DISCOVERY'S #1-RATED SHOW "GOLD RUSH" RETURNS FOR SIXTH SEASON WITH MINERS FACING NEW CHALLENGES AND UNEXPECTED TWISTS OF FATE

Two-Hour GOLD RUSH Season Premiere Kicks off Friday, October 16, at 9 PM ET/PT with Pre-Show 'The Dirt' Airing at 8 PM ET/PT on the Discovery Channel

(Los Angeles, Calif.) - As the Klondike winter comes to an end, a new mining season begins. And this year, the tables have certainly turned. There are bold new challenges, new equipment and massive power shifts. It's a battle like never before among the crews as they push to find the most gold yet. Gold mining is a dangerous business and you never know who's going to come out on top. Discovery's #1-rated show GOLD RUSH returns for its sixth season on Friday, October 16 at 9 PM ET/PT, with the pre-show, The Dirt, at 8 PM ET/PT.

Last year, Todd Hoffman rose from the ashes and brought his crew back from the brink of bankruptcy. This season he has gold-rich ground, a seasoned crew and is in position to keep his hot streak alive. But Todd's a big dreamer and this year even his crew is blown away by the staggering season goal he sets. For the first time, he'll have three generations of Hoffman men working on the claim as Hunter, his 16-year old son, keeps the family tradition alive. The only thing standing in Todd's way could be his ego. Can he keep it in check and finally give young Parker Schnabel a run for his money? Or will his lofty season goal backfire leaving the Hoffman crew disappointed yet again?

Meanwhile, Parker Schnabel has his hands full. Last season, he mined an unprecedented $3 million of gold. But it came at a price as he drove his crew into the ground leaving many questioning whether they would ever work for the young mine boss again. Parker, who turns 21 this year, finds out the hard way that one season of gold mining has nothing to do with the next. He's forced to draw on everything his beloved Grandpa John has taught him in order to avoid a disastrous season. Parker has to do more than find a lot of gold this season, he has to figure out how to become a leader of men.

Tony Beets, aka "The Viking," is a Klondike legend. As winter closed in at the end of last season, Tony was finally about to resurrect his million dollar, 75-year-old gold mining dredge. But this year, he has to get the machine, which hasn't run in 30 years, to actually produce gold. Tony desperately needs the dredge to start paying for itself but more than anything, he wants to shut up the naysayers that think he's crazy to gold mine the old fashioned way. This season it's all hands on deck as dredging for Klondike gold becomes a family affair. Can the Beets, the first family of Yukon gold mining, revive an ancient way of pulling gold out of the ground or will the massive undertaking turn into a giant money pit? Tony's out to prove that the old timers had it right... that dredging is the future of gold mining in the Klondike.

Also returning is the GOLD RUSH pre-show "The Dirt," a series of one-hour shows, beginning 8 PM ET/PT on Friday, October 16, where the miners give the inside scoop on all things GOLD RUSH and where fans can get access to behind-the-scenes, cutting room floor material that never makes it into the show.

Season 6 of GOLD RUSH is full of shocking twists and far more gold than our miners have ever seen before. The question is... who gets it all? Tune in on October 16 to see all the drama unfold on Discovery's #1-rated show GOLD RUSH.

GOLD RUSH is produced for Discovery Channel by Raw Television, where Dimitri Doganis and James Bates are executive producers and Marc Heffernan is series producer. For Discovery Channel, Christo Doyle is executive producer and Meagan Davis is producer.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than two billion cumulative subscribers in 223 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 162 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Across the Nordic region, Discovery owns and operates SBS Discovery Media, a top-three portfolio of 20 television brands that feature leading nonfiction content, as well as locally produced entertainment programs, sports and the best scripted series and movies from major studios. Discovery also is the leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of digital textbooks, and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.