WORST CASE SCENARIO
Wednesday at 9 p.m.
The Discovery Channel
Everybody wonders about it during the dark watches of the night, I guess: What would I do if the chips were down? Would I fold, or would I go all in? “Die Hard” fantasies aside, most of us will never face a situation that puts us in that position: life or death, do or die. I say luckily, because tests of that caliber tend to be the kind that you don’t walk away from, which is probably why the Congressional Medal of Honor is often awarded posthumously. That said, if you’re at all interested in getting a cheat sheet on how to beat Death at his own game, you might want to watch the new show from The Discovery Channel, “Worst Case Scenario.” Based on the bestselling series of books, the show follows former British Special Forces commando and tough dude Bear Grylls as he risks life and limb to take on harrowing situations you might encounter in real life. Escape from sinking cars, dog attacks, rattlesnake bites, and burning buildings are all on the menu. I’m no fan of Bear Grylls, whose other Discovery Channel effort “Man vs. Wild” is probably a primer for how to die horribly in the jungle if you’re the average person, but this show looks promising — kind of a life-and-limb “Mythbusters.” That’s what I’m hoping for, anyway.
–David Koon