Shark Week 2019 is just around the corner and we have a breakdown of what programs you shouldn’t miss. This year marks the 31st anniversary of Shark Week on Discovery, one of the longest-running TV events in history. Shark Week 2019 kicks off its 20 hours worth of brand new specials on July 28.
After helping Shaquille O’Neal train for Shark Week festivities last year, comedian Rob Riggle is back in a more prominent role. Riggle will act as the host for this year’s slate of programming, including official Discovery late-night show, Shark After Dark, as well as his own shark-themed special with fellow comedians.
As always, Shark Week 2019 will be intended to educate viewers while hitting on the importance of conservation efforts. The programming will take viewers to some of the most remote locations around the world to study every aspect of sharks. There will be a number of new technologies on display as the research continues to get more advanced by the year. With that said, here are some of the highlights of Shark Week 2019.
Shark Week 2019 Program Highlights
Night one of Shark Week is set to feature host Rob Riggle and his celebrity pals on the ultimate guys trip. Shark Trip: Eat. Pray. Chum. follows Riggle as he tricks Adam DeVine, Anthony Anderson, Joel McHale, and Damon Wayans Jr. into coming along on a mini-vacation. Instead of rest and relaxation, Riggle plans to get his friends to swim in shark-infested waters. The special is produced by Will Packer, known for his work on Girls Trip.
On Tuesday night, viewers can follow along on a dangerous journey hosted by Paul de Gelder and James Glancy. The pair will jump out of aircraft at 3,500 feet to experience what it’s like to be stuck in the remote waters of Palau. Shark-Wrecked: Crash Landing will be an adrenaline-inducing nailbiter as the men try to navigate the dangerous waters of the Pacific which is home to a multitude of sharks. The specific area is known for its abundance of plane crashes.
For the first time in Shark Week history, Discovery will be unveiling an original movie with Capsized: Blood in the Water. The film, which stars Josh Duhamel, shares the true story of an October 1982 shark encounter. When a yacht capsizes during a storm, the crew is forced to drift in the cold Atlantic waters for days as they await rescue. They also become targets to a group of tiger sharks throughout their harrowing ordeal. The scripted movie premieres on Wednesday, July 31.
Shark Week 2019 closes out with Sunday’s debut of Serengeti. Technically, it’s not a shark-based program but it happens to be on of Discovery’s most-anticipated series of the year. Serengeti will be narrated by Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther) and follows the lives of majestic African wildlife. The nature documentary miniseries from Simon Fuller and John Downer will run for six weeks.
Shark Week 2019 Schedule
For those looking for the complete Shark Week 2019 schedule of new programming, we have you covered. Below is the nightly slate of prime-time programming. Shark After Dark will close out the daily schedule on the first four nights of the event. All broadcast times are in EST.
Sunday, 7/28
- 8 p.m. - Expedition Unknown: Megalodon 9 p.m. - Shark Trip: Eat. Pray. Chum. 11 p.m. - Shark After Dark
Monday, 7/29
- 8 p.m. - Sharks of the Badlands 9 p.m. - Legend of the Deep Blue 10 p.m. - The Sharks of Headstone Hell 11 p.m. - Shark After Dark
Tuesday, 7/30
- 8 p.m. - Shark-Wrecked: Crash Landing 9 p.m. - Laws of Jaws: Dangerous Waters 10 p.m. - Air Jaws Strikes Back 11 p.m. - Shark After Dark
Wednesday, 7/31
- 8 p.m. - Extinct or Alive: The Lost Shark 9 p.m. - Capsized: Blood in the Water 11 p.m. - Shark After Dark
Thursday, 8/1
- 8 p.m. - Return to Shark Il 9 p.m. - Great White Kill Zone: Guadalupe 10 p.m. - Monster Mako: Perfect Predator 11 p.m. - Shark After Dark
Friday, 8/2
- 8 p.m. - Isle of Jaws: Blood Brothers 9 p.m. - Andrew Mayne Ghost Diver 10 p.m. - I Was Prey: Shark Week
Saturday, 8/3
- 8 p.m. - Sharks Gone Wild 2 9 p.m. - Shark Week Immersion
Sunday, 8/4
- 8 p.m. - Serengeti
Next: Best Nature Documentaries On Netflix