Discovery Channel
A few decades ago, someone realized it was dumb to spend money to hire actors and writers or build sets for a television show when you can just rent out a mansion and give a bunch of strangers access to an unlimited amount of alcohol to create all of the drama you need to draw in an eager viewing audience. Shows like The Real World helped usher in the era of reality television, which I think most people would agree has made the world a worse place.
However, every once in a while, a program comes along that almost makes having to deal with the likes of the Kardashians and Real Housewives worth it. One of those shows was Dirty Jobs, which let viewers live vicariously through the lens of Mike Rowe as he shined a light on the world’s filthiest occupations— almost all of which were as essential as they were overlooked.
Dirty Jobs ended in 2012, but the Discovery Channel is finally treating us to a spiritual successor in the form of Hard To Kill, in which Green Beret and MMA fighter Tim Kennedy is raising the stakes by getting up close and personal with some of the deadliest jobs in the world.
While Rowe accidentally found himself in some precarious situations over the course of his eight seasons as a host, Kennedy is willingly putting his body on the line every single episode by teaming up with lumberjacks, rodeo clowns, and test pilots (among others) to see exactly what it takes to make it through their average work day without dying.
Kennedy is essentially taking on the role of a greenhorn in Deadliest Catch every single time he embeds himself with a new group of workers, and while he might have an impressive set of credentials, raging fires and falling trees don’t really discriminate based on your qualifications.
The first episode of Hard To Kill will air at 10 PM on July 31st.