Complete With Bewildering Births, Bucket Lists, And Bizarre Medical Anomalies, Discovery Life Channel Unveils January Debut Slate

SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery is breathing life into its next chapter for Discovery Fit and Health with a full slate of programing on Discovery Life Channel beginning on Thursday, January 15. The night kicks off with the premiere of an original series about births that don't exactly stick to the plan in OUTRAGEOUS BIRTHS: TALES FROM THE CRIB at 9/8c, followed by the endearing series 50 WAYS TO KILL YOUR MOTHER at 10/9c, chronicling the adventures of an Irish TV personality as he bonds with his mother, grabbing life by the horns on an extreme bucket list adventure.

As debut week continues, medical mayhem abounds in the city that never sleeps with a raw and intimate look inside NY ER on Friday, January 16 at 10/9c and 10:30/9:30c. Peeling back the curtain on afflictions of both body and mind, BODY BIZARRE looks at rare medical anomalies and the incredible spirit of those living with them on Saturday, January 17 at 9/8c, while HOARDING: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS offers a glimpse into the U.K.'s most extreme pack rats on Sunday, January 18 at 10/9c. Bringing flair to the air, previously announced series THE MISTRESS follows former mistress Sarah J. Symonds on her quest to help reform other other women on Wednesday, January 21 at 10/9c and 10:30/9:30c. Finally, in WORLD'S WORST MOM, Lenore Skenazy aims to diffuse parental paranoia by helping high-strung moms let go of their fears on Thursday, January 22 at 9/8c and 9:30/8:30c.

"From the shocking to the scandalous, the informative to the enlightening, heartbreaking to heartwarming, Discovery Life Channel's programming has something relatable for the voyeur in all of us," said Jane Latman, general manager of Discovery Life Channel. "Between our bold content, unflappable talent and authentic storytelling, we are excited to debut Discovery Life in January as a must-watch television destination filled with humor – and heart – in the Discovery portfolio."

The complete January slate is as follows: 

OUTRAGEOUS BIRTHS: TALES FROM THE CRIB
Premieres Thursday, January 15 at 9/8c; Regular premieres move to Fridays at 9/8c beginning January 16 
All the baby books and Lamaze classes can't prepare a pregnant woman for when labor doesn't go quite as planned. OUTRAGEOUS BIRTHS: TALES FROM THE CRIB features first-person accounts by real mothers and fathers sharing their unbelievable, unexpected birth stories. From a baby that was born during a hurricane to a baby that was actually born twice, each hour-long episode reveals three bizarre, mysterious and sometimes humorous medical stories involving childbirth, labor and delivery. 

50 WAYS TO KILL YOUR MOTHER
Premieres Thursday, January 15 at 10/9c 
Experience the endearing and enduring relationship between a brave 70-year-old Irish mom and her daredevil son Baz Ashmawy as they grab life by the horns on a unique journey to experience extreme adventures together. They're the kind of stunts that keep a parent up at night with worry, but in 50 WAYS TO KILL YOUR MOTHER, mom is along for the ride. From skydiving to alligator wrestling, this six-part series follows Baz as he sets sail across the globe with a bucket list designed to test his mum's mettle.

NY ER 
Premieres Friday, January 16^th at 10/9c and 10:30/9:30c 
In the city that never sleeps, the ER never stops. NY ER is a raw and intimate look at life inside the crowded emergency rooms at New York Presbyterian Hospital, University Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital. With unparalleled access, cameras are there for all the drama and the trauma documenting the mayhem and miracles that occur in some of the busiest ERs in the country. NY ER's doctors and nurses are prepared for everything – from the grandmothers, addicts and local celebrities that roll in, to treating gunshots, rare illnesses, and unusual ailments patients wish they never had to confess.

BODY BIZARRE 
Premieres Saturday, January 17 at 9/8c
BODY BIZARRE features stories of people living with the most mysterious and incredible medical anomalies, focusing on their total transformation of mind, body, and soul while undergoing treatment. Each one-hour episode uncovers cases from across the globe of real, and really astonishing, medical abnormalities that continue to stump the best doctors and experts. Cases include a young Nepalese man born with three legs to a bizarre spinal defect that left a Brazilian man's head facing upside down, and a rare syndrome that causes a Swedish family to feel no pain. BODY BIZARRE provides unprecedented access into the lives of these individuals and explains the science behind each condition all the while celebrating the remarkable spirit of perseverance.

HOARDING: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS 
Premieres Sunday, January 18 at 10/9c 
HOARDING: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS explores Britain's growing number of extreme hoarders and their quest for a cure with the help of friends and family. There are an estimated 1.2 million hoarders in Britain, and the series uncovers that many of them lead seemingly ordinary lives on the outside, but behind their front door lies a shocking reality of rooms packed to the brim with clutter, unsanitary living conditions, and families pushed to the brink. In this 15-episode series, viewers are introduced to hoarders whose lives are being torn apart by their condition and will follow their attempt to part with treasured possessions with the help of a leading psychotherapist and a no nonsense cleaning crew.

THE MISTRESS 
Premieres Wednesday, January 21 at 10/9c and 10:30/9:30c
Hollywood and the media most commonly portray mistresses as heartless home wreckers but, more often than not, these women don't embody the sexed-up stereotype. Many are duped into these love triangles and struggle with deep feelings of loneliness and personal conflict. Now, one of the world's most famous mistresses – Sarah J. Symonds, author and self-proclaimed former mistress of Chef Gordon Ramsay and Lord Jeffrey Archer – is on a mission to rescue others from the despair of their affairs and portray the hidden life of the often-vilified woman in THE MISTRESS. Each half-hour episode documents Symonds' intervention with one mistress ready to finally escape the trap of an extramarital affair, drawing from her own personal experiences to prove that there's rarely a silver lining when you're the other woman.

WORLD'S WORST MOM  
Premieres Thursday, January 22 at 9/8c and 8:30/9:30c 
WORLD'S WORST MOM aims to diffuse parental paranoia by helping high-strung, fearful moms let go of their tightly held reins so their kids can thrive. This 13-part series follows "worst mom" Lenore Skenazy – a mother of two, an author and a seasoned parenting expert – who suffered intense public criticism in 2008 after allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the NYC subway on his own. Following a media frenzy, Lenore went on an intrepid mission to rescue overprotective parents and their bubble-wrapped kids from a strained relationship. In each episode, Lenore performs interventions with "helicopter parents" who are holding back their kids, taking each family through a series of challenges designed to push boundaries, give their children more freedom, and abolish the fear of letting go.

**Episode descriptions available upon request

ABOUT DISCOVERY LIFE CHANNEL 
On January 15, 2015, Discovery Fit & Health will become Discovery Life Channel – a network that embraces all of life's unplanned moments. Discovery Life brings viewers a kaleidoscope of human emotions and experiences through the true stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. From critical turning points to unexpected moments, Discovery Life explores people tackle life's surprising twists and turns. The network will be under the purview of Henry Schleiff, Group President of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family Channel, and Discovery Fit & Health, with Jane Latman as General Manager. Discovery Fit & Health is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 pay-TV media company reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.

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SOURCE Discovery Life Channel