In the Fast Lane

Starting September 3,Discovery Channel will drop off these two in the extreme and incredible landscapes of Chile in South America and watch them escape to safety in three days in a car that is not equipped to survive harsh terrain.

Two men — one,an ex British special forces soldier and celebrity bodyguard and the second,a chiropractor who established a chain of healthcare clinics and a real estate business in San Diego,CA,before moving on to his passion for cars,races and a garage full of four-wheeled boy toys — have got together their wits and wheels to take up a whole new level in an exciting game of survival. Starting September 3,Discovery Channel will drop off these two in the extreme and incredible landscapes of Chile in South America and watch them escape to safety in three days in a car that is not equipped to survive harsh terrain. One Car Too Far will see soldier Gary Humphrey and car crazy Bill Wu survive on sheer instinct and expertise.

Jaskiran Kapoor catches up with the two in an email interview.

Tell us about the show,its concept,idea and purpose.

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Bill: This is a show like no other. It has all the elements — adventure,comedy,survival,danger,drama,bush fixes and a kind of ‘bromance’. It’s not just a survivor show.

Who is the brainchild of the show?

Gary: I think it came from one of the top guys in Discovery. I think they were out four-wheel driving one day in the desert,and when they came back from this amazing trip,they sort of evolved the project over a few bottles of wine.

Who picks the destinations ?

Bill: Location is basically set by Discovery. The premise for the show is to put us in four different extreme elements. From icy glaciers,intense humid and dense jungles to arid deserts and mountains with treacherous slopes and sub-zero temperatures — we were put in completely different elements,techniques and different environments.

You both come with huge experience and expertise — what all did you have to learn or unlearn for this show?

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Bill: Before the show,we really didn’t know anything about each other,but now that we have shared an awesome experience,life challenges and triumphs,lows and highs,we have learnt the art of surviving the adventures of any relationship. In One Car Too Far,you’ll see what I put Gary through,and what Gary puts me through and how we bonded over it.

Gary: Relationships are set for life in the face of adversity. It was an amazing adventure and journey and our friendship evolved during the course.

Who is the problem maker and who is the solution provider between the two of you?

Bill: Having spent his career in extraordinary places across the planet,Gary’s day job saw him wrestle a 12-foot anaconda,learn to castrate reindeers,live by drinking water from tree vines and free dive with locals in Papua New Guinea. Gary’s main expertise is in survival,and he has driven across North Africa,Amazon to Chile,snow-mobiled to the Magnetic North Pole,sailed through a hurricane,and hitchhiked from Cape Town to Nairobi. Gary is the survival guy. I wouldn’t want anybody else. I don’t know much about surviving for more than a day,but anything after that,Gary has to be there. Every Bill needs his Gary. I listened to Gary quite a bit through the show,till the desert episode which is the last episode,where Gary had to trust my driving technique,and he was kind of uncomfortable at times.

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