NBC is taking another bet on Bear Grylls.
The network has ordered Running Wild with Bear Grylls, which is set to premiere on Monday, July 28. The unscripted effort will feature the British survivalist, who formerly starred in NBC's Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls, as he takes celebrities including Channing Tatum, Zac Efron and Ben Stiller into the most remote locations for 48-hour adventures.
Each of the six hour-long episodes ordered will focus on a single celebrity -- the others include NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, actor Tom Arnold and Today anchor Tamron Hall -- as he or she endures the harsh wilderness with Grylls. Among the activities featured: skydiving into the Catskill Mountains, repelling down the cliffs of Utah and battling torrential wind and rain in Scotland.
“Running Wild allows viewers to see inside the hearts and minds of these guests in a very open, honest and vulnerable way, pushing them out of their comfort zones and seeing what they are like in real life when stripped of all the benefits of celebrity,” said Grylls, who added: “Ultimately, this show is about taking these stars on the adventure of a lifetime and being alongside them when they discover something new and empowering about themselves and their world. For me, that is always a privilege.”
NBC's president of alternative and late night programming Paul Telegdy is similarly enthusiastic about the series' potential: “Bear’s incredible spirit is absolutely contagious, not only with his celebrity partners but with the viewing audience as well. We can’t wait to see how these epic adventures will profoundly change those who take the challenge.”
Grylls, who has a significant international following, was introduced to U.S. audiences back in 2006 via Discovery's Man vs. Wild. He has also authored multiple survival guides and has several endorsement deals and partnerships with companies including Gerber Knives. Discovery ended its relationship with Grylls in early 2012 after it was allegedly unable to get Grylls to begin work on two unannounced projects for Discovery, sources told The Hollywood Reporter at that time. He then returned to the network late last year with Bear Grylls: Escape from Hell.
