The channel's new ten-part series "Coal" will explore the workings of a modern coalmine and talk to people who undertake the potentially lethal, complex task of extracting this vital natural resource.
Every aspect of the job will be covered, from the dangers behind the super-charged explosions needed to open surface mines, to the daily dangers of working in the dark recesses of the earth's crust in a traditional shaft mine.
"Discovery Channel's series Coal will explore the daily lives of miners who work long shifts, often hunched over - the size of the mine limited to the size of the coal seam, some as small as 32 inches.
"Men toil in cramped spaces doing a job their fathers and grandfathers did before them. At any moment a pillar could collapse, the makeshift roof could cave-in, or trapped methane gas could cause an explosion killing," said Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager