Jill Offman, VP of programming at Discovery Channel Canada, expects to see a lot of paper land on her desk, pretty much all at once, by the end of the month. That’s when the deadline will hit for the channel’s first open call for submissions and, at last count, roughly 100 producers are known to be making pitches.

‘But everybody seems to be waiting for the deadline,’ says Offman, from her as-yet underpopulated desk.

Discovery is looking for 60 to 80 hours to fit its new, flashier format – which was quietly rolled out six months ago – and put out a call for ideas just before the holidays. Offman and company then sat down with a few hundred choice producers, to spell out in detail what kind of shows the channel wants: entertaining science with ‘speed and danger, fangs and claws’ for males aged 18 to 54.

In other words, more Monster Garage and Monster House, the two series that have come to typify the new Discovery and helped to boost its overall ratings some 25%, following a 9% drop in early 2003. Producers would also be smart to look at the net’s popular Thursday night ‘Ultimates’ slot – about all things tall and fast – and How It’s Made as other safe bets, says Offman.

Discovery is also prepping a series about subatomic particles, explained with motorcycles by Dan Aykroyd, and a two-hour special with William Shatner about the science of Star Trek.

Offman says she is looking to make the pitch process as clear and open as possible, so that TV-makers aren’t just ‘shooting at an invisible dartboard.’

The channel also recently announced that its ambitious Race to Mars project has gone to Galafilm Productions, Snap Media and Mentorn. The three companies were among 27 teams clamoring for rights to the $10-million HD project, which will include several docudramas, interactive components and a series about exploration of the Red Planet. Discovery will contribute $4 million, looking to air sometime in 2005.

-www.exn.ca