Official source:
Discovery — Official Shark Week 2026 schedule
Shark Week continues Monday, July 27 with three new Discovery premieres covering bull-shark behaviour, possible social patterns among great whites and the search for unusually large mako sharks.
Discovery's official U.S. Monday schedule is:
8:00 p.m. ET/PT — Bull Shark Dinner Bell
9:00 p.m. ET/PT — House of Sharks
10:00 p.m. ET/PT — Biggest Mako on Earth
Discovery also schedules encore programming from 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. These are official U.S. broadcast times; international schedules and streaming availability can differ by territory.
Here is what viewers need to know before choosing tonight's programme.
8:00 P.M. — Bull Shark Dinner Bell
Shark-attack survivor and conservation advocate Paul de Gelder teams with apex-predator specialist Rosie Moore in Jupiter, Florida.
Their investigation asks what conditions may contribute to encounters between large bull sharks and people.
Discovery says the programme examines several possible factors, including human behaviour in the water, weather conditions and prey preferences.
Why Watch?
Bull sharks are particularly interesting because they can live in a wider variety of environments than many people expect.
The better Shark Week programmes move beyond presenting sharks as frightening animals and instead ask why particular encounters happen.
That appears to be the purpose here.
Who Should Watch?
Choose Bull Shark Dinner Bell when you are most interested in:
- Human-shark interaction
- Marine behaviour
- Field investigation
- Conservation
- Understanding risk rather than simply watching shark footage
Flicklevel Preview Verdict
Best opening choice for viewers interested in shark behaviour and human interaction.
9:00 P.M. — House of Sharks
This may be Monday's most intriguing concept.
Off New Zealand, researchers are studying three groups of great white sharks around a major seal-feeding area.
Marine biologist Dr. Tristan Guttridge and underwater cinematographer Kina Scollay investigate whether the sharks recognise relatives and repeatedly return to particular territories.
Discovery describes the programme as exploring the possibility that what appear to be solitary predators may display more complicated group or territorial patterns.
Why This One Matters
The most interesting shark programmes are often the ones that challenge what audiences think they already know.
A great white is commonly imagined as a completely solitary hunter.
If researchers can document repeat associations, kin recognition or predictable territorial patterns, the behaviour becomes considerably more complicated.
That is what gives House of Sharks its appeal.
It is not simply looking for a larger shark.
It is asking a behavioural question.
Who Should Watch?
Choose House of Sharks when you enjoy:
- Marine science
- Great white research
- Animal behaviour
- New Zealand wildlife
- Documentaries built around an unanswered scientific question
Flicklevel Preview Verdict
Monday's most interesting science-focused Shark Week programme.
10:00 P.M. — Biggest Mako on Earth
The final new premiere of Monday night investigates reports of exceptionally large mako sharks off Southern California.
Discovery says fishermen have long reported makos measuring roughly 15 to 20 feet in deep waters around the region. New footage and a photograph appearing to show an unusually large specimen have renewed interest in whether exceptionally large individuals may be present.
Marine biologist Tristan Guttridge joins conservationist Kendyl Berna and shark tagger Keith Poe for an investigation around Santa Catalina.
Why Watch?
This is probably Monday's most traditional Shark Week concept.
There is a mystery.
There is a potentially enormous shark.
And there is an expedition attempting to determine whether the reports can be supported by evidence.
The important thing is that the programme should distinguish between fishermen's stories, estimates and scientifically documented measurements.
That difference will determine how informative the investigation ultimately becomes.
Who Should Watch?
Choose Biggest Mako on Earth when you enjoy:
- Expedition documentaries
- Mako sharks
- Tracking and tagging research
- Large-animal mysteries
- Classic Shark Week adventure
Flicklevel Preview Verdict
Best choice for viewers who want the traditional expedition side of Shark Week.
Which Shark Week Programme Should You Watch Tonight?
Want the human-behaviour angle?
Bull Shark Dinner Bell
Want the most interesting scientific question?
House of Sharks
Want the biggest sense of adventure?
Biggest Mako on Earth
Flicklevel Monday Pick
Our first choice is:
House of Sharks
Its premise has the greatest potential to teach viewers something unexpected.
Shark size is spectacular.
Close encounters create tension.
But behavioural research can genuinely change how audiences understand the animals.
If the programme can provide convincing evidence about how great whites interact with relatives or territories, it could become one of the more interesting Shark Week programmes this year.
Who Should Watch Shark Week Tonight?
Monday's lineup should appeal to viewers interested in:
- Wildlife documentaries
- Marine biology
- Shark research
- Underwater photography
- Conservation
- Scientific expeditions
Parents should check the individual programme ratings and descriptions before choosing nature programming for younger viewers.
Who Should Skip?
This lineup will be less appealing when you:
- Prefer scripted movies or television
- Have little interest in wildlife documentaries
- Want a single continuous story rather than separate specials
- Are uncomfortable with tense predator-focused nature footage
Final Opinion
Monday's Shark Week schedule has a good progression.
Bull Shark Dinner Bell begins with a question directly connected to people and shark encounters.
House of Sharks moves into a more unusual behavioural investigation.
Biggest Mako on Earth closes with the large-predator expedition audiences traditionally associate with Shark Week.
You do not necessarily need to watch all three.
For pure science, start with House of Sharks.
For classic Shark Week spectacle and investigation, choose Biggest Mako on Earth.
For viewers most interested in understanding why encounters between people and sharks may occur, begin with Bull Shark Dinner Bell.
Flicklevel's Monday recommendation: House of Sharks is the programme we would prioritise, with Biggest Mako on Earth as the strongest second choice.
MONDAY PUBLISHING CHECKLIST
9:00 a.m.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender on Paramount+: Is the New Movie Worth Watching?
Use:
- Official Paramount artwork
- One Paramount+ trailer
- One official source link
- Internal link to any previous Avatar/Flicklevel content only if it already exists
2:00 p.m.
Hannibal Seasons 1–3 Join Netflix: Is the Series Still Worth Watching in 2026?
Use:
- Genuine Hannibal artwork with Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy
- One trailer maximum
- Netflix link + one critical-reception source
- Add a clear note that Netflix catalogue availability varies by country
7:00 p.m.
Shark Week 2026 Monday Schedule: What to Watch Tonight
Use:
- Official Discovery Shark Week image
- One official Shark Week promo at most
- Keep the 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET/PT schedule prominent
- Clearly identify those as U.S. Discovery broadcast times
This gives Monday three different search opportunities: Avatar franchise traffic in the morning, Netflix binge/evergreen traffic in the afternoon, and highly time-sensitive Shark Week traffic in the evening.