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For many, the Discovery slate of channels are the best in class for comfort viewing, whether you enjoy the high-octane food frenzies over on the Food Network, the messy relationships found on TLC, or the real-life animal content of the Discovery Channel. If that sounds right up your alley, then Discovery+ might be the streamer for you.
The service launched in January 2021 with “50 original titles and over 150 hours of exclusive content,” according to their press release, comprising several segments of the Discovery arm from lifestyle to cooking, true crime, and nature. Those numbers continue to grow, with over 1,000 hours of original content now on the site. These days, the service is not only the definitive place to stream your favorite Discovery shows, it features exclusive spinoffs of many of the top TLC, Food Network, and HGTV series.
In May of 2021 WarnerMedia and Discovery merged to create Warner Bros. Discovery. The $43 billion merger will eventually see Discovery+ and HBOMax, Warner’s existing streaming service, merge into one but that is a few years off. In the meantime, Discovery+ remains its own entity. But, as we saw earlier within the last month, the merger has been nothing short of messy with HBOMax removing several of their original shows off their service. The same goes for Discovery+. Several titles, including shows created in the wake of the launch of Discovery+ (such as “Cakealikes” and “Toddlers & Tiaras: Where Are They Now”) have been removed from the service.
Discovery+ costs $4.99 a month to use, quite a bargain for reality lovers when you consider how much bingeable content is available.
Ahead, we break down the shows you should be taking time to seek out over on Discovery+.
This article was originally published March 9, 2021, and has been updated with updated information and updating removed series. Christian Zilko contributed to this story.
“Selling the Hamptons”
Similar to the likes of Netflix’s “Selling Sunset,” “Selling the Hamptons” follows a group of Hamptons real estate agents as they try to make million-dollar deals and navigate the personal rivalries that go along with it. If you were a fan of the short-lived Netflix reality show “Million Dollar Beach House,” which had its life cut short by the pandemic, three of the cast members there have ended up here.
“Scream: The True Story”
“Scream: The True Story” inhabits two genres of the Discovery+ platform: true crime and the paranormal. An installment in the network’s “Shock Docs” series, “Scream: The True Story” lifts the veil on the Gainesville Ripper, a man who murdered eight people in the South. His defense was that he was possessed by the Devil. Its connections to the “Scream” series are tenuous but that’s more than enough to send paranormal investigator Steve Shippy and psychic medium Cindy Kaza to go investigate the locations associated with the killer and his victims.
“Love Off the Grid”
The latest in the Discovery+ model of taking two disparate people and if seeing love blooms, “Love Off the Grid” follows different couples navigating living as homesteaders. We see the couples, one half of whom loves city life and the other who doesn’t, as they try to live off the land, grow their own food, and navigate a world without wi-fi. The results are interesting if not hilarious in showing the ways people struggle to get back to basics.
“Remix My Space With Marsai Martin”
Move over Chip and Joanna Gaines — whose Magnolia Table content you can also find on Discovery+ — “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin is getting in the home renovation business. The teenage actress’ series “Remix My Space With Marsai Martin” is both a home renovation series as well as a glimpse into the good works teens around the U.S. are doing. Every episode sees Martin help a teenager create a space that reflects them while also highlighting the activism they’re engaged in. If you’re hoping to get your kids into the home reno genre, this is a great start.
The “90 Day Fiance” Universe
Yes, there is a “90 Day Fiance” Universe and it can all be found on Discovery+. Not only can you stream all eight seasons of the bingeworthy series, as well as its countless spin-offs, but Discovery is also adding four additional shows exclusive to their streaming service. Highlights include “90 Days Bares All,” an extension of their tell-all episodes wherein past guests can talk about things that didn’t make it to air. It hasn’t been said…but it’ll be interesting to see if episodes become uncensored.
“Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”
Discovery+ is home to all 34 seasons of Guy Fieri’s entertaining “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” series. Follow Fieri around the United States as he visits some of the best (and most delicious) local spots. If anything, you can create quite the list of places to visit when it’s safe to do so.
“Ghost Adventures”
Do you believe in ghosts? Well, whether you do or not it’s difficult not to get wrapped up in the crazy world of the “Ghost Adventures” series. Team leader Zak Bagans and his crew visit some of the most haunted places in the world, leaving the viewers either scared or skeptical in equal measure. New to the streaming service will be a 2-hour episode wherein the team visits the ultimate haunted landmark: Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel. You don’t need to believe in the paranormal to be awed by this hotel, whose legacy is notorious. This is one episode of “Ghost Adventures” to watch with the lights on. You can also stream the rest of the series’ episodes as well.
“Say Yes to the Dress”
There’s something so fun and relaxing about watching young women try on a multitude of beautiful wedding dresses in the hopes of saying “yes” to the perfect one. Move over actual relationship, gimme the dresses! The “Say Yes to the Dress” franchise has weathered everything from sample sales to COVID-19 and now audiences can watch every episode of dressmaker Randy Fenoli and his Klenfield’s team helping brides. On top of that, Discovery+ will be home to the series “Say Yes to the Dress: In Sickness and Health,” a show looking at how Kleinfeld’s is helping brides even during the pandemic.
“Onision: In Real Life”
Talk about truth being stranger than fiction, the synopsis of “Onision: In Real Life” will intrigue you from the first minute. The series looks at YouTuber Greg Jackson, otherwise known as Onision. What started out as the creation of a massively successful YouTube channel could hold darker secrets. Considering how “Tiger King” took a figure that most people didn’t know and turned it into a massive success, this could be similar material.
“Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life”
Eli Roth is one of the most prolific horror filmmakers of the 21st century, directing films like “Hostel” and “The Green Inferno” while producing countless others. This time around, Roth turns his attention to allegedly true stories, as his Travel Channel series interviews survivors of hauntings. Whether you believe the stories or not, a supernatural series from Eli Roth is always worth checking out. —CZ
“Curse of the Chippendales”
If you’re a true crime lover who is also counting down the days until “Magic Mike 3” comes out, then Discovery+ has the show for you. “Curse of the Chippendales” is a four-part docuseries that investigates Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee and the allegation that he hired a hitman to murder his business partner. The show is unlikely to win a Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, but it’s the definition of a guilty pleasure show. —CZ
