Get out of the water! Discovery celebrates 25 years of Shark Week

In the grand scheme of things, I’m more likely to get run over while trying to cross Gratiot during rush hour than I am to be attacked by a shark.

And yet, it’s the latter prospect that terrifies me.

I blame my parents. They let me watch ‘Jaws’ when I was five and I’ve been terrified to go into the ocean ever since.

What’s truly interesting, though, is that even though I’m terrified of sharks I’m also infatuated with them.

So, you can understand why Discovery Channel's annual ‘Shark Week’ extravaganza is a big deal for me.

This year’s event – kicking off August 12 – marks the 25^th anniversary of the surprisingly popular television spectacular. And Discovery isn’t letting the milestone pass unnoticed. The network is unveiling no less than nine new shows – which will also include reruns from previous years.

I know a lot of people say it – when they can’t possibly mean it – but ‘Shark Week’ really is the best of both worlds. It’s entertaining and informative.

Following is a list of the new programs Discovery will be debuting for this year’s ‘Shark Week.’

AIR JAWS APOCALYPSE: This show picks up where 2011’s Emmy-nominated ‘Ultimate Air Jaws’ left off, with photographer, author and shark expert Chris Fallows and natural history producer Jeff Kurr as they try to learn more about the great white sharks of Seal Island, South Africa. This program focuses on one shark in particular – Colossus – a 14-foot great white that dominates other sharks in the area. The program debuts at 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12.

SHARK WEEK’S IMPOSSIBLE SHOTS: A team of wildlife cameramen head to Gansbaai, South Africa, to try to secure a shot of a great white shark that no one has been able to get . . . yet. The shot is said to be at an impossible angle, one that captures the shark’s Polaris breach. The window of opportunity is minute. The show debuts at 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12.

SHARZILLA: Discovery is resurrecting the largest shark to ever swim the oceans, a predator so fierce he could have bitten a T. Rex in two, the mighty Megalodon. Megalodons had 250 serrated teeth, each six inches long, set in jaws six feet wide and eight feet tall. MythBusters Kari Byron, Grant Imahara and Tori Belleci will put the legendary shark to the test. The show premiers at 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13.

MYTHBUSTERS’ JAWSOME SHARK SPECIAL: Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman have busted shark myths in the past and this year the duo to their top 25. The show debuts at 10 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13.

HOW JAWS CHANGED THE WORLD: The show takes a look at how careers were made, fortunes created and movie scores forever changed thanks to the movie 'Jaws.' Viewers will also be able to take a look at the impact of the film – including the vilification of great white sharks. The show debuts at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14.

ADRIFT: 47 DAYS WITH SHARKS: This is the inspiring true story of two war heroes – one an Olympian, one a pastor’s son – who managed to survive 47 days at sea on a life raft. They ate only the food they could catch in the water and fought off the sharks that were their constant companions. The show debuts at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14.

SHARK FIGHT: How shark attack victims become advocates for their attackers and turn what could have been tragedy into their life’s mission. The show premiers at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15.

GREAT WHITE HIGHWAY: Right outside the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is home to some of the biggest great white sharks in the world. Scientists from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station track these sharks to find out where they go when they leave the area. The show premiers at 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16.

SHARK WEEK’S 25 BEST BITES: A look back at the best breaches, brushes and bites. Philip DeFranco takes viewers along for Discovery Channel’s greatest ‘Shark Week’ hits. Debuts at 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16.

Anyone else as excited about ‘Shark Week’ as I am?