Discovery Channel Takes Us to the ‘Edge of Existence’
At Least Those Brave Souls Courageous Enough to Sit Still for the Challenge
Starting tomorrow night, Edge of Existence, Discovery Channel’s latest in a very long line of mesmerizing documentary-style series, will introduce viewers to assorted societies they might otherwise never encounter. Hosted by intrepid and infamous (at least in Europe) Irish undercover investigative journalist and thrill-prone filmmaker Donal MacIntyre, the series follows the adventurer’s experiences as he travels to the farthest reaches of the world in order to gain intimate knowledge of primitive societies by residing with members.
The premiere episode, Friday’s “Oman,” takes place in the exotic yet blistering Arabian Desert, where MacIntyre braves the sizzling heat to dwell with Bedouin tribesmen. His goal is to learn why the nomadic group continues to shun more comfortable and modern digs in nearby developed communities in favor of remaining in the deadly desert, a quite logical inquiry, indeed.
Next Friday’s second episode, “Papua New Guinea,” finds MacIntyre in an equally unfamiliar and intriguing locale among the so-called Insect Tribe, a group renowned for their amazing skills hunting crocodiles.
The breathtaking—and I mean that literally—high-altitude mountains of the South American country “Bolivia” provide the setting for the third episode premiering Friday, June 15, as MacIntyre infiltrates a community in the sky-touching Altiplano region.
And the following week, MacIntyre winds up on the coast of the Southeast Asia island “Borneo” in search of some quality visitation time with a group called the Bajau Laut, sea gypsies who live almost exclusively at sea.
Not only is Edge of Existence an enticing series for curious adults who seek greater understanding of less familiar regions and practices of the world, but it’s also an excellent program for young people craving to broaden their intellectual horizons at a time when doing so can prove most beneficial.
Edge of Existence premieres Friday on Discovery Channel at 8pm EST
Donal MacIntyre photo courtesy of the BBC
