shark week is a television event like no other. With origins dating back to the ’80s, this annual week of premium shark programming has attracted a fanbase of its own and become a trusted source for the age of online memes. It happens every year in July or August on the Discovery Channel and is now also available on the streaming platform Max.

The first Shark Week took place in July 1988. Interest in the large and menacing fish had increased since the release of the Steven Spielberg film. jaws in 1975, and Discovery executives John Hendricks, Clark Bunting, and Steve Cheskin wanted to capitalize on it, as well as deconstruct the hysteria the film had created around the fascinating animals through factually based documentaries. Legend has it that they came up with the idea for Shark Week while brainstorming in a bar after work and wrote it down on a cocktail napkin.

The types of shows have evolved over the years, from relying primarily on first-person accounts to featuring innovative images of predators thanks to the advent of technology such as air jaws. In the 1990s, Shark Week began to have special appearances by famous personalities from different areas, including jaws Author Peter Benchley. In 2018, he was introduced by Shaquille O’Neal, followed by Rob Riggle, Josh Gates, and Dwayne Johnson.

In recent decades, Shark Week has been accused of moving away from its documentary origins to become increasingly fictional and sensational. show how monster hammerhead shark and the two megalodon The specials were on the receiving end of backlash for spreading false narratives of mythological sharks still roaming the waters today.

In 2023, the 35th edition of Shark Week will take place between July 23 and 30 and will be hosted by Jason Momoa.