World

C.3.2.8. Discovery ChannelINTRODUCTION AND SAMPLEOne week of programmes on Discovery Channel wasrecorded for this study, from 2 – 9 March.Discovery Channel broadcasts from 1600 to 0200,seven days a week. During the sample week, there were norelevant programmes shown at the weekend, but therewere ten programmes during the week which focused ondeveloping countries, mostly travel/adventure series.They included a range of styles of presentation, andvaried in the depth of discussion of their destination.Compared to holiday shows on the terrestrial televisionchannels, there tended to be far less interest inopportunities for consumption, seeking a bargainholiday, or attracting potential visitors to the countries.The Discovery travelogues covered one destination ineach programme, and mainly involved one or twopersonalities presenting an entire series. In theserespects, the agenda resembled that of the BBC2travel/adventure series in the sample. AlthoughTrailblazers on Discovery was presented by a differentpersonality each week, it most closely resembled TheRough Guide series on BBC2, in that the presentersapproached their travels with a spirit of adventure andenthusiasm. They spoke to and formed relationshipswith local people and discussed the history and politicsof their destination. The extent to which thesetravelogues are personality-led is indicated by some ofthe series names, such as Walkers World, presented byAnna Walker, and Nick’s Quest, presented by Nick Baker.Two of the programmes in the sample were historicaldocumentaries which offered greater depth and qualityof explanation than was available in most otherprogrammes in the sample. Pinochet and Allende (5.3.99)was a reconstruction of the 1973 coup in Chile. The LostCity of Zimbabwe (4.3.99) was an archaeologicalprogramme, introducing the historical arguments aboutwho had built Great Zimbabwe. Both programmesexamined the history of specific developing countries –Chile and Zimbabwe – in a global context, linking keyevents in their history to the interests of the west. Ratherthan simply replicating the typical imagery ofdisaster/war/violence in the developing world, eachviewed the country covered against a background ofimperialism and geopolitics. With The Lost City ofZimbabwe in particular, the viewer was presented withevidence of how our knowledge of the past can bedistorted by western economic interests.Of the 10 programmes, six were from Africa, two fromSouth America and two from South East Asia:Tuesday 2.3.99Wednesday 3.3.99Thursday 4.3.99Friday 5.3.99Saturday 6.3.99Sunday 7.3.99Monday 8.3.99Tuesday 9.3.998-8.30pm: Great Escapes:Into the Death Zone9-10pm: Trailblazers: Peru4.30-5pm: Walker’s World:Namibia5-5.30pm: Time Travellers:The Lost City of Zimbabwe1.30-2am: Time Travellers:The Lost City of Zimbabwe(repeat)4.30-5pm: Walker’s World:Zimbabwe, Botswana8.30-9pm: The Danger Zone:Uncharted Africa: The Kalahari10-11pm: Pinochet and Allende:The Anatomy of a CoupNo relevant programmesNo relevant programmes4.30-5pm: A River Somewhere:Bhutan8-8.30pm: Nick’s Quest: Uganda9-10pm: Trailblazers: NamibiaTRAVELOGUESThe style and content of the eight travelogues variedconsiderably. The first programme in the sample, GreatEscapes: Into the Death Zone was an adventure tale of mansurviving against the odds. Nick’s Quest visited anelephant reserve in Uganda, where his main concern wasto discover how one species of elephants had adapted tosurvive, following near extinction at the hands ofpoachers. Two different editions of Walkers World werescreened during the sample week. The focus of both wason safari, first in Namibia, and in the followingprogramme, in Zimbabwe and Botswana. On both tripsWalker travelled some distance, tracking wildlife.Trailblazers, which also screened twice during the sampleweek, had a different emphasis. Each one-hourprogramme had a separate presenter, one a televisionpersonality, the other a travel writer, and thepersonalities of the presenters had a strong impact on thestyle of the programmes. Both presenters spent time withlocal people, discussing local culture and lives, largelyavoiding tourist traps. A River Somewhere was part of aseries loosely based on fishing, presented by two quirkyAustralians. Again this programme had atravel/adventure feel, beginning with a lengthy trainjourney through India, arriving in Bhutan, a countryotherwise uncovered in the overall sample. UnchartedAfrica was one of a series of programmes presented by awhite African, Ralph Bousfield. This particular episode114 DFID – July 2000