a part of Gunnar Wiedenfels new global networks business when WBD separates its linear business from the Warner Bros studios and streamers arm next year. Discovery Changed My Life seems like a chance for WBD to drown out the corporate noise and remind people why the factual network has built such a loyal audience over the years.
It will feature Darren Britz, a wildlife cinematographer who grew up watching Deadliest Catch and Man vs Wild and now captures big cats in their natural habitats; Portuguese surfer and musician João Kopke, who’s thirst for knowledge and adventure was fulled by the channel; French survivalist and hiking guide Eleanore Lluna, whose fascination with Naked and Afraid and Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell inspired her to take on the wilderness herself and build a career; and Joshua Adayemi, a Nigeria-born community organizer who now leads the Black Scottish Adventurers, having watched Discovery shows on a neighbor’s television as a child.
An in-house Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) team developed, created and directed the series in collaboration with Scotland’s Cut Media. It will roll out on Discovery broadcast networks, social and digital platforms today, with fuller-length version on HBO Max, Max and Discovery+ (depending on from where viewers are watching).
“This project was a real passion piece for our team,” said Matt Brown, Creative Director at WBD. “Discovery Changed My Life gave us the chance to honour the incredible impact this brand has had on real lives — something many of us on the team feel ourselves. Bringing these stories to life with our in-house team and Cut Media has been an incredibly creatively fulfilling experience.”
“Discovery Changed My Life is more than a celebration of our legacy — it’s proof of the power of this brands storytelling to ignite passions, shift perspectives, and shape lives,” said Lee Hobbs, WBD’s SVP of Creative, EMEA. “As we mark 40 years of inspiring the world through real-world content, these films remind us why we do what we do — and who we do it for.”
