Et tu, Discovery?

Maybe it’s just me, but I thought that Discovery Channel stood for something: a diehard, fearless and absolutely tireless promotion of science, critical thought, research, advancement, and perhaps most of all, a sense of wonder at our world and all the crazy, dangerous and downright amazing things in it. You could always count on Discovery to be an immutable voice for reason and skepticism, and so far, I’ve seen little, if anything, to contradict this notion.

Until this.

Oh yes: After trying unsuccessfully to sell to the broadcast networks a travelogue series about Alaska that would feature none other than SARAH PALIN, reality-TV king Mark Burnett appears to be in negotiations with Discovery Communications about placing the Palin "reality series" there.

Discovery is expected to announce soon that it's getting into bed with the former Alaska governor for this limited-run series.

Evidently, Palin will serve as sort of modern-day Sacagawea. She'll guide viewers around Alaska to meet the "characters, tradition and attractions in the 49th state," trade paper Variety reported Tuesday -- almost as if it had its hands on the news release.

Oh, dear God … it’s finally happened. Discovery’s gone the way of the History Channel^[1]. The angel has gone to bed with the devil – and now, we are about to receive news of the birth of the next demonic plague, in the form of a Sarah Palin reality TV show.

Okay, okay, taking a step back from the hyperbole for a minute: all we know so far as that they’re planning to air a travelogue, not an actual TV series focusing on the failed politician-slash-attention whore, herself. In fact, this excerpt is downright reassuring:

The broadcast networks appear to have passed because the show is not called "The Palins," and it is not about Palin, her unwed daughter Bristol and baby Tripp, her potshot-taking nearly son-in-law Levi, her hot-looking husband Todd, and her baby with Down syndrome whom we all fell in love with during the 2008 presidential race, Trig.

At least we won’t have her family inflicted upon us as well. (Or so they want us to believe for now, anyway.) If this really is just a simple travelogue and will be kept devoid of any and all of Palin’s wingnuttery, then I have nothing against it. I don’t know how much Palin actually knows about her country; hopefully, her truly abysmal knowledge of the country’s politics won’t be an indication of whether or not she can actually guide one around Alaska competently.

Please, Discovery, don’t mess this up. I don’t want to have to burn my shrine to the best TV channel still airing.

(via @washingtonpost)

^[1] The History Channel is known for having fallen into the pits of mysticism and pseudoscience these days. Not that it doesn’t still have plenty of great shows, or that it’s no longer a source of great historical movies now and then, but it’s still sad to watch it slip under the fetid tides of psychics, ghost hunters, Nostradamus and assorted nonsense.