Especially today, it’s become clear that the Discovery Channel is the ultimate destination for everything reality tv. In fact, the channel is home to hit shows such as Gold Rush, Dirty Jobs, Street Outlaws, Naked and Afraid, and Deadliest Catch, which have also stirred controversy throughout its run. Nonetheless, viewers continue to tune in.
In recent years, there has also been a lot of fascination toward what it takes to pull off a reality show. And so, we thought we’d do some digging of our own. Here are some behind-the-scenes secrets we learned about Discovery Channel shows, including Naked and Afraid:
10 Naked And Afraid: Participants Had To Take Off Their Clothes Twice
On the show, two participants get willingly dropped off a remote location where they have to stay for 21 days while completely naked. During production with executive producer Rachel Maguire, it turns out that participants have to film removing their clothes twice. This was what Blair Braverman revealed while speaking with Outside.
After she was filmed removing her clothes, Maguire told her, “Now put it all back on, and we’ll film from a different angle.” Braverman also noted how strict the show was when it came to bringing accessories. She wasn’t even allowed to bring a hair tie.
9 Homestead Rescue: Marty Meets Homesteaders For The First Time On Camera
Homestead Rescue features the Raney family who comes to the aid of people wanting to live off the grid successfully. To make the show possible, there is a lot of work that the Discovery Channel crew conduct behind the scenes. In fact, they even arrive ahead of Marty Raney and his family to secure permits and fix all the legal requirements.
That said, the scene where Marty drives up to the location for the first time is always authentic. Marty told Reality Blurred, “I’ve never met those homesteaders in my life until the day I drive into the property.”
8 I Quit: The Mentors Sometimes Film For 10 To 14 Hours In A Day
This relatively new Discovery Channel show follows the lives of people who decided to quit their jobs to follow their dreams and start their own business. The show also features mentors, including GoldieBlox’s Debbie Sterling, who revealed that filming for the show may practically take all day.
“I flew back and forth to the east coast, sometimes on red-eye flights, to keep filming 10, 12, even 14 hour days,” Sterling wrote on GoldieBlox’s website. Sterling also later learned that she was expecting while filming. She noted that the crew had been “incredibly supportive.”
7 Deadliest Catch: The Crew Has Had To Save The Cameramen From Certain Death
Deadliest Catch has long been the subject of controversy. For starters, there have been instances when the show was accused of stretching the truth. There were also times when the cast revealed some information about the show to viewers and they didn’t exactly say the nicest things.
It also turns out that even the Discovery Channel crew gets caught up in dangerous situations while filming the show. Sometimes, the cast has had to save them. Sig Hansen told The Fishing Website, “We have saved their lives twice so far because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
6 Dirty Jobs: Mike Rowe Has Had To Turn Down Some Jobs
Even if you consider yourself to be a huge fan of the show, we’re willing to bet that there are still some little-known facts about Dirty Jobs that you don’t know yet. For starters, the show has had to turn down some jobs because of the safety and security risks.
While doing an AMA session for Reddit, Rowe revealed they had to turn down working on rendering facilities due to mob presence. He wrote, “That's right - the Mob is still involved in a surprising number of rendering facilities.”
5 Gold Rush: The Show Is Scripted, Somewhat
Just like Deadliest Catch, this show has also been accused of stretching the truth. Fans have even noted that certain details from Gold Rush aren’t what they seem. One of the most shocking revelations about the show is that it is somewhat scripted. “It is scripted from the beginning.
They knew exactly what they wanted to see out of the program,” former cast member Jimmy Dorsey told OregonGold.net. “Even me leaving was scripted, but in the way in which it happened was not.” Dorsey also explained that the show’s crew would “direct you into these situations.”
4 Battle Bots: The Secret To Keeping The Arena Safe For Everyone Is Lexan
The show features some intense bot fighting, which takes place inside an enclosed arena. The bots themselves are armed with blades and other features that they can use to incapacitate an enemy bot. Throughout the fight, you might witness explosions and several sharp items hitting the walls.
To keep the audience and judges safe, the show has turned to Lexan. Producer Greg Munson told Imagiverse the “super thick Lexan” is able to “withstand the impact of three 44 magnums fired at it simultaneously.” Hence, they’re confident that it can protect the crowd and the participants.
3 Mythbusters Jr.: There Was A Nationwide Casting Call To Search For Six Young Hosts
This show is certainly unique in that we can see young, aspiring scientists conducting cool experiments while under the supervision of Mythbusters host Adam Savage. As it turns out, the casting process was intense as the show considered children from all over the U.S. “A casting call was put out to all over the country — different museums, different science centers, different science teachers were submitting people,” Savage told NPR.
“Several of these kids are already interested in being science communicators.” Among the kids cast was Allie Weber who was already a YouTube sensation prior to joining the show.
2 American Chopper: The Show Was Supposed To Be About Another Motorcycle Shop
The show revolves around Paul Teutul, his son, Paul Jr., and their custom motorcycle shop, Orange County Choppers. Believe it or not, they were never supposed to be the stars of the show. Instead, it was another shop in New Hampshire. “They were not my very first choice,” producer Craig Piligian told Forbes.
“I switched the motorcycle shop the night before shooting.” He decided to make the switch because he didn’t feel that the other shop had “the right mindset.” Piligian also revealed that he didn’t inform Discovery about the switch initially.
1 Shark Week: Getting To The Location Is More Dangerous Than Diving With The Sharks
The show features some intense encounters between expert underwater cinematographers and sharks. If you ask wildlife filmmaker Andy Brandy Casagrande IV, however, filming for the show is not as dangerous as getting to the location itself.
“Driving or flying to the location is way more dangerous,” Casagrande told Mental Floss. “I’m way more likely to get killed on my way to a shark dive than I am in the water with the sharks.” Casagrande’s point is quite valid. According to the International Shark Attack File, the odds of getting attacked are 1 in 11.5 million.