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How do the biggest jobs get done? National Geographic’s series World’s Toughest Fixes will return for a second season on Thursday, June 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with 10 all-new episodes to show us how.
Each one-hour episode follows professional rigger Sean Riley as he goes behind the scenes of some of the world’s top mechanics and engineers as he helps them with problems of gigantic proportions. Though he has to prove himself each time, he helps the experts solve big problems, explaining it to them with his unique wit and down-to-earth insight.
On the season premiere ("Satellite Launch"), an aging satellite, currently providing phone and Internet service to millions, needs to be replaced. Riley heads into the remote jungle to help a team of rocket scientists and engineers launch a new two-ton satellite with a price tag of more than $1 million into orbit. Some aspects of the preparation are so sensitive, only Riley is allowed inside, without his camera crew — and he works and films all the action on his own as the team races to make the launch window.
On the June 11 episode ("Alaska Oil Pipeline"), the pressure is on as Riley joins a team on the 800-mile Trans-Alaska oil pipeline — the conduit for almost 15 percent of America’s domestic oil production. They have 36 hours to swap out one of the line’s 32-ton valves — a plug that helps block the pipe and lessen the damage in the event of an oil spill. In order to swap out the valve, the crew must first plug the line to isolate it and drain the oil from the section they need to replace. Then they cut into the pipe and weld on a new valve. Welding around crude oil is among the most dangerous jobs in industry. Every year, pipeline and oilfield accidents claim hundreds of lives. For this team, failure is not an option.
On June 18, ("Giant Wind Turbine"), Riley travels to Portsmouth, R.I., where residents are setting up a 115-ton wind turbine that will provide years of clean, green energy. The good news is that the winds here are constantly blowing. The bad news is that Riley is about to find out what it takes to raise giant blades in the midst of these unpredictable gusts. Riley joins a team of engineers, ironworkers, crane operators and riggers who must attach the 68-ton gearbox at the center of the blades to the very top of a 300-foot tower, all the while fighting forces strong enough to snap protective lines.
On June 25, ("50-Ton Rudder"), Riley joins a team of industrial divers on the Caribbean Island of Curaçao to salvage and repair the 50-ton rudder of a ship carrying $3 million worth of iron ore. With lots of money and big business on the line, the pressure is on and the crew gets right to work. After a quick hazing (where Riley is charged with getting lunch orders), he takes a crash course in underwater welding so he can accompany the crew when they dive under the ship to disassemble the rudder. They work for hours wearing 30 pounds of gear, including helmets and air hoses. Get ready to hold your breath as they attempt to move a 100,000-pound beast under 60 feet of water!
On July 2, ("Mississippi River Barge"), Riley heads down to the Big Easy to clear the Mississippi River of a 300-ton barge that was blown into the water from a local salvage yard by Hurricane Gustav in August 2008. The barge rammed into a protective levee that is now caught underneath the boat. Using inflatable bags and wooden cribbing, the team carefully raises the barge — but the higher the barge goes, the more unstable it becomes. And in one dramatic moment, the barge actually begins to slip … as Riley, the workers and camera crew all race out from underneath to keep from being crushed!
For more information about World’s Toughest Fixes, visit natgeotv.com/fixes.
tell riley thanx for not showing the electricians who wired the wind turbine in portsmouth rhode island on your new season, the people who put it up were idiots to say the least. your show was also very weak your no MIKE ROWE so dont try to be . you suck sincerly john oldham ps your attitude eats shit so dont come back around here