Discovery’s Original Canadian Series and Primetime Mainstay MAYDAY Takes Flight with Season 17, Premiering September 8 at 10 p.m. ET

August 31, 2017

Investigating legendary aviation disasters to find out what went wrong and why, Discovery’s long-running hit original Canadian series Mayday returns for Season 17, airing Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT beginning Sept. 8. The captivating primetime series, now in production on Season 18, continues to reveal the often harrowing truth behind plane crashes, providing viewers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the world’s most catastrophic aviation accidents in search of clues that might prevent similar tragedies from happening again. 
 
“Since the series debut on Discovery in 2003, Mayday has continued to resonate with our viewers as a longstanding mainstay on our primetime schedule, while uncovering important lessons that have actually made commercial aviation safer,” said Ken MacDonald, Vice-President and General Manager, Discovery Networks. “We’re delighted to not only premiere a 17th season for this unique Canadian series, but also to announce that production is currently underway on Season 18.”
 
“To date we’ve covered 150 disasters for this series, seen all over the world in 45 languages,” said Alex Bystram, Executive Producer, Cineflix. “We’re tremendously proud of this series; from the meticulous research that ensures each episode is technically accurate to the emotional undercurrent conveyed with each story told.”
 
All 10 of this season’s one-hour episodes offer in-depth analysis using Mayday’s signature blend of gripping reenactments, state-of-the-art CGI, cockpit voice recorders, accident reports, and insider accounts by the investigators themselves. 
 
Highlights from the first two episodes of Mayday Season 17 include:
 
“Killer Attitude” 
Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 
After a routine one-hour flight from Minneapolis, Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 crashes in northern Minnesota, killing everyone on board. As investigators face intense pressure to find the cause of the crash, the cockpit voice recorder raises disturbing questions about an inexperienced pilot. As investigators dig deeper, they uncover a troubling pattern of behaviour that led to a breakdown in human cooperation.
 
“Deadly Myth” 
Friday, Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT 
When a commuter flight to Detroit ends in a fiery death spiral, it’s up to investigators to determine the cause and prevent it from ever happening again. They sort through the shattered wreckage in search of clues, with a close analysis of the flight data eventually leading to a stunning revelation — what doomed Flight 3272 is a danger the industry has been aware of for years.
 
Other episodes feature the aviation investigations of:
·Air China Flight 129 – April 15, 2002
·Trans World Airlines Flight 800 – July 17, 1996
·Garuda Indonesia Airlines Flight 152 – September 26, 1997
·USAir Flight 1016 – July 2, 1994
·TransAsia Flight 235 – February 4, 2015
· Metrojet Flight 9268 – October 31, 2015
·LAPA Flight 3142 – August 31, 1999
·Thai Airways Flight 311 – July 31, 1992
 
Mayday is a Cineflix (Mayday 17) Inc. production, in association with Discovery Canada, National Geographic Channels International, and Canal D. Executive Producer for Cineflix is Alex Bystram. Mayday is distributed internationally by Cineflix Rights.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: #Mayday
Twitter: @DiscoveryCanada@MaydayAircrash
 
Facebook: discoverycanadaMayday.AirCrash
 
Instagram: @DiscoveryCanadaAbout Cineflix Media Inc.:

About Cineflix Media Inc.:
Cineflix Media creates, produces, and distributes popular factual and scripted content for the global market with operations in Montreal, Toronto, New York, London, and Dublin.  Producing approximately 200 hours of network-defining programming per year across a wide range of genres, and with a growing catalogue of 4,500 hours, Cineflix is behind some of TV’s most highly rated brands.

About Bell Media Independent Production: 
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit series commissioned by CTV include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, the record-breaking THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, MASTERCHEF CANADA, hit drama CARDINAL, and upcoming original series THE DISAPPEARANCE, THE INDIAN DETECTIVE, and THE DETAIL. Among the original series on Bell Media specialty and streaming platforms are Space’s internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK as well as KILLJOYS, WYNONNA EARP, and DARK MATTER; Bravo’s award-winning and most-watched original drama 19-2; CraveTV hit comedy LETTERKENNY; Discovery’s first-ever drama FRONTIER; Comedy’s satirical news series THE BEAVERTON, CORNER GAS ANIMATED; and multiple series and specials for food and lifestyle channel Gusto, including ONE WORLD KITCHEN and A IS FOR APPLE. Discovery is also home to Bell Media’s hit factual franchise HIGHWAY THRU HELL, HEAVY RESCUE: 401, and CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, among others. Bell Media is one of the first media companies in North America to commit to producing all new original scripted series in 4K.

About Discovery: 
With compelling real-life programming that inspires and entertains, Discovery reveals the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. Discovery ranks as the #1 Canadian entertainment specialty network in primetime. Discovery offers a signature mix of adrenaline-charged stories, larger-than-life personalities and vivid imagery for viewers with curious minds. With the best factual programming from Canada and around the world, Discovery captures the excitement of a passion for life – one lived fully and at its most extreme. With exceptional and immersive storytelling, the channel offers in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the extraordinary people and places that shape our world. Launched in Canada in 1995, Discovery is now available in more than eight million Canadian homes. Discovery Canada is a joint venture between Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company, and Discovery Communications Inc. Find more information and interactive online features at Discovery.ca.
 
– 30 –
 
For more information:                                                                                                                     
Elysia Circelli, Discovery, 416.384.5166 or elysia.circelli@bellmedia.ca 
Vanessa Marra, Cineflix Media Inc., 514.278.3140 ext. 224 or vmarra@cineflix.com