Shark Week 2018 guide: When it starts, channels, schedule and how to stream
Andrew Sharp
Shark Week is here: That time for people who are afraid they might one day be tempted to set foot in the ocean to nip those ambitions in the bud by watching loads of footage of toothy, hungry looking sea creatures and learning just exactly what they could do to you if they wanted to. And they can learn some science and stuff.
This is the 30th Shark Week, the Discovery Channel's annual ratings feeding frenzy that began in the 1980s as an idea scribbled on the back of a cocktail napkin, according to an executive producer for the show interviewed for The Atlantic.
"As I've heard it, they were just talking about what kinds of things would be fun to do on Discovery," Brooke Runnette told The Atlantic in 2012. "And one of them said something like, 'You know what would be awesome? Shark Week!' And somebody in that nexus scribbled it down on a napkin. You know how that is. An idea in a bar comes from many fathers."
The show has inspired others to try to cash in on the craze, including, in 2018, Build-a-Bear, which is offering great white and hammerhead shark plush toys and other accessories in honor of the cultural event.
Here's a look at what you should know for Shark Week 2018:
When does Shark Week start?
The special kicks off on the Discovery Channel on Sunday, July 22, at 7 p.m., with "Alien Sharks Greatest Hits."
What channel is it on?
DirecTV: 278
Dish: 182
Verizon: 120/620 HD
Xfinity: Check availability at your address
Can I watch Shark Week on Netflix or Hulu?
No.
Is there any way I can stream it?
Yes. It's not available on two popular streaming services, Sling and YouTubeTV, but the Discovery Channel is available on PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, and, for Xfinity internet customers, Xfinity Instant TV.
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Shark Week schedule 2018, per the Discovery Channel:
Sunday, July 22
7 p.m. Alien Sharks Greatest Hits
8 p.m. Bear vs. Shark
9 p.m. Shaq Does Shark Week
10 p.m. Ronda Rousey Uncaged
11 p.m. Shark After Dark Live
Monday, July 23
8 p.m. Monster Tag
9 p.m. Great White Abyss
10 p.m. Cuba's Secret Shark Lair
11 p.m. Shark After Dark Live
Tuesday, July 24
8 p.m. Guy Fieri's Feeding Frenzy
9 p.m. Laws of Jaws
10 p.m. Air Jaws: The Hunted
11 p.m. Shark After Dark Live
Wednesday, July 25
8 p.m. Air Jaws: Back From the Dead
9 p.m. Shark Tank Meets Shark Week
10 p.m. Sharkcam Stakeout
11 p.m. Shark After Dark Live
Thursday, July 26
8 p.m. Sharkcam Strikes Back
9 p.m. Sharkwrecked
10 p.m. Tiger Shark Invasion
11 p.m. Shark After Dark Live
Friday, July 27
7 p.m. Cash Cab "Shark Week Edition"
8 p.m. Megalodon: Fact vs. Fiction
9 p.m. Bloodline: Spawn of Jaws
10 p.m. Great White Shark Babies
Saturday, July 28
9 p.m. Return of the Mega Shark
10 p.m. Sharks Gone Wild
Sunday, July 29
9 p.m. Naked and Afraid of Sharks
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