Casting Call: Adventurers Wanted For New Reality Television Series

Looking to gain fame and fortune on reality television? Than I just might have your ticket to stardom.

Yesterday I received an email announcing that a "Major Cable Network" has put out the casting call and is looking for adventurers to take part in a new competition reality series called "The Fierce Competitor." Details beyond that are a bit sketchy at the moment but the new show is said to test both the mental and physical capabilities of the contestants. Much like Survivor, the competitors will live and work together while taking each other on in a series of increasingly difficult challenges. The new series is described as the "ultimate competition and social experiment" with the final winner being awarded $100,000. 

If you're interested in applying to be a part of the show you are encouraged to send your name, contact info (phone/email), current location and a recent photo to the following email address: fiercecompetitorcasting@gmail.com. Who knows, that simple email could land you on the show and right in the thick of the competition – whatever that may entail. 

That's pretty much all I know about "The Fierce Competitor" at this time. If you do apply, good luck in the casting process and don't forget who tipped you off to the opportunity! ;)

Video: The Natural World - Himalaya

Is there any question that the BBC makes some of the best documentaries for television? That happens to be the case with their series Natural World which consistently gives viewers some of the best views of the world around us. The video below is a full episode of that series which happens to be focused on one of my favorite places – the Himalaya. If you have 49 minutes to spare, you'll get a great look at those mountains and the people that live there, with some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find anywhere. So sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy the show. It is one of the greatest on Earth.

Casting Call: Naked And Afraid Season 2

Want to be a reality TV star? This may be your chance. Yesterday an open casting call was put out for season 2 of the show Naked and Afraid, which is a Discovery Channel program although the press release said it will air on the National Geographic Channel.

If you're not familiar with the show, each episode features a man and a woman being dropped off in some wild place completely naked and left with the task of trying to survive for 21 days. Some of the locations from season 1 include the Serengeti, the jungles of Costa Rica and the island of Borneo. Each environment presents unique challenges to the people who are dropped there, including how to find food and water, building a shelter and finding some makeshift clothes.

Metal Flowers Media is handling the casting call and they're looking for men and women over he age of 18 who want to take part in this survival show. They are quick to point out that this is not a realty competition. Those who are selected to appear in an episode will be taken to their destination and dropped there for 21 days, where they must learn to survive off the land. Those who make the cut will be paid for their episode and during the casting process they'll be flying finalists to Los Angeles to meet with the producers.

If you have any interest in being on the show contact Naela Duarrani-Linday at naela@metalflowersmedia.com. Who knows, you might become the next Les Stroud or Bear Grylls, although I don't recall either of them doing a nude scene. I'd have to demand a stunt butt.

Here's an example of what the show is like for those who haven't seen it.

Video: Boundless - New Television Show Follows Endurance Athletes On Global Adventures

Next month a new television network will launch called Esquire TV. It will feature all kinds of programming aimed at a predominantly male audience but with a little something that will be of interest to just about everyone. One of their first original shows will be Boundless, an eight-part documentary series that will follow friends and endurance athletes Simon Donato and Paul "Turbo" Trebilcock on a series of adventures around the globe. For instance, they'll take part in an seven-day stage ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert and and a 46-mile foot race across the Serengeti in Kenya.

The show begins airing on Sept. 25 and for a taste of what to expect, check out the video below.

Alex Honnold To Free Solo A Building On Live Television

Alex Honnold just might be the best rock climber in the world. Over the past few years he has earned himself a reputation for free climbing some incredibly tough routes and doing so in record time. Now, National Geographic has announced that Alex will turn his considerable skills on a new challenge later this fall when he will attempt to free solo a building on live television.

For safety reasons, exactly which building Honnold will be climbing remains a mystery at this time. But what we do know is that the climb will air live on the Nat Geo Channel later this year. Much of the camera work for that event will be handled by Sender Films, who have worked closely with Alex on several climbing films in the past.

The announcement of the event that I linked to above comes with a brief interview with Honnold, who says that he is very much looking forward to the challenge. He says he hasn't climbed a building since he was a kid but feels that it is very much like climbing a rock face in Yosemite with the same movements involved. When asked if he thought doing the climb on live television would change anything for him, Alex said that it wouldn't. He'd simply be focused in as on any other climb, without even really noticing that it was being broadcasted for the world to see.

Personally, I'm not sure what to make of this event. On the one hand, it is an opportunity for a non-climbing audience to see what Alex can do, but then again I feel that would be better served with a straight climbing film on his achievements. Climbing a building feels like a bit of a gimmick to me and watching the entire thing live lends it a voyeuristic quality that seems a bit unsettling as well. There will obviously be a lot of people tuning in just to see if he will fall and that seems just wrong. I'll wait to learn more about the details of the event before I pass too much judgement, but so far I don't think this is something I'd go out of my way to tune into.

Explorers Club Establishes Award Honoring "Wild Kingdom" Hosts

One of my fondest memories from growing up was watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom each week on television. For those who aren't familiar with the program, the show initially ran from 1963 to 1988 and featured zoologists Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler traveling the globe to capture some amazing wildlife encounters on film. As a young boy, the show left quite an impression both in terms of the exotic locations the hosts visited and the wonderful animals that they brought into our homes each week. In 2002, Wild Kingdom returned to television with a new format and began airing on Animal Planet. The new version of the show carries the legacy of the original into the 21st century and certainly the spiritual successor of what Perkins and Fowler created.

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild Kingdom and to commemorate the series which became an American cultural touchstone, The Explorers Club has created the new Marlin Perkins/Jim Fowler Lifetime Artist-in-Residence Award. This first edition of the award is being given to Anthony J. “Buddy” Obara for his years of work creating bronze wildlife sculptures, particularly for the outstanding St. Louis Zoo. That presentation is being made by the Explorers Club St. Louis chapter on Saturday, May 18 at the zoo, where the EC is also donating a new bronze statue of an emperor penguin that was created by Obara. Jim Fowler will be on hand at the celebration as well.

I'm sure there are more than few readers who are around my age and have fond memories of Wild Kingdom. I discovered quite a few of the classic episodes are actually on YouTube. Like the one below that features Perkins and Fowler reminiscing about some of their more favorite adventures over the years.

Nat Geo Looking For Expeditions To Film For New Television Series

National Geographic is casting for a new television show and they're looking for the best expeditions of 2013 to film while in progress. The new show, which hasn't been named, is already in production but the creators are looking for new adventures to include in the inaugural season.

The complete casting call reads as follows:

Calling all Adventurers and Explorers! National Geographic is searching for the most incredible expeditions of 2013 to film and feature in a dynamic new blue chip adventure series that will take viewers to the edge of the world… and back. Every riveting episode will feature a new explorer, a new territory, and a new adventure, which will redefine the limits of possibility. Production has begun, but if you have an expedition happening this year, we would love to hear from you and potentially feature you in the series. Missions will ideally combine risk-taking adventure with mind-blowing science. 

If you’re planning to break records, conquer the impossible and redefine the limits of human potential, we want to hear from you. Email us at NGExpedition@gmail.com. Tell us about you, your upcoming mission, and how far along you are in the planning stage. Make sure to include your name, contact information and photos and/or video links. (Submissions without photos and/or video WILL NOT be considered.) Expeditions that combine adventure and science especially wanted. Be prepared to inspire a new generation.

 So, if you're looking to get some exposure for a planned expedition later this year, drop Nat Geo a line. Who knows, you just might be the next reality TV star!

Thanks to my friend Rick McCharles for sharing this.

How To Build The Perfect Zombie Survival Kit

Since The Walking Dead returns this weekend, I thought this infographic was especially fitting heading into the weekend. It tells you everything you need to have in your survival kit when the zombie apocalypse hits. The best part of being an outdoor gear nut is that I have most of this stuff in my closet right now!


first aid kit

Bear Grylls Returns To Discovery Channel

It appears that Bear Grylls and the Discovery Channel have patched up their relationship and are going into business with one another once again. Earlier this week it was announced that Grylls would return to the network with a new show entitled Bear Grylls: Ultimate Survivor. Discovery had ordered 6 one-hour episodes to begin airing later in the year.

Ultimate Survivor will take a bit of a different spin from Grylls original show, Man vs. Wild. This time out, the show will tell true stories of ordinary people put into extraordinary survival situations. The show will dramatically reenact elements of those stories as a set up for Grylls, who will then try to duplicate the feat of person who survived the events in the first place. Those situations could include surviving a plane crash in the Amazon, getting stranded in the desert or lost in the mountains. 

Bear's return to Discovery comes less than a year after he and the network parted ways in a dispute over projects that he was contacted to do but wasn't taking part in. Obviously there weren't too many hard feeling about the way things ended, as it seems both parties are eager to work with one another again.

The announcement of this new show comes on the heals of Bear joining forces with NBC for a new reality show that should be set to air later this year as well. Exactly what that show will be about remains a bit nebulous, although I suspect we'll find out this summer. Either way, fans of Grylls will be seeing a lot more of him soon. 

Thanks to Outside Online for the tip!

Video: Portlandia Gets The Gear!

I'm not sure how I missed this when it came out a few months back, but this video, from the television show Portlandia, is a hilarious take on what gear we need when heading out for a "hike." I'm sure more than a few of us can relate to what is going on here, particularly when they're shopping for a GPS. I got a few chuckles out of the clip and hope you do too.

NBC Casting For New Bear Grylls/Adventure Show

NBC has announced that they are casting for a new outdoor adventure show to be hosted by everyone's favorite wildman, Bear Grylls. The show, which doesn't have a name yet, will pit teams of two against one another in a remote wilderness setting, with the winning team awarded a substantial cash prize. Exactly how much cash hasn't been revealed yet either. The show's description simply reads: "Teams of two will be dropped in a remote wilderness location; make it to the end and win the reward of a lifetime!"

To audition to be on the show, simply send an email to bearshowcasting@gmail.com. That email should includes the names of the two teammates, relationship to one another, occupations, short biographies, photos and contact information. Also include a brief message about why you should be picked to appear on the show. Applicants must be legal U.S. residents and be 21 years of age by February 1st, 2013. If selected, a valid U.S. passport is required, which leads me to believe that the show will take place in another country.

That is about all the details we know so far, but it sounds like the show is similar to The Amazing Race or Expedition: Impossible. Of course, having Bear as the host will bring some character and attention to the program and it will be interesting to see which setting the competition is set in and what challenges they'll give to the competitors.

So, if you have a good partner, go ahead and sign up. Who knows, you might be the next big reality TV star.

Ultrarunners Set To Run The Planet

Two ultrarunners, one a legend in the sport, the other a neophyte, are set to launch an ambitious new television show entitled Run the Planet, which will send them to a variety of locations across the globe, where they will take part in a series of long distance running challenges.

Starting February 25th, New Zealander Lisa Tamati and Australian Chris Ord, will start the first of those challenges by attempting to run 126km (78.2 miles) between Hermannsburg and Alice Springs, in Australia. Along the way, they'll cross that country's famous Red Centre, where temperatures will routinely approach 40ºC/104ºF.

Lisa and Chris' run will follow a famous route that was taken back in 1922, when an indigenous stockman named Hezekiel Malbunka covered the same distance in order to save the life of a missionary by the name of Carl Strehlow. At the time, Strehlow was in desperate need of medical attention, and someone needed to go to the telegraph station to request assistance. It was agreed that Malbunka could get there faster on foot than by horse, and he did so – in just a day and a half. Once he had completed his mission, the runner then turned around, and ran back to where he started, besting his old time by completing it in just a day. Fortunately, Tamati and Ord won't have to make the return trip.

Their new show, Run the Planet, will put Tamati at center stage. As an ultrarunner, she has already completed some impressive runs, including traverses of most of the major deserts of the world. It is estimated that Lisa's runs have covered enough distance to send her around the globe four times. Her partner, Ord, on the other hand, is new to the sport of ultrarunning, and over the episodes of the series, you'll see him learn from Tamati, while building his own skills and level of endurance. In any given episode, the duo will be attempting runs of anywhere from 80km (49.7 miles) to 350km (217.4 miles), across a wide variety of terrain and under a host of conditions.

Exactly when the new show will begin airing is still up in the air, but my friends in Australia and New Zealand should definitely keep their eyes peeled. No word on whether or not it'll cross the ocean to North America yet, but I'd certainly tune in.