Discovery Channel Stands By Its Fake Documentary About A Giant Shark
Megalodon, a 60-foot-long relative of the Great White shark, is real. However, the creature went extinct 2 million years ago. The mockumentary used fake footage and storylines to convince viewers that Megalodon still roams the oceans today.
A disclaimer, confirming that the show was fantasy rather than fact, only ran at the end of the program.
It read: "None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents. Though certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized, sightings of 'Submarine' continue to this day. Megalodon was a real shark. Legends of giant sharks persist all over the world. There is still debate about what they might be.
Many Discovery Channel viewers felt duped and turned to Facebook and Twitter to express their anger.
Michael Sorensen, the executive producer of Shark Week, defends the fake episode. He told FoxNews: “With a whole week of Shark Week programming ahead of us, we wanted to explore the possibilities of Megalodon. It’s one of the most debated shark discussions of all time, can Megalodon exist today? It’s Ultimate Shark Week fantasy. The stories have been out there for years and with 95% of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?”
Just a couple months ago, Animal Planet (also owned by Discovery Communications) received a similar backlash from viewers after it aired a fake documentary about mermaids.