Discovery gets some exorcise

Discovery Communications has unveiled a raft of new shows for its channels in the US and around the world, including what’s being billed as the first live televised exorcism in the US.

Exorcism: Live! will air on Destination America in the US on October 30 at 21.00. The show is revisiting the story and the house that inspired movie The Exorcist, which is celebrating its 66th anniversary in October.

The programme will feature stars of Destination America’s series Ghost Asylum as they explore and exorcise supposed spirits from the house. It’s being produced by US-based Tremendous! Entertainment with Colleen Needles Steward and Shannon Keenan Demers as executive producers.

Elsewhere, Discovery Channel is prepping Louie Psihoyos’s documentary Racing Extinction, which was revealed in February. It will be broadcast on December 2 in the US and then in 220 markets across the world in the following 24 hours.

The new shows, revealed by Discovery at its TCA announcement yesterday, also include Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals for Investigation Discovery. It’s being produced by ABC’s Lincoln Square Productions and explores famous US news stories, while Science Channel has ordered a new programme exploring survival in space.

Secret Space Escapes, from ITV Studios America, will look at some of the most unlikely cases of survival during missions and will air alongside Discovery Family’s From Wags to Riches, which studies famous on-screen animals and has been produced by US prodco Earth Touch.

Finally, Velocity has ordered a second run of automotive design series Bitchin’ Rides, while American Heroes Channel, which yesterday revealed a Fidel Castro doc, has also taken American Titans. Made by The Studio, it explores the moguls of US business and is slated to air next month.