Animal Planet (DStv Channel 264)

Must Love Cats (premier)
Monday, 2 April at 17:20

Prepare for a fanatical feline adventure with cat-obsessed host and musician John Fulton as this crazy new series packs wild, wonderful, and heart-warming encounters with the cat world into a journey to the centre of the feline universe. From ancient to modern, massive to tiny, no cat will be overlooked. On his travels, John meets a personal chef who caters exclusively for cats, encounters the world’s best fashion designer for felines, visits Japan to explore the crazy cat culture and meets a woman who is on a crusade to teach kitties how to swim.

Bite of the Living Dead (premier)
Sunday, 8 April at 21:55

Imagine that you are completely paralysed but totally aware of your surroundings. You lie helpless as you hear yourself declared dead and relatives gather to discuss your imminent cremation. You scream but nothing comes out. Your grip on reality begins to crumble. These are the terrifying true stories of two people, both bitten by one of the world’s most feared snakes, the Krait. One is a small girl in rural India, the other a renowned snake scientist working in the remote jungles of Burma. Watch as they descend into a hellish realm between life and death where your worst nightmares mix with brutal reality.

Wild Britain with Ray Mears (premier)
Thursday, 19 April at 21:00

From woodlands to wetlands, meadows to moorland, wildlife expert Ray Mears embarks on an incredible journey to uncover a hidden natural world that lies just beyond our doorstep. Delving deep into the countryside, in search of the true wilderness in Britain’s stunning environment, Ray is joined by local characters who teach him about the traditions, heritage and folklore of the area. Packed with fascinating information and facts about the natural world, 'Wild Britain' is a visual feast, boasting beautifully-shot scenes that capture the breathtaking wonder of the dramatic landscape and some of its shiest creatures.

Wildlife SOS (premier)
Sunday, 22 April at 13:40

For animal rescuer Simon Cowell and his team at the Wildlife Aid Foundation, an average day brings the challenge of rescuing and caring for all manner of native British wildlife. But as Simon finds out when he visits his counterparts at wildlife charities in other parts of the world, the situations and the species may be different, but the problems facing the animal kingdom are just the same. Over the series we will see Simon and his colleagues saving the lives of kestrels, robins and badger cubs in England, helping to protect seals and dolphins on the west coast of Ireland, looking after mistreated orang-utans in Thailand, learning how Namibian tribespeople are being encouraged to rediscover the ability to live in harmony with nature, and going undercover in a Vietnamese ‘bear bile farm’ to see some of the very worst excesses of man's inhumane treatment of animals.

Wildest Arctic (premier)
Wednesday, 25 April at 21:00

Four years. Four programmes. One amazing series. 'Wildest Arctic' explores four extraordinary areas of the Arctic, giving a unique insight into what life is like for animals trying to survive in these incredible habitats. The cameras capture life over the course of 12 months in the frozen forests of the taiga, which contain one third of the world’s trees. They also explore the arctic tundra, one of the coldest, driest places on the planet and home to hundreds of thousands of caribou. In later episodes, footage shows what life is like in the Arctic Circle for the ‘Ice Bears’ and ‘Ice Whales’ and explores Iceland, following the seasons and discovering the natural beauty of the country’s rugged landscapes and hardy wildlife.

Discovery HD Showcase (DStv Channel 172)

Northwest Wild (premiere)
Thursday, 5 April at 21:00

The Pacific Northwest provides a place for people to get out and experience adventure sports in a way that's unlike any other destination. This unique environment is the playing field for everything from mountain climbing, surfing and scuba diving to kart racing and dog sledding. Any sport imaginable can be played here. Programme host Steve Engman immerses himself into the sporting cultures of the Pacific Northwest and shows the viewer how to get trained and partake in these sports and activities.
TLC (DStv Channel 186)

Facing Trauma (premiere)
Thursday, 5 April at 21:00

‘Facing Trauma’ follows the work of Dr Andrew Jacono, a world-class facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon who has made it his mission to serve the victims of devastating acts of domestic violence and crime, and senseless accidents. Part case study, part survival journey, this compelling series chronicles the harrowing stories of women who have been left disfigured from violent circumstances, as they struggle to reconstruct their lives both physically and emotionally. From the initial consultation to the final reveal, join Dr Jacono and his team, including licensed clinical psychiatrist Dr Janet E Taylor a certified life coach who specialises in battling the emotional impact of mental illness, as they work to heal both the internal and external scars of victims.

NY Ink (premiere)
Tuesday, 10 April at 20:10

TLC invites viewers into the indelible world of tattoos with the brand new series ‘NY Ink’. Miami Ink’s Ami James is heading to the Big Apple to put everything on the line in the hopes of becoming the Tattoo King of New York City. The brash and loud guy with a big personality and heart to match has now set his sights on dominating the birthplace of the American tattoo style. Always looking for his next big challenge, Ami's new shop, Wooster Street Social Club, will be opening up right in the heart of SoHo. But a new shop means hiring some of the best artists in the business and with that comes a whole new set of problems.

Ludo Bites America (premiere)
Saturday, 14 April at 20:10

Classically trained to remake the classics, Ludo Lefebvre is a five-star French chef writing his own restaurant rulebook. Ludo is on a mission to blend his extraordinary culinary talents with everyday eats. He and business partner and wife Krissy are hitting the road to reinvent American cuisine. From Carolina barbecue to New Mexico chiles, each episode finds Ludo and Krissy setting up their innovative touring restaurant at a local eatery desperate for fresh ideas. While Ludo takes a crash course in US culture, Krissy is out generating buzz for opening night.

Discovery Channel (DStv Channel 121)

Dynamo: Magician Impossible (premiere)
Wednesday, 4 April at 20:30

Tipped as the most exciting British magician to emerge in decades and with a list of celebrity fans that reads like a 'Who's Who' of the Hollywood elite, ‘Dynamo: Magician Impossible’ is the story of an ordinary boy from Bradford living an extraordinary life. Like his grandfather before him, Dynamo grew up practising precision card-handling and developing powerful magical skills. This four-part series sees the 28-year-old travelling the globe, astounding everyone he meets, whether it is an international footballer or a Hollywood actor. In episode one, Dynamo performs his spectacular Matrix-style levitation, physically moves a girl's tan line on the glamorous Miami Beach and performs magic with Manchester rock legend Ian Brown. Other highlights in this mind blowing series include: transporting a mobile phone into a glass beer bottle, magically transforming snow into diamonds in the Austrian mountains, and bringing a flutter of butterflies to life in Hollywood's famous Chateau Marmont.

Bering Sea Gold (premiere)
Monday, 9 April at 21:25

Nome, Alaska. Every summer, as the glacial ice melts around this isolated port, a handful of fortune seekers hunt for gold in the most unlikely of places: the bottom of the Bering Sea. From the producers of the Emmy-winning 'Deadliest Catch' comes Discovery Channel's newest series, ‘Bering Sea Gold’. This eight-part series profiles the eccentric characters who spend hours on the rocky ocean floor, hunting gold from custom-built rigs. From the desperate to the diabolical, the Nome gold fleet takes on all comers, and the brutal Bering Sea does the rest. From a family who operate a 25-metre barge to an Alaskan social worker who sinks his life savings into a lifelong dream of being a gold miner, and from Nome's only female dredger to a captain who needs to pay his debts to stay out jail, these rugged treasure hunters put it all on the line to scour the sea floor for precious metal. With gold's price at an all-time high, some will go home rich – and some will just go home.

First Week In (premiere)
Thursday, 12 April at 21:25

‘First Week In' offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the lives of profiled inmates and the moments that led to their incarceration. For some, the path to freedom seems inevitable; for others, the future is bleak. The series opens with the story of Christopher Snider, who is arrested for domestic assault and battery and must face life without his wife, daughter, best friend and job as a result of his crime. We also meet Connie Liphford, who is booked in for sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery, and must face up to the prospect of 18 years behind bars, and crystal meth addict James, who has some growing up to do.

Soul Food Family (premiere)
Sunday, 22 April at 18:10

When Robbie Montgomery – one of the original backing singers for 1960s soul duo sensation Ike and Tina Turner – toured with the band, she poured her creative gifts into her cooking as much as her singing. When the singing stopped, Robbie took her mother's soul food recipes, passed down through generations, and created the empire known as 'Sweetie Pies', the iconic and wildly popular soul food restaurant in St Louis run by Robbie and her dynamic family. With two successful locations, Miss Robbie is expanding and preparing to open a third restaurant with the help of her son and business partner Tim. While Tim and his girlfriend Jenae also prepare for the birth of their first child – and their wedding – Miss Robbie, who has never been married, continues to look for love at the age of 71. ‘Soul Food Family’ follows the loud, loving and still very musical Montgomery family, as they struggle with the demands of expanding their family-owned business, one soulful dish at a time.

Investigation Discovery (DStv Channel 252)

LA: City of Demons (premiere)
Wednesday, 11 April at 19:00

Join bestselling crime author James Ellroy as he takes a look at some of Hollywood's most nihilistically notorious crimes in ‘LA: City of Demons’. Exploring and exposing the darker, seamier side of life that exists behind the silver screen, Ellroy guides viewers through the horrifying panoply of crimes, historical and contemporary, that plague LA. Beginning with a deeply personal account of the genesis of his fascination with crime – the unsolved murder of his mother in 1958 – Ellroy goes on to pursue other cases that have captured his imagination and curiosity, speaking to the childhood killer of a notorious LA mobster, offering a homicidal history of Los Angeles serial killers and marking the misdeeds of the rich and famous. Featuring in-depth interviews with witnesses, prosecutors, investigators and jurors, the series explores the demonic underbelly of the City of Angels.

Cops and Coyotes (premiere)
Wednesday, 11 April at 19:50

The second series of powerful observational documentary ‘Cops and Coyotes’ returns to the US-Mexican border to follow Arizona's elite police units in their daily battle against drug smuggling and human trafficking. Every year, narcotics worth billions of dollars are smuggled by drug mules through this gateway to the rest of America, with Mexican immigrants entering the United States illegally in search of a better life. Join Maricopa County’s SWAT and Human Smuggling Units and the US Border Patrol as they tackle the dangerous task of protecting America’s fragile frontier, and enjoy exclusive access to hard-hitting cases and on-site situations, including kidnapper takedowns, human smuggling ambushes, hostage busts and homicides.

Nightmare Next Door (premiere)
Thursday, 12 April at 19:00

Returning for a gripping second series, ‘Nightmare Next Door’ tells the stories of various victims who have suspiciously disappeared from their communities, only to be found brutally murdered by someone known to them. Following the team of detectives who, in the hope of bringing justice to the victims and their families, piece together the clues left behind by each offender, this insightful investigative series uses photographs and videos from the actual investigations, teamed with intimate interviews with the victims’ families and detectives. From the bloody and baffling murder of Beth Grosskopf, who was stabbed more than 40 times, to the cryptic and gruesome slaying of Debra Rawls in Florida, watch as each compelling story is unravelled and the final surprising outcome revealed.

Discovery World (DStv Channel 250)

Trashopolis (premiere)
Tuesday, 3 April at 20:05

‘Trashopolis’ is back with a brand new series exploring the dark and ugly secret which lies beneath the streets of every major city around the world. Find out how these modern and iconic cities could not have been built without…trash! This informative series explores how rubbish has been the secret ingredient that has transformed great cities into the pillars of civilisation they are today. Explore the startling truth of how these beautiful and revered capitals rose and flourished all from garbage. Shot entirely in HD, the series combines lavish photography and renowned international expert opinions to reveal this remarkable story.

Titanic: The Aftermath (premiere)
Sunday 15, April at 19:10

On 15 April 1912, the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, claiming the lives of 1 500 passengers and crew. Beginning where other accounts usually end, this drama documentary tells the story of the remarkable mission to recover and identify the bodies of victims. Meeting the descendants of three people involved in one of the greatest civilian disasters of the 20th century, the programme explores the fate of their forebears and reveals the impact of the sinking on those they left behind. From the violinist who died playing soothing music to calm the frightened passengers, to the richest man aboard the ship who perished after ensuring his pregnant young wife was safely aboard a lifeboat, and the Halifax registrar whose respectful and efficient methodology became the model for modern forensics, hear the poignant tales of three families whose lives were changed by this tragedy. 'Titanic: the Aftermath' is a powerful and moving record of unknown aspects of this event.

Titanic: Birth of a Legend (premiere)
Sunday 15, April at 21:00

The Titanic’s final hours are well documented, but how did she come into existence? Combining cutting-edge computer graphics, dramatic recreations, painstaking research and first-hand evidence, ‘Titanic: Birth of a Legend’ charts her progress from dream to drawing board and, ultimately, to disaster. Seeking out the untold stories of the men who designed and built her at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, this fascinating programme investigates the financial pressures, political dramas, tragedy and shame that affected them before and after the ship's launch. Focusing on the lives of a few of the workers who were privileged to be chosen to travel on the Titanic's maiden voyage, and who died when she sank, this programme hears the true forgotten narratives of the men who created the world's most luxurious ship.

Apocalypse 2012 Revelations (premiere)
Sunday, 22 April at 19:10

The Maya were legendary astronomers and timekeepers. Their calendar is one of the wonders of the ancient world and far more accurate than our own. But on the 21 December, this 5 000-year calendar comes to an end. For those who are convinced the end is near, the end of the Maya calendar is compelling evidence that life as we know it is drawing to a close. But why did the Maya choose this date, many centuries into the future, and what did they think was going to happen? A compelling one-off documentary, ‘Apocalypse 2012 Revelations’ explores the truth about the Mayan calendar and examines the reaction millions are having to the possibility of a forthcoming apocalypse.