Discovery Channel host Jay Ingram to bid Canada au revoir on ‘Jay’s Last Show’

The record-breaking ratings for the final episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" might have set a new trend for an industry in which some personalities are shuffled off-screen without being allowed to say goodnight.

Jay Ingram, who has appeared on the Discovery Channel in Canada just about every day since Jan. 1, 1995, is next in line for a similar send-off. The co-host of "Daily Planet" will be honoured in an hour-long special, "Jay's Last Show."

Recorded last weekend at Toronto's Masonic Temple, now recognized as the Canadian home of MTV, the Sunday night special has promised to bring showbiz-style excitement to the realm of scientific geekery.

Ingram posted a letter online to explain his decision to step aside from the routine in favour of other projects with Discovery.

"It's been hard to put a name on what I'm doing," Ingram wrote, "most people call it 'retirement' but if I'm working just as hard in a year as I am right now, I'll be happy."

Playing co-host on a nightly show for 17 seasons made him one of the most familiar television faces in Canada. The 66-year-old was eager to do more field reporting, yet a map posted online to promote "Jay's Last Show" has provided a reminder of how widely he has travelled to produce field reports.

The science and technology news hour, which debuted with the title "@discovery.ca" at a time when relatively few viewers ever sent an email, was renamed "Daily Planet" in 2002. The current co-host, Ziya Tong, has been with the channel for the past three years.

But the staple throughout remained Ingram, who was previously known for hosting "Quirks and Quarks" on CBC Radio, a job he took over in 1979 from David Suzuki.

A full-time science channel like Discovery seemed inconceivable back then, although it became one of the most popular cable offerings, immediately after its Canadian launch. The fact it was directly spawned from a well-established U.S. channel certainly helped.

While the station is now best-known for its annual Shark Week, the scientific experiment show "MythBusters," and different editions of the quiz show "Cash Cab," a consistent sage has secured its scientific credibility.

The biggest mystery, for now, has surrounded who will replace Ingram when "Jay's Last Show" is over. Seamus O'Regan, the co-host of "Canada AM," recently filled in for a week.

(Screen shot: discovery.ca)