Discovery Channel Presents SURVIVAL FRIDAYS on August 10 Launching New Seasons of SURVIVORMAN and GOING TRIBAL
Viewers Will Be Immersed in Remote Wilderness Locations and Amazing Tribal Cultures in the Amazon Jungle, Frozen Siberia and the Remote Island of Anuta
July 13, 2007
(Los Angeles, Calif.) – Discovery Channel’s SURVIVORMAN and GOING TRIBAL are back, as survival experts Les Stroud and Bruce Parry set out on some of the most isolated and dangerous expeditions across the globe. SURVIVORMAN, in its second season, kicks off SURVIVAL FRIDAYS on Friday, August 10, 2007, at 9 PM (ET/PT). GOING TRIBAL, now in its third season, follows at 10 PM (ET/PT). No food, no water, no shelter — and no camera crew. In each episode of SURVIVORMAN, host Les Stroud must rely on his years of training, raw instincts and sheer will to survive alone for seven days in the world’s harshest environments with little more than a multitool. And as if that weren’t enough, he films the weeklong journey himself, dragging 50 pounds of camera gear every inch of the way.
In the second season of SURVIVORMAN, Stroud travels the world, finding himself in the Kalahari Desert battling the oppressive heat, where temperatures on the sand reach a scorching 140 degrees Fahrenheit; the Amazon Jungle, where he has to contend with the heat and humidity, not to mention the poisonous creatures and jaguars; the Canadian wilderness of Labrador, where unpredictable weather and an even more unpredictable dogsled team test his limits; the African plains, where he faces lions and the deadly black mamba snake; the wild coastal rain forests of Alaska; and a remote island in the South Pacific, where the scorching tropical sun threatens to put an end to his week of survival.
The second season of SURVIVORMAN ends with a special “Secrets Revealed” episode in which Stroud shows how one man can film an entire survival series with nothing more than the camera gear he carries in his backpack.
In GOING TRIBAL, former Royal Marine Bruce Parry travels to the Amazon, where he lives with the Matia tribe and undergoes a series of excruciating tests to become a Matia hunter: He drinks a powerful frog toxin to purge his system, is whipped with sticks and drips painful tree sap into his eyes to improve his vision.
Parry then travels to the frozen tundra of northern Siberia where he lives with the nomadic Nenet tribe for their annual migration with reindeer herds numbering 7,000. With temperatures of below 40 degrees centigrade and blizzards scouring the remote landscape in the Yamal Peninsula, Bruce takes on one of his toughest expeditions yet as he drinks reindeer blood and herds the reindeer to new pastures, constantly adjusting to the hostile arctic environment.
“Les and Bruce are truly inspiring and captivating as they tap into our fundamental fascination with surviving insurmountable obstacles in remote and breathtaking parts of the world,” said Jane Root, executive vice president and general manager for Discovery Channel. “Each pulse-pounding episode uncovers a new part of the globe and the compelling cultures which expand our understanding of the human experience.”
Stroud is an award-winning filmmaker, outdoor adventurer and instructor in survival, kayaking, hiking and dog sledding. As host of SURVIVORMAN, Stroud puts his survival skills to the test as he travels to remote regions of the world and survives on his own for seven days, capturing the entire odyssey on film.
While Parry was a member of the Royal Marines, he specialized as a physical training instructor and became the youngest officer ever in charge of all physical aspects of Royal Marines Commando training. Parry has personally organized and led over 15 major expeditions to various extreme parts of the world and has extensive experience in the remote desert, arctic, jungle and mountains.
SURVIVORMAN is produced for Discovery Channel by Survivorman Productions, Inc. David Brady and Les Stroud are the executive producers. For Discovery Channel, Charlie Parsons is the executive producer. GOING TRIBAL is produced for Discovery Channel by the BBC. Sam Organ is the executive producer, Steve Robinson is the series producer and James Smith is the producer/director. For Discovery Channel, Mary Donahue is the executive producer.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the world’s number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including How Stuff Works. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit Discovery Communications.