Shark Week 25th Anniversary Extravaganza Plans Revealed

"MythBusters" special and "Jaws" tribute among the highlights of Discovery's annual tribute to waterborne terror, Shark Week

Amazingly, it's been nearly 25 years since Shark Week first sank its teeth into the public's imagination, and Discovery Channel plans to duly commemorate the occasion this summer with a packed schedule of predator-related programming.

This year's festivities kick off on Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. with "Air Jaws Apocalypse," which picks up where last year's "Ultimate Air Jaws" left off. On the new installment, shark expert Chris Fallos and natural history producer Jeff Kurr travel to Seal Island, South Africa, to explore the great white sharks there. The duo focus on one shark in particular, the 14-foot great white Colossus, the alpha shark in the area.

Also read: Discovery's Shark Week Sets Ratings Record

"Air Jaws Apocalypse" will be followed by "Shark Week's 25 Best Bites," airing Aug. 12 at 10 p.m., which will count down highlights from Shark Week's so-far-unsuccessful effort to capture a breaching great white shark.

Monday, Aug. 13 will bring "MythBusters' Awesome Shark Special," featuring Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman exploring the top 25 shark myths of all time, followed by "Sharkzilla," which will attempt to manufacture a replica of the medalodon, a 52-foot long shark that roamed the ocean in prehistoric times.

Also read: Andy Samberg Adds Chief Shark (Not Snark) Officer to His Resume

"How 'Jaws' Changed the World," a retrospective on the 1975 blockbuster shark film, and "Shark Fight," about shark-bite victims who've devoted their lives to saving their attackers, will air Tues., Aug 14.

"Great White Highway" (Aug. 15), which tracks the movements of the great whites of the Farallon Islands off the California coast, and "Adrift: 47 Days With Sharks" (Aug. 16), about two World War II servicemen who crashed in shark-infested waters and survived for more than a month at sea among the creatures, round out the festivities.

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