In recent years, Science Channel has lost carriage with the growth of streaming alternatives including its parent company'sHBO Max, and has generally been depreciated by Warner Bros. Discovery in current retransmission consent negotiations with cable and streaming providers. Science Channel is still a major content provider toDiscovery+, a sister streaming service to HBO Max.
In November 1994, Discovery Networks announced plans for four digital channels set to launch in 1996. Discovery originally named the network under theworking titleQuark!;[3] this was changed before its launch to theDiscovery Science Network. Discovery Science launched in October 1996 as part of the simultaneous rollout of the new channel suite (alongsideDiscovery Home & Leisure,Discovery Kids andDiscovery Civilization).[4] In 2007, adult shows began airing around the clock weekdays, while younger children shows began airing around the clock weeknights.
The channel has undergone various rebrandings throughout its history. Its name was first modified to theDiscovery Science Channel in 1998, and then was renamedThe Science Channel in 2002, as the first network in the Discovery Networks digital suite to drop the "Discovery" brand from its name (however, international versions of the channel continue to use the "Discovery Science" name). The channel later shortened its name to justScience Channel in 2007 as part of a rebrand that included the introduction of a new logo based on theperiodic table; in 2011, the network rebranded as simplyScience, introducing a new logo and graphics package designed by Imaginary Forces.[5] In 2008, the channel changed its programming to adult-oriented, and removing all shows for elementary children.[6]
On December 23, 2016, Discovery Communications debuted a new logo for Science after five years. This rebrand was done by Sibling Rivalry, a New York–based design agency.[7][8]
Science Channel broadcasts a number of science-related televisionseries originally produced by or aired onDiscovery Channel, such asBeyond Tomorrow, among others. Discovery Communications has also produced a few programs specifically for Science, such asMegaScience andWhat The Ancients Knew. Programs from other Discovery Networks channels,PBS and theBBC are either regularly or occasionally aired on the network. Television series produced in the 1990s, such asDiscover Magazine andUnderstanding, are carried on the network's weekday schedule. Science also broadcasts programs such asMoments of Impact andAn Idiot Abroad. The channel has experienced somedrifting from its intended format throughout its existence, increasingly adding reruns on severalscience fiction series such asFirefly andFringe to its schedule in recent years.
2057 – Predictions on the future technology of the body, city, and the world.
Base Camp Moon – Returning to the Moon, harvesting Moon dust for oxygen/water, robotics (Robonaut), etc.
The Challenger Disaster – A biography surrounding the mystery of thetitular tragedy, starringWilliam Hurt. Science's first foray into dramatic programming, its premiere on the channel will be simulcast on sister network Discovery Channel.[10]
The Critical Eye – An eight-part series examining pseudoscientific and paranormal phenomena.
Dinosaur Revolution – A four-part miniseries on the natural history ofdinosaurs. The last two episodes were planned to air on Discovery Channel, but a last-minute schedule change landed them on Science.
Hubble Live – Launch of Space ShuttleAtlantis on NASA's Servicing Mission 4 (HST-SM4), the eleven-day fifth and final mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope
A Life In Memory – An hour-long documentary aboutMemories, andPTSD and the ways they effect our lives. "Barney recalls the day he was hit by a car: his back was broken, and his wife was killed. Today, he will be given a pill to erase the memory of that tragic day for good. At a treatment center in Montreal, PTSD patients are given a second chance at life."[11][12]
Lost Luggage – Rebroadcasts ofAn Idiot Abroad episodes from previous seasons, each including two new "Lost Luggage" segments filmed atRicky Gervais' home in England in which Gervais andKarl Pilkington hold brief discussions.
Mars Rising – A six-part series on possible future missions to Mars.
NextWorld – Predicting the future of the world, humanity, and life.
There are international versions of Science inSoutheast Asia, Europe, France, United Kingdom, Italy, India, Sweden, Turkey, Canada, Latin America and Australia. The channels are brandedDiscovery Science and do not broadcast all of the same shows as the US channel.
