SCIENCE is the Home for Junkyard Genius in August With Two World Premiere Series - JUNKies and STUCK WITH HACKETT

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SCIENCE—television's home for audacious genius—digs deep this August with the world premieres of two enormously entertaining series appealing to the "enginerd" in us all.  Beginning August 18, audiences will meet the jester of the junkyard when trash connoisseur Jimmy Ruocco reveals his latest creations in JUNKies at 10:00 PM (ET/PT).   Immediately following, survivalist savant Chris Hackett proves himself to be a "post-apocalyptic MacGyver" in STUCK WITH HACKETT, at 10:30 PM (ET/PT).

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Long Island's Jimmy's Junk is the setting for SCIENCE's world premiere August series, JUNKies.  This is the premiere junkyard for the subculture of high-end inventors, backyard builders and antique pickers constantly looking for missing parts to complete their passion projects.  The Freeport team, led by Jimmy "The Junk Genius" Ruocco, will go to any lengths to construct new and inspired devices; with highlights including a hovercraft, a coffin car, a lawn mower racer and a flamethrower—all made from the finest discarded spare parts.  These guys know the guts, bolts and science inside even the most unique machines.  Crossing paths with a crazy cast of characters, they encounter everyone from inventors and students to mechanics and artists.  This eclectic band of dumpster divers will redefine engineering on JUNKies on Thursday, August 18, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT).

STUCK WITH HACKETT features "alternative engineer" and survival expert Chris Hackett.  Each episode finds Hackett left alone in an extreme environment—from deep wilderness, to ruined cities, to arid deserts—with little more than his wits and ingenuity.  The goal isn't survival, however; it's luxury … achieved by any means necessary.  Through a series of video diaries, he explains how to turn junk into creature comforts, such as making a hot tub in a snowy terrain, fashioning an A/C unit from spare airplane parts and fermenting leaves to run a washing machine.  Watch Hackett turn one man's nightmare into his own personal retreat using common sense and a lot of spare parts in STUCK WITH HACKETT on Thursday, August 18, at 10:30 PM (ET/PT).

"SCIENCE is the home for the 'thought provocateur,' and no two characters personify this title more than Hackett and Jimmy.  Every adventure turns a trash heap into a treasure hunt, and their out-of-this-world creativity is what makes these two truly unique characters must-see television," said Debbie Adler Myers, general manager and executive vice president of SCIENCE.  "We cannot wait to share their distinct brands of 'junkyard genius' with the world."

JUNKies is produced for SCIENCE by Leftfield Pictures.  David George, Brent Montgomery and Colby Gaines are executive producers for Leftfield Pictures.  Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production and executive producer for SCIENCE.  

STUCK WITH HACKETT is produced for SCIENCE by Silver Machine.  Nathaniel Grouille and Korelan Matteson are executive producers for Silver Machine.  Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production and Wyatt Channel is executive producer, with Lindsey Foster as associate producer for SCIENCE.  

About SCIENCE:

SCIENCE, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), is home for the thought provocateur, the individual who is unafraid to ask the killer questions of "how" and "why not."  The network is a playground for those with audacious intellects and features programming willing to go beyond imagination to explore the unknown.  Guided by curiosity, SCIENCE looks for innovation in mysterious new worlds as well as in its own backyard.  SCIENCE and the SCIENCE HD simulcast reach more than 68 million U.S. households.  The network also features high-traffic online and social media destinations, including ScienceChannel.com, facebook.com/Science Channel and twitter.com/Science Channel.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories.  Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 130-plus worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, SCIENCE and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network.  Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including HowStuffWorks.com.  For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

SOURCE SCIENCE