Shark Week 2024

[Gwangi]

I have to admit, I don't actually watch Shark Week. I don't have any streaming service that runs the programs and most of them I find rather cheesy and/or sensational anyway. But I do my own Shark Week anyway, which will include whatever documentaries I can find that actually look good as well as shark movies. And then there's writing the blog reviews, of course.

I must say, I am quite pleased with the diversity present on the blog this year! A lot of obscure species from a range of brands. I wrote my own contribution a couple days ago, just gotta take pictures!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Those shark themed treats are awesome, I wouldn't have come up with half of them.

I do the same Gwangi, I don't have the official Discovery based streaming platform any more but I have been enjoying some shark-umentaries anyway on my own schedule.

[bmathison1972]

I don't, and have never, watched Shark Week. Like Gwangi, I don't like 'sensationalized' nature shows (same reason I have never watched Crocodile Hunter or Brave Wilderness). But I digress. It's fun to have an excuse for a theme! We need to look into others!

[sbell]

I think I have some access somewhere but I avoid Discovery Channel these days.

Apparently NatGeo runs a Shark Month throughout July as well. Maybe it would be better (but exhausting to do a daily post all month!)

[Gwangi]

Nat Geo has Shark Fest and since Nat Geo is available on Disney + (which I have for the kids) those are what I usually end up watching. There are a few decent ones but most are no better than what you get from Discovery.

I grew up on Shark Week. I was watching it before it was even called Shark Week. In the 80's it was called Shark Bowl and aired around the same time as the Super Bowl, I have no idea when they changed it. I used to record the shows onto VHS tapes and I still have a bunch somewhere. A few years ago I rewatched the entire 1995 Shark Week lineup and I can safely say that they weren't any better then than they are now. Shark Week does manage to throw in a few decent programs but for every one of those there are several nonsense ones.

EDIT: I will defend Crocodile Hunter. I recall it having mixed reception when it was on but the positive legacy it had seems quite clear. Positive voices for reptiles are rare.

[Alopias superciliosus]

I must say, I am quite pleased with the diversity present on the blog this year! A lot of obscure species from a range of brands. I wrote my own contribution a couple days ago, just gotta take pictures!

Enjoying the diversity of this shark week too! Most species are firsts for the blog! Happy seeing some more obscure figures and species getting some love with the reviews. Also have liked the continuity so far- two Australian sharks back-to-back, and then staying in the high southern latitudes with the pyjama shark from South Africa.

[Gwangi]

I must say, I am quite pleased with the diversity present on the blog this year! A lot of obscure species from a range of brands. I wrote my own contribution a couple days ago, just gotta take pictures!

Enjoying the diversity of this shark week too! Most species are firsts for the blog! Happy seeing some more obscure figures and species getting some love with the reviews. Also have liked the continuity so far- two Australian sharks back-to-back, and then staying in the high southern latitudes with the pyjama shark from South Africa.

Yup, and if the set schedule sticks there will be a sawshark and sawfish back-to-back.

[bmathison1972]

Yup, and if the set schedule sticks there will be a sawshark and sawfish back-to-back.

We're quite cutting edge here on the ATB/ATF!

[NSD Bashe]

I don't normally have cable but one time I was at a hotel and saw there was a shark documentary on the Discovery Channel; it was allegedly showing found footage of a possible megalodon encounter, and I was surprised at first but the more it went on the more it felt too much like it had the story beats of a movie.  Sure enough I found looking it up it was actually listed as a "mockumentary" despite not really being advertised very well as that on tv.

[sbell]

I don't normally have cable but one time I was at a hotel and saw there was a shark documentary on the Discovery Channel; it was allegedly showing found footage of a possible megalodon encounter, and I was surprised at first but the more it went on the more it felt too much like it had the story beats of a movie.  Sure enough I found looking it up it was actually listed as a "mockumentary" despite not really being advertised very well as that on tv.

That's par for the course with them --they play mockumentary shows as if they're fully real, and end with a tiny disclaimer.

The most egregious was a Mermaid one (I think that was Animal Planet)

[Gwangi]

The mockumentary phase was probably the lowest point for Discovery and Animal Planet. I guess they were fun in concept but they had no place on "educational" channels. I still see stuff from those shows making the rounds on social media claiming it's real evidence.

[sbell]

The mockumentary phase was probably the lowest point for Discovery and Animal Planet. I guess they were fun in concept but they had no place on "educational" channels. I still see stuff from those shows making the rounds on social media claiming it's real evidence.

Definitely the biggest problem. Probably why so many people are convinced Meg is still out there

[EpicRaptorMan]

What was that show with multiple scientists attaching trackers to Great Whites?

Probably a lot of shows like that but there was one in particular I remember seeing

[callmejoe3]

MBA Sawfish draft finished, scheduled to publish tomorrow. BTW, Until doing my research for the article, I hadn't noticed that the remaining figures in the MBA line were retired last year. Real bummer, but I figured the license or whatever were going to expire at some point. So it's good that at some point we finally got around to finishing off the MBA series for this year.