First Shark Week
In its second year of programming, the Discovery Channel decided to dedicate an entire week to sharks during the summer of 1987. What followed was Shark Week, seven days of documentary-style television that appealed to our fascination with the oceans' most feared beasts. Audiences were captivated. Within its first decade of tenure, each week featured not only new fin-filled programs, but also a celebrity host. Author of Jaws Peter Benchley served as the celebration's inaugural host in 1994, and since, the honor has gone to the likes of Heidi Klum, Craig Ferguson and this year's "chief shark officer," comedian Andy Samberg. As cable's longest-running event, Discovery's Shark Week contains some of the channel's most watched content, with more than 30 million people tuning in for 2010 alone. It's no surprise Discovery wishes we'd live every week like it's Shark Week.