On Sunday, the Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week kicked off — only this year, no controversial mockumentaries on the megalodon shark will be getting any air time.
Last year, Discovery Channel's new president Rich Ross had announced the removal of such dramatized programming, saying it wasn't "right" for the network. Instead, the channel was planning on leaning toward more real research.
In 2013, Discovery Channel debuted Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives, which was a fictional film about scientists researching the possible existence of the prehistoric and massive sea creature. The following year, Discovery Channel aired a sequel, Megalodon: The New Evidence. The fake documentaries were first introduced to the network as relief to the usually serious science material on the channel.
The mockumentary did begin and close with disclaimers about its fictionality, but it was still met with wide criticism for being misleading, therefore discrediting the network's reputation. "It was presented in such a way that you could very easily watch it and not know it was fictional," shark expert David Shiffman said, according to NPR.
While some were upset when they found out that the documentary was entirely fictionalized, many others who found the mockumentaries entertaining are bummed that the fake hunt for the giant shark won't be broadcasted this year.
After all, Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives was Shark Week's highest-rated program.
is it really shark week if you don't go back and watch the documentary about megalodon? 🐟
— claire matheny (@matheny_claire) June 27, 2016
very upset shark week has no megalodon shows this year😭
— kalena (@kalenaseaman) June 27, 2016
I love how Shark Week went rogue and released false documentaries. I love even more that the "scientist" tracking Megalodon is called Drake.
— Caroline Akers (@champagne_mommy) June 26, 2016
I've been waiting all year for shark week just to watch the megalodon documentaries
— Lyss (@Lyssa_Bauer) June 27, 2016
it's shark week where my megalodon documentary
— kitri rainbolt (@kitri600) June 27, 2016
@SharkWeek Thank you for not going with a fake mockumentary this year. Research and education is what we want!
— Saul Goode (@TheGoodeAg) June 27, 2016
Just found out that Shark Week's Megalodon was actually a mockumentary with actors and I'm genuinely pissed off.
— Kirby Nicole (@kirby_nicole) June 27, 2016Join the conversation about this story »
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