Shark Week Started 35 Years Ago and the Reason Why May Surprise Animal Lovers (Exclusive)
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Howard Lee, the president of Discovery Networks and TLC, tells PEOPLE the important reason why the Discovery Channel started Shark Week
Courtesy of Discovery Channel
Dive into a bit of Shark Week history.
With Shark Week 2023, Discovery Channel is celebrating 35 years of the splashy summer programming event.
"I tip my hat off to all my work predecessors who sustained Shark Week for all these years and allowed us to celebrate Shark Week this year for the 35th anniversary," Howard Lee, the president of Discovery Networks and TLC, tells PEOPLE.
To mark the occasion, Discovery Channel is airing a 35th-anniversary special as part of Shark Week 2023 — running Sunday, July 23, through Saturday, July 29, with host Jason Momoa.
Shark Week: Off the Hook, which premieres July 23 at 11 p.m. EST on Discovery Channel, will dive into the biggest thrills from all of Shark Week— believed to be cable's longest-running programming event, according to the Discovery Channel. The special will also include behind-the-scenes looks at iconic moments.
Shark Week first entered the cable TV ocean in the summer of 1988 when cable was still in its infancy. Lee says Discovery Channel launched the programming event to "captivate and educate," adding that Shark Week started as a counterpoint to the negative representations of sharks in popular culture and to provide viewers with shows that explored sharks' strength, magnificence, and importance.
Related: How to Watch All of Shark Week 2023 Hosted by Jason Momoa
"I think there's been a lot of mythology about sharks that we have been able to dispel. There's a very positive public perception of sharks that I feel we all had a hand in. We nurtured, I would say, a deeper appreciation for these beautiful creatures and their vital role in our ecosystem," Lee shares, adding that Shark Week has "turned into an annual powerful platform for raising awareness and inspiring conservation efforts."
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As the years have passed and technology has evolved, Shark Week has gone deeper into the roles sharks play in keeping oceans healthy.
"The technology has improved so much since the infancy of 1988 in terms of cameras, sonar, and everything. And so, we can really do new things that we've never been able to do before. And a lot of that's in the lineup this year, such as Belly of the Beast," Lee says.
Discovery Channel
Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy is a special new to Shark Week that will follow shark experts as they post up in a whale carcass decoy covered in chum to watch the feeding behaviors of great white sharks up close.
Also new to Shark Week this year is host Jason Momoa, who is a perfect fit for the programming event, per Lee.
"Jason Momoa is a true believer in all things shark and conservation efforts. And of course, we were thrilled to have Aquaman himself join and be part of this celebration," the Discovery Networks and TLC president says.
And while Shark Week 2023 is just about to kick off, the plans for Shark Week 2024 are already in the works.
"The moment Shark Week starts this week, we're already all over next year thinking about what we are doing that we've never done before. The public's appetite for this Shark Week and its programming, it's infinite. They are fascinated by it, and we want to quench their thirst again," Lee says.
Don't miss a second of Shark Week 2023; tune into the summer TV event starting Sunday, July 23, at 8 p.m. EST/PST on the Discovery Channel. Shark Week 2023 programs will also be available to stream on Max.
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