Science Channel Unveils New Slate Including Atom-Bomb Spy Drama, ‘Alien Universe’ Series

Upfronts 2014: Scripted feature “Spies of Los Alamos” will explore the creation of the atom bomb

Science Channel has just announced its 2014-2015 programming slate, and already has a bomb on its hands — well, actually a movie about a bomb.

Following up on last year’s feature film “The Challenger Disaster,” Science Channel announced Thursday that it will premiere its second feature film, “Spies of Los Alamos,” in the third quarter of 2015.

The thriller will be set against the intense backdrop of 1940s World War II and the creation of America’s biggest military secret ever — the atom bomb. In the New Mexico desert the Army had assembled the world’s brightest minds, but right under their noses four spies were feeding secrets to the enemy that could change the course of world history.

Also read: Science Channel Greenlights Craig Ferguson Series ‘I F-ing Love Science’

The network also announced the upcoming series “Alien Universe With Brian Cox,” starring the “Wonders of the Universe” physicist as he seeks answers to the biggest questions about humanity and the cosmos as he delves into the heart of both alien and human life.

The newly announced offerings join the previously unveiled new programs “I F-ing Love Science,” which will be hosted by “Late Late Show” host Craig Ferguson and is inspired by the well-“liked” Facebook page I Fu–ing Love Science; and returning beloved classics such as “Punkin Chunkin,” “How It’s Made” and “How Do They Do It?”

Also read: Discovery, Science Channel Series to Culminate in Live Broadcast From Moon

Read Science Channel’s full 2014-2015 slate below.

4th Quarter 2014

HOW DO THEY DO IT? – Season 13
Premiere Date TBD
Science Channel’s popular series HOW DO THEY DO IT? is the cure for your average curiosity. The series explores the science behind how everyday gadgets function, taking viewers on an extraordinary journey to discover how the world around them works.

HOW IT’S MADE – Season 15
Premiere Date TBD
HOW IT’S MADE is the addictive assembly line series that returns to give viewers an exclusive look at how their favorite items are manufactured. The series visits dozens of factories where raw materials transform into final products in the scope of a 30-minute episode.

PUNKIN CHUNKIN
Premieres November 2014
For more than 25 years, the World Championship Punkin Chunkin competition has been launching pumpkins high into the skies above Delaware. Science Channel will be there for the seventh straight year in 2014 to catch every far-flung, high-flying moment. PUNKIN CHUNKIN covers every angle of the intense competition from growing special, aerodynamic pumpkins and determining the perfect pumpkin’s mass to the mechanics of the air cannon and the physics of catapults.

I F-ING LOVE SCIENCE
Premieres November 2014
Executive Produced by late night star Craig Ferguson and inspired by the Facebook page “I Fu–ing Love Science,” I F–ING LOVE SCIENCE follows one inalienable truth – that jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, science is present in everything. In each episode the show attempts to prove a grand, outlandish thesis that will take the viewer on twists and turns through the big and small of all things science. Each hour will delve into a bevy of unexpected but related topics, meeting celebrities, scientists and everyday people — each of whom f-ing love science.

STRIP THE COSMOS
Premiere Date November 2014
In each episode of STRIP THE COSMOS, stunning CGI strips major planets, moons, black holes, stars and galaxies of gases, minerals, rock, magma and gravitational force-fields — layer by layer — revealing the destiny, origins and structure of the universe. STRIP THE COSMOS will also explore fascinating mysteries including: What happens inside an exploding star? Can you escape from being sucked into a black hole? Do the insides of comets harbor life? and can we travel through the cosmos inside an asteroid?

SURVIVORMAN – Season 5
Premiere Date TBD
Filmmaker, musician and outdoor adventurer Les Stroud once again ventures into the wild with no food, no water and no crew. He must rely on his years of training, raw instincts and sheer will to survive. And if that weren’t enough, he refuses to bring along a film crew, preferring instead to maintain an authentic survival situation and film the journey himself, dragging 65 pounds of camera gear every inch of the way.

ALIEN UNIVERSE WITH BRIAN COX
Premieres November 2014
Are we the only ones looking up at the stars and wondering what is out there? On a distant planet, are other creatures asking the same questions and having the same dreams of finding the answers? And if there are, who are they? The all-new series ALIEN UNIVERSE WITH BRIAN COX is Professor Brian Cox‘s personal journey into our alien universe and his attempt to answer the massive questions about humanity and our place in the cosmos.

AMERICAN MAKERS (working title)
Premieres November 2014
Capitalizing on the burgeoning Maker Movement, this original new series puts five amateur inventors in a four-round battle to win the chance of a lifetime — an opportunity to take their product to market. Under the watchful eye of a team of experts, each inventor’s product is put through a series of tests and focus groups, re-tooling and tinkering to find out if the inventor’s vision matches consumer demand.

BIBLICAL CONSPIRACIES
Premieres December 2014
Each year, amazing new discoveries bring the Biblical ancient world to life, but rather than solve riddles, the discoveries only seem to shroud the era deeper in controversy and myth. BIBLICAL CONSPIRACIES will explore several of the most unexpected finds of the last few years – and uncover the bizarre secrets behind them. With the aid of cutting-edge technology, this four-part series brings viewers to the crumbling tombs, palaces and ruins of the Holy Land in search of ancient conspiracies hidden away for thousands of years.

1st Quarter 2015

OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF SCIENCE – Season 3
Premieres January 2015
What if the time we spent playing YouTube videos also exposed us to first-hand demonstrations of some of science’s fundamental principles? Science Channel proves that you can have your viral videos and your lab lessons too in the hit series OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF SCIENCE. Each episode counts down the 20 best web videos testing the principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. From death-defying dives from the sky, to epic explosions that rock the desert, to full-sized cars performing perfect back flips, no experiment is too extreme.

ARE WE ALONE? WEEK
Premieres March 2015
Seventy-four percent of Americans believe in the existence of aliens — and 15 million believe that they have actually made contact with extraterrestrials. Every year, Science Channel dedicates one full week of programming to one of mankind’s most pressing questions with ARE WE ALONE? The week-long event features world-renowned scientists, leading journalists and alien investigators examining compelling accounts of unusual encounters, strange happenings and possible UFO sightings worldwide.

2nd Quarter 2015

THROUGH THE WORMHOLE – Season 6
Premieres June 2015
Hosted by Morgan Freeman, THROUGH THE WORMHOLE explores the deepest mysteries of existence – the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity. Can we eliminate evil? What is nothing? Is there a superior race? Now, science has evolved to the point where hard facts and evidence may be able to provide us with answers instead of philosophical theories. THROUGH THE WORMHOLE brings together the brightest minds and best ideas from the very edges of science — Astrophysics, Astrobiology, Quantum Mechanics, String Theory, and more — to reveal the extraordinary truth of our Universe.

HOW IT’S MADE – Season 16
Premiere Date TBD
HOW IT’S MADE is the addictive assembly line series that returns to give viewers an exclusive look at how their favorite items are manufactured. The series visits dozens of factories where raw materials transform into final products in the scope of a 30-minute episode.

HOW IT’S MADE: DREAM CARS – Season 3
Premiere Date TBD
Picture your dream car: a Maserati or maybe the Audi R8. Have you ever wondered just how that incredible machine was made? Join Science and the classic HOW IT’S MADE crew as they go around the world to the birthplaces of your favorite cars. Each half-hour will reveal the inner workings and gorgeous exteriors of dream cars worldwide with amazing access to the factories and test labs where those cars are built.

MY LIFE AS A SATELLITE
Premiere Date TBD
MY LIFE AS A SATELLITE is a first person account of the life of a man-made satellite. Through the satellite’s exploration of the cosmos viewers learn about the untold and under-celebrated stories of NASA and the science of the universe. Using a combination of stunning CGI, telescope photography, NASA footage and original video, this series take viewers on a spectacular journey of space.

3rd Quarter 2015

SPIES OF LOS ALAMOS
Premiere Date TBD
In 1943 a team of dynamic and brazen scientists gathered in the New Mexico desert to set out on an incredible task – to create the atomic bomb. Science Channel’s second scripted film, SPIES OF LOS ALAMOS, reveals the untold story of how the most guarded secret in U.S. military history was penetrated through international espionage. With a web of conflicted characters and an extraordinary mission, SPIES OF LOS ALAMOS unveils the story of the ultimate betrayal and its impact on our world today.

THE UNEXPLAINED FILES – Season 3
Premiere Date TBD
From strange abductions and mutated species to bizarre occurrences, there are some phenomena that science cannot or will not explain. In THE UNEXPLAINED FILES Science Channel lifts the veil on some of these shocking and mind-boggling cases from around the world.  The series takes viewers on a thrilling expedition presenting some of the most shocking and interesting stories ever told.

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