The TV Column

Trio go the distance in 100 Miles From Nowhere

Matt Galland keeps on trekking on Animal Planet’s new 100 Miles From Nowhere. The series debuts at 9 p.m. April 5.
Matt Galland keeps on trekking on Animal Planet’s new 100 Miles From Nowhere. The series debuts at 9 p.m. April 5.

The best thing is that nobody is naked or afraid.

OK. They may be a little afraid from time to time, but at least they have the good sense not to tackle this new adventure series in the buff.

I'm talking about Animal Planet's new survival series, 100 Miles From Nowhere. The eight-episode series is set to debut at 9 p.m. April 5. (See special note below.)

Why am I writing about a new show a full week and a half in advance? Because, in their wisdom, the brain trust at Animal Planet decided to debut their new program on the same Sunday evening when Mad Men returns to AMC, NBC premieres two new programs (A.D. and American Odyssey), WGN brings back Salem, and the highly anticipated Wolf Hall premieres on AETN and PBS.

It's a full plate. So make a note today about 100 Miles From Nowhere.

I love a good adventure/survival series when it's done right. From Mark Burnett's Eco Challenge programs in the '90s to Survivorman and Man vs. Wild, many of them are quite entertaining and even semi-educational.

Discovery Channel's Dual Survival? Nah. Not so much. At least the ones with Cody Lundin. He's the guy who never wore shoes in the snow or the jungle. I kept wanting him to step on a big ol' nail.

The survival show genre has been so popular over the years that just about every twist to the format has been tried. Discovery's Naked and Afraid, however, was the nadir. Neither provocative nor titillating, the thing is just silly.

You take two complete strangers -- a man and a woman -- strip them down to their birthday suits and have them walk into a clearing, introduce themselves and "survive" together for three weeks.

But now, the producers of Naked and Afraid have come up with 100 Miles From Nowhere. In the series, adventure-loving Matt Galland and his two best buddies, Danny Bryson and Blake Josephson, head to remote, extreme locations throughout the world.

Galland's goal is to get way, way off the beaten path and, in three or four days, trek about 100 miles while filming the whole adventure.

The trio go by foot, use skis and even ride a skateboard while documenting their adventures with absolutely no crew or support team along for the ride (hear that, Bear Grylls?).

Each expedition is extremely rugged, so the guys must exert themselves to reach their drops, which are pre-arranged bear boxes set at points about 25 miles apart. The boxes contain food and supplies and serve as incentives to reach the next destination and refocus their goal.

Their journeys take them over steep mountains, across insufferably hot deserts, through freezing-cold canyons and snake-infested jungles.

We have dangerous encounters with animals, brutal terrain, unpredictable weather, extreme lows and impossible heights. The guys face hunger, dehydration, fatigue, hypothermia, potential broken bones and infighting.

Animal Planet tells us, "They push their endurance to the limit and sometimes even their friendship. The quests are never easy and are sometimes dangerous, but they always are packed with thrilling surprises and breathtaking footage of the planet's splendor."

"There comes a time when you wonder what the hell you're doing, and why you're doing it," Josephson tells Animal Planet.

Galland adds, "If it doesn't hurt, it's not worth it."

Note: The premiere of 100 Miles From Nowhere follows the season premiere of River Monsters and the River Monsters After Show at approximately 9:11 p.m. Subsequent episodes will air at 9 p.m. Sundays.

Be afraid. Meanwhile, let's say for the sake of argument that you simply adore Naked and Afraid, even though the show digitizes out all the naughty private parts. Maybe you get into the spirit and watch the show all nekkid yourself.

Well, good for you. I admire your pluck. Your series will return to Discovery at 9 p.m. April 19.

Program reminder. It case you fell asleep and missed it, The Late Late Show With James Corden kicked off at 11:37 p.m. Monday on CBS. The first guests were Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis.

The British comedian replaced Craig Ferguson, whose final show was Friday.

Emmy host. We all know that when it's a network's turn to host the Emmys, it likes to showcase one of its own as host. NBC late-night host Seth Meyers performed the duties at the Emmys last year when they aired on his network.

That's the only reason I can think of why Fox has tapped Andy Samberg as the host of the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20.

The former cast member of Saturday Night Live is now the co-star on Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine. For me, a little Samberg goes a long way.

The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:

mstorey@arkansasonline.com

Weekend on 03/26/2015

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