Discovery U.S. Hispanic announced Monday the 2015-16 upfront slate for Discovery Familia and Discovery en Español.
Discovery en Español will expand its automotive and adventure programming nights with news series Cuban Chrome, Lost and Starving (working title) and documentary Lunar XPrize (wt).
In addition, the network will add natural history specials To Be King and Racing Extinction. Discovery en Español will return Fast N’ Loud, Alaska: The Last Frontier and Naked and Afraidfor new seasons.
Discovery Familia will amp up its beauty, home and cooking programming with new series Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, How Do I Look, Buying Alaska and My Big, Fat Fabulous Life.
Buddy Valastro series Cake Boss, Next Great Baker and Bakery Boss have new season orders, as do Pregnant in Heels and What Not to Wear.
Below are descriptions of each series:
NATURAL HISTORY SPECIALS:
To Be King (Leyenda de un rey):
Produced by Aquavision Television Productions, this program will document lion behavior as seen within South Africa’s Mapogo pride. Set in South Africa’s Sabi Sands, the program documents the rise of the Mapogos as they grow from a litter of five cubs into fearsome young males, capable of killing more than 100 other lions over the course of a year and taking control of a vast territory. The special features animal trainer Dave Salmoni as well as other predator experts, who weigh in on the social dynamics that exist within lion prides.
Racing Extinction (En vías de extinción):
In this documentary film, Louie Psihoyos and the group behind the Academy Award®-winning film The Cove, assembles a team of artists and activists on a new undercover operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them against mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world's most dangerous black markets and using high tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, the documentary reveals stunning, never-before seen images that truly change the way we see the world.
NEW UNSCRIPTED SERIES/SPECIALS:
Special: Lunar XPrize (WT: Premio lunar or XPRIZE lunar):
It’s been 46 years since millions of television viewers witnessed man first set foot on the Moon in 1969. In 2016, history will be made again when Discovery partners with XPRIZE on the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE to bring an edge-of-your-seat international space competition to homes around the world. In this special, space exploration will reach new heights as teams from all over the world set off on a race of stellar proportions to launch and land a robot on the Moon.
Series: Cuban Chrome (Motores: Ingenio cubano):
After the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the subsequent U.S. embargo, it has been illegal to import American cars to the island nation – as a result, Cuba’s vintage American vehicles are frozen in time, and each of these cars has a unique story to tell. For Cubans, these cars are not just a means of transportation, but a way of life. Cuban Chrome will give viewers an intimate look into this rarely seen country as they meet the men who put everything on the line to keep these classic cars running.
Series: Lost and Starving (WT: Perdidos y con hambre):
One know it all survivalist and one foodie are starved for a full week before being dropped into the wild. Their only way to get some calories and survive is to eat their way through a five-point checklist of some of the most disgusting foods imaginable. Long legged insects, poisonous plants, ugly animals even frog spawn slime - anything that the surrounding terrain provides.
RETURNING SERIES:
Kindig Customs (Al estilo Kindig):
Dave Kindig, owner and operator of Kindig-It Design turns out one-of-a-kind vehicles for his demanding (and sometimes famous) clientele. Working on all types and periods of cars we'll see cars rendered, designed, built, and restored from the ground up before being revealed to the owner.
Fast n' Loud (El dúo mecánico):
Motor mastermind Richard Rawlings and mechanical prodigy Aaron Kaufman are back searching for forgotten and neglected vintage cars. Most assume these old classics are rust buckets - but to this crew, they're potential goldmines. Richard and Aaron need big projects and, more importantly, big profits to keep the doors open at Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas.
Alaska: The Last Frontier (Alaska: La última frontera):
This series follows the Kilcher family and their unique homesteader community outside Homer, Alaska. The Kilchers, led by patriarchs Atz and his brother Otto, have cultivated and lived on their homestead for four generations. These men, and their wives and children, live off the land, racing the clock during the limited months of summer and fall to hunt, fish, gather and grow enough food to last the harsh Alaskan winter. They proudly choose this rugged lifestyle in hopes that future generations carry on the family tradition of living off the land.
Tricked (Ciencia mágica):
Trickster Ben Hanlin redefines magical entertainment mixing candid camera fun with illusion and wonder. Ben brings magic into our hearts as he wows his audience with amazing tricks and warm, charming banter, before taking his cunning conjuring to the world at large. Using the powers of trickery, disguise, illusion and even Twitter, Ben hunts down celebrities to give them the surprise of their lives. Tricked is a funny, friendly feast that will make you look and think twice.
DISCOVERY FAMILIA:
Video and images available at: https://discovery.box.com/s/o9o9ita3w8wjrohmdmvgs07xn80rh0vk
NEW SERIES:
HOME:
Buying Alaska:
There’s no place on earth like Alaska, and there’s nothing like its real estate. Selling Alaska features homes that you’ve never seen before with wild amenities and the people who buy them are just as unique.
COOKING:
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares (Pesadilla en la cocina de Ramsay):
This series showcases USA based episodes of the BAFTA-award winning series in which the famous chef Gordon Ramsay takes on some very different failing restaurants and has one month to turn them around.
Top Chef:
Top Chef is a hit reality competition series that celebrates the culinary arts with a fascinating window into the competitive, pressurized environment of world-class cookery and the restaurant business at the highest level. Each one-hour episode features aspiring chefs who put their culinary skills to the test for the chance to earn the prestigious title of Top Chef. The competing chefs will live and breathe the high-pressure lifestyle that comes with being a master chef, and each week the judges will tell one to "pack up their knives and go." In the end, only one chef will make it through the spectacular finale episode.
BEAUTY:
How do I look (Cámbiame el look):
The popular makeover series looks better than ever in a revamped version, with a new look and fabulous new host, Jeannie Mai. Two accomplices and a professional stylist will help Jeannie transform one willing fashion victim, one episode at a time.
FAMILY:
Quinceañera:
A series that follows cousins Alexis and Jarling, who are Miami’s premiere quinceañera party planners and dress shop owners servicing Latin American families as they celebrate their teenager’s transition into womanhood. From the cultural rituals of finding the perfect dress and the father daughter dance, to the new American traditions of shooting music videos and mid-party outfit changes – the cousins are constantly working their magic to create memories that will last a lifetime.
NEW PERSONALITIES:
My Big Fat Fabulous Life (Gran-diosa):
Whitney Thore was once a slender dancer, but over the course of just one year at college she gained 200 pounds due to a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). It took her a long time to deal with the change, but now she is happy with her body, and through her active social life and love of dancing, she lives vivaciously and holds nothing back. She keeps busy with her dance, and though she currently lives with her parents, she is mustering up the courage to strike out on her own in a world that judges people by their size.
New Girls On The Block (Ahora mujeres):
The five part series, New Girls On The Block follows a group of highly inspirational and entertaining women from Kansas City, MO - all friends, some couples - who happen to be transgender. After years struggling with their gender identities, they are finally finding themselves and learning what it means to be the women they always knew that they were. Confronting issues with their relationships, their femininity, their families and friendships, New Girls On The Block is an authentic look at lives in transition.
RETURNING SERIES:
Long Island Medium (La médium):
Theresa Caputo lives in the real world, but she spends most of her time with spirits. Caputo is an average mom from Long Island, N.Y., in every way except one: she talks to the dead. This series chronicles the work Caputo does each day as she helps her varied clients find closure and connect with loved ones who have passed.
Love it or List it (Vívala o véndala):
When a house no longer feels like home, homeowners are left with a big financial and emotional question: renovate or sell? Love It or List It helps fed-up homeowners decide. In each hour-long episode Realtor David Visentin and designer Hilary Farr compete for the homeowners' final decision to stay or go.
Pregnant in Heels (Embarazadas y Entaconadas):
This reality series follows maternity concierge, fashion designer, and pregnancy guru Rosie Pope as she guides expecting Manhattan mothers through the joys and perils of preparing to have a baby. Viewers join Rosie and her team as they tackle their clients' pregnancy dilemmas. From shotgun wedding planning to daddy boot camps to getting the baby into British aristocracy, Rosie Pope is the maternity concierge to the most affluent--and hormonal--pregnant women in New York City!
What Not To Wear (¡No te lo pongas!)
¡No te lo pongas! is a makeover reality television series hosted by fashion stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. In each episode, Stacy, Clinton and a team of hair and makeup advisors help revamp the look of individuals who have been nominated by their friends for makeovers.
Love it or List it (Vívala o véndala):
When a house no longer feels like home, homeowners are left with a big financial and emotional question: renovate or sell? Love It or List It helps fed-up homeowners decide. In each hour-long episode Realtor David Visentin and designer Hilary Farr compete for the homeowners' final decision to stay or go.
Pregnant in Heels (Embarazadas y Entaconadas):
This reality series follows maternity concierge, fashion designer, and pregnancy guru Rosie Pope as she guides expecting Manhattan mothers through the joys and perils of preparing to have a baby. Viewers join Rosie and her team as they tackle their clients' pregnancy dilemmas. From shotgun wedding planning to daddy boot camps to getting the baby into British aristocracy, Rosie Pope is the maternity concierge to the most affluent--and hormonal--pregnant women in New York City!
What Not To Wear (¡No te lo pongas!)
¡No te lo pongas! is a makeover reality television series hosted by fashion stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. In each episode, Stacy, Clinton and a team of hair and makeup advisors help revamp the look of individuals who have been nominated by their friends for makeovers.
