Out of the Wild: Episode One & Two.

Ryan Van Duzer has starred in many adventures. One of Boulder, Colorado’s heroes and ambassadors, he recently spent a month in the jungle with only a few friends and almost no food and, though he’s skinny to begin with, lost 25 pounds.

Update: finally watched episode 3. First one has to call it quit, but does so cheerfully…the team nearly breaks down, even some of the toughies, but Melanie and others shine through and lift everyone’s spirits. Guava!

Update: Episode Two is Awessossososme!

Update: video of the Premiere Party in Boulder:

Hundreds of us gathered in downtown Boulder’s Lazy Dog Bar & Grill (a few photos, below) last night to benefit the President’s Leadership Institute and watch Ryan bring his particular brand of bravery, charm, sweetness and leadership to what he called the toughest thing he’s ever had to do in his life.

While he can’t tell us if he survived this reality show (I just knoooooow he did), he did hop up on the bar and answer questions for 20 minutes after we all watched the first episode. It was so good that, minus nachos and beer, I re-watched it today so I could hear the whole thing and share it up with all of you.

It’s awesome, and worth watching, and sharing.

Why?

This is a reality show not about a prize, or money, or competition—but about working together, about the awesome power and beauty of Nature, and about that dark place we all go to when we’re pushed to our limit. Do we keep going? If so, how?

Nine ordinary Americans volunteered to participate in one of the world’s most intense tests of will in the hit series OUT OF THE WILD: VENEZUELA, an eight-part riveting depiction of man’s and woman’s struggle against all that Mother Nature has to throw at them.  The strangers were flown in, dropped off and abandoned in a remote corner of Venezuela’s southern frontier – a lost world that once lured explorers in search of El Dorado, the legendary City of Gold.  They had only the clothes on their backs and a few basic supplies.  Their goal?  Find their way back to civilization.

Discovery Channel viewers will meet the daring people who abandoned the comforts of home to test their ability to survive in one of the most physically and mentally demanding environments in the world when the series premieres Thursday, February 17 at 10PM E/P.