Finally!
The debut of my TV show — “Trial by Fire” — will air this Thursday, 12/4, at 11pm ET/PT on The History Channel. It’s been two years in the making.
I’ve been told that the times are 11pm ET, 10pm CST, 9pm MT, and 11pm PST. Double check to be safe on the History Channel schedule.
This could very well be the only time you are able to see this show. It’s a pilot and not guaranteed to become a series, so please tune in and also Tivo!
In this post:
1) The concept
2) Live Q&A following show – join me after the broadcast to ask your questions and learn about how to pitch a TV show, the “reality” behind reality TV, behind-the-scenes details, omitted scenes, and more. The Q&A won’t make sense unless you’ve seen the broadcast.
3) Immediate competition and prize for rallying the troops (sooner is better)
The Concept
The concept is simple: I have one week to attempt to learn what is usually learned over 5-20 years. I either crash and burn — or survive by the skin of my teeth — in a final test (trial by fire) each time.
If it’s made into a series, which depends entirely on viewership numbers on Thursday night, I’ll deconstruct a new complex skill each week. It will show you exactly how I approach learning, and no fake TV drama will be required to make the stakes real.
This episode was shot in HD in Tokyo and the mountains of Nikko, where I rolled the dice on Japanese horseback archery, or yabusame: full gallop, no hands, no safety gear, with wooden poles lining the track on either side of the horse. Please don’t do this at home. I had access to the best in the world, and you’ll get to see some never-before-seen footage of a rare and brutal samurai sport few non-Japanese have ever attempted. The show preview is here.
Live Q&A After Broadcast Thursday
I’ll be holding a live Q&A on this blog after both broadcasts (11pm ET for ET, CST, MT; 11pm PT for PT). Note down questions during the show on things you’d like to know. No-holds-barred. Just keep an eye on this blog and my twitter page for more details.
Immediate Competition to Rally Troops
This is a one shot, one kill affair. To become a series, this show needs massive viewership on Thursday to prove to History Channel that people want more.
The competition, limited to the next 48 hours, is simple: promote the below links and leave a comment here with 1) what you did to spread the word, and 2) what challenge you think I should tackle next.
Some options: Facebook, e-mail, Twitter, blogs, FriendFeed, etc. Bonus points go to people who act sooner vs. later.
The links:
The preview (first choice): http://tr.im/1rak
This post (second choice, if video is removed): http://tr.im/1re6
Prize to best promoter: my favorite travel bag in the world, the $500 retail Victorinox Swiss Army 25″ Trek Pack Plus. I used an older version during my 15-country world trip in 2004, and the latest model is even better.
Thanks in advance for your help with spreading the word! More to come soon! Woohoo!
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Looks like a cool show man. It would just be a crying shame if it is not made into a series.
I haven’t been following this blog at all in the last year, but I’m stoked about the pilot and the chance you have to spread your wings. I love the DirecTV in HD with the DVR. I think I’ll view it after the gym Thursday night.
Sounds good, I’m not sure the japanese horse thing was the best choice to generate interest on the first one though…
Tim,
1) I don’t quite have the online clout as some others who might be marketing for you, so I decided to use my strengths and go offline with the campaign by designing a poster. It’s specifically tailored to fit into the bus card advertising slots on the inside of MUNI buses, but also works just as well packing taped to a telephone pole.
I chose MUNI so I could get a nice captive audience on their way to work.
I’m off to Kinko’s now to print a bunch up, but I thought I’d let everyone else who doesn’t have a massive online network get in on the fun as well. I’ve uploaded the file to my blog (click my name to link to it) so anyone can download it, print it out, and show their support for what is sure to be a killer show.
Also, the link you requested we direct people to works well in the digital world, but not so well in the physical. Who’s going to remember a code like that? So, I snagged a domain, http://www.TrialByFireShow.com which would be easier to remember (even though it’s longer) and set the URL to redirect to the preferred link you provided.
I hope it helps! I’ll comment again once I post pictures.
2) I would very much enjoy watching you master a musical instrument, especially the trumpet, and then rock out on stage.
I just emailed all of my friends who I know will be interested about the premiere of your new show. I also created a Facebook group to publicize the show and invited some of my closest friends to take a look and spread the word. I’m a college student, and I just made plans to reserve the campus student activity center on Thursday night to get as many people as possible to start watching.
I’m a huge fan of the lifestyle you promote, and have bought copies of your book as birthday presents for several of my friends. As your next feat, I think you should take on fire juggling. That would be rather fitting for a show called ‘Trial by Fire’.
Best of luck!
Totally stoked that you and Daniel H Wilson will be on the same channel! Seems like this will be a shoe-in for you, but if you want to compare notes with him, he’s pretty accessible through his blog. Then again, maybe you’ve already met.
As for new challenge ideas… I think it would be interesting to deliberately choose a field that you consider most difficult for you (i.e. probably not a physical challenge, or anything business-related). Obviously, you don’t want to choose something you’d hate, but maybe something along the lines of a personal ‘weakest link’ – whatever that may be.
Anyway, good luck with it!
I am really happy that TV may actually have some worth here soon. I hope everyine watches this show. I took a moment to post in facebook, twitter and Buzz up.
Let’s keep the promoting going and stay committed to Lifestyle Design.
Love, Peace, and Swirl
[…] BIG NEWS and Sneak Peek – Tim Ferriss TV Show Debut 12/4 Eines muss man Tim Ferriss lassen, sein großes Talent ist, komplexe Dinge zu analysieren und auf das essentielle runterzubrechen, um sie dann zu lernen. Daraus hat er nun eine TV Show gemacht. Mal sehen, was die Zuschauer zum Pilot sagen werden. (tags: tv timferriss via:mento.info) […]
Geez………. I think this a new record for the number of comments in the given time. I bet you track that too huh?
All and All
Jose
Since lots of websites will ban that tr.im url you created i made another one at is.gd
http://is.gd/a0LG
Even if the whole serie will be about you completing the trial by fire i think that for now, to promote the promo, i should concentrate on the american-guy-interested-in-samurai-tradictions.
So this is what i did –
Submitted your site to a Japanese Folklore Website created by an American guy
http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/2006/08/07/yabusame-japanese-horseback-archery/
Submitted your site to this yabusame video as comment
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=IsQ42IN49Rc
Submitted your site to this another video as comment
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=j9IzHgUH2lo
Would be cool to promote it by submitting them as reply to yabusame videos, do it NOW!
Submitted to video.libero.it because lots of peoples video search on google end up there by mistake
Submitted to these vimeo videos
because they were made by foreigners (USA) interested in japanese tradiction
Submitted video as comment to these Facebook Groups
*
Japanese Marital Arts Champions
*
Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
Finally added my video to my own website, to ensure more people watches it and increment the viewers count.
Currently I have put the links on Facebook and on the signature of my emails to clients… lol bit of topic for them… but… life can be a little of topic.. Plus I figured that most of the top nobs I ave to deal with in banks and law firms etc as far as I can tell don’t use any social networking sites… but I’m pretty sure they watch the History Channel…
🙂
1) Piped the link through Twitter to Facebook, Friendfeed, and my blog. Also personally called my Dad, another 4HWW Acolyte and my little brother (loves Japan, studying Japanese in college) and told them to get word out.
2) Master Push-hands Tai Chi
Fantastic! I loved this concept the last time I saw it done (UK TV in the eighties; a show called “In At The Deep End”, although I suppose Channel 4’s “Faking It” was pretty similar.) It’d be nice to see it updated, especially with someone like Tim!
Hi Everyone! Love the vibe in the room :-), Your comments are Amazing!
Keep it up!
cheers,
Dynasty
Tim, so excited will facebook. My thoughts:
– Most shows like this are too one dimensional and get old quickly (particularly Discovery shows). Today Tim learns one task, tomorrow another. I’d think of it as the Tim Ferris Show with a loose theme of learning and beating challenges. Today archery tomorrow, publishing a new magazine or starting a company. Maybe the next sailing the French reviara or picking up supermodels. Watch Top Gear on BBC for example, it’s a show about cars, but it’s hilarious. They play soccer with cars, they race buses, they make fun of each other, they interview celebrities.
– Keep the artificial drama to a minimum. Tim is going to die if he doesn’t learn to speak Swaheli in 5 days, there’s plenty of real entertainment in meeting a good challenge or in the details of how to do and how to learn something interesting. If you watch American Chopper you have to ask why everyone fights over deadlines when they’re all independently wealthy and can do whatever they want. It’s not congruent. It’s enough to see cool bikes built and fake drama takes away from that.
– Show as much of the real content as possible. Your viewers will want to learn what you are learning not just hear about how difficult the task is. Also consider the Tim Ferris audience over the average person. Blog readers will flood to your show along with the masses, but I’d guess the intelligence of your viewers will be above average.
For the interview I’d like to know about the earliest stages of pitching the show. Before you ever pitch the show how do you get to pitch the show? How do you get the foot in the door? What mistakes did you make? How did you get others to help you? What was the overall time line?
Hi Friends,
I’m dying to see if someone can top this competition by doing a Pre- Show Email Blast: sponsor an email blast (buy a quick list, be creative) and use a 50,000+ opt-in database (anywhere in the world) to drive people to Tim’s Show!
Victory is sweet.
Oh, also, here’s what you should do next! Cultivate a new society. (sort of like in Beaches). Buy an island or piece of landlocked land and run a society that lasts for 5 days. Implement politics and whatever unique ways of living. ” A Life Hackers Compound/Paradise!”
Here’s my Previous Post from last night(im number 31, i think)
RALLIED THE TROOPS!!! Im so excited for you Tim. I have promoted the show (youtube clip) by embedding it on my myspace.com/madameunique, Tweeting the link (msuniqueslounge), and posting on one of my blogs: http://www.worldlifestyletravel.blogspot.com.
Congratulations and I know it will be a big hit! Well, it already is.
Thanx for the book, its helped me a lot.
Ms. Unique
Also if the show does get picked up consider putting together longer term projects that cumulatively require ~5 days of actual time, similar to the weight loss article. So maybe you’ll prep for a triathlon (ironman?) which takes months, but your training time is condensed into 120 hours over those months. You could have a kick off show and spread updates over the course of other shows, or simply do a single time laps of all your training in a single show.
Cool, all set in the DVR. Good luck!
Very Quick,
Somone contact a t.v, radio, club, newspaper & magazine, travel, food, sales, e-marketing, publicity, industry association or network group promotor & have them blast an email to their opt-in databases about Tim’s Event.
Just find the niche person with the sources, it makes it so much easier to win.
[…] his new show Trial by Fire looks to be fascinating, and I won’t miss it. 11pm ET/PT on The History […]
@duane stevens: Awesome suggestion! Although I’d say not just a male bellydancer… but a Suhaila format dancer. That is VERY hard!!!! Maybe getting to level II in 30 days or less? 😉
[…] but I do watch some online on sites like hulu.com and Bloomberg. Bestselling author and now TV star Tim Ferriss is debuting on the History Channel this Thursday night in a pilot Trial By Fire. What this means […]
Good luck Tim. I did a post and got it on all of my social media channels. Shall I write the heads of History Channel for you..? Looks like an awesome show I know I will be watching.
Posted the link on my blog.
Really cool idea Tim, I would love to see it become a series. I will spread the word about watching it.
Some show ideas:
1. Become a Navy Seal.
2. Pass the Bar Exam.
3. Build a successful company, on target linearly to make a million dollars in the first year profit, so a little over 19k profit in a week.
4. Become a Cirque du Soleil performer that performs as one of the performers through a full show.
5. Become a software programmer: So say program an iPhone app that is reasonably complex in a week.
6. Pass the certification exam to become a doctor.
7. Pass any of the other exams with a reasonably high score for acceptance into grad school. engineering, mcat, etc.
8. For fun: next christmas: show us how Santa delivers all of those presents:-)
Personally I am more interested in the mental type tasks than the physical ones. I don’t think there has been anything like that on TV. It could be very valuable to see how to teach large amounts of knowledge in 1 week.
I’ll be watching.
Good luck man.
Sounds cool, Tim.
In addition to the history channel, could you distribute on iTunes as a video podcast?
It would be so much more convenient and international.
1) I have sent out emails to my entire email list to have people watch the show. I also posted the invitation on my facebook page and sent invitation to all my facebook friends. AND I sent amy an invitation to make sure she doesn’t forget to watch. (I was going to send it to you, but I figured that you wouldn’t forget to watch!)
2) I would like to see you train and ride in the Tour de France cycling event, probably the toughest physical challenge for athletes. When I can’t ride much faster than 26 mph and Lance Armstrong rides at 46 mph, it’s an amazing feat. (Of course I’m 27 years older than he is!) But even at my speed, cycling will help me live to 100 and still be able to do a century ride at 100!
Tim, I posted the link in my “what are you doing now section” on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/home.php?tab=3
I am a classically trained violinist and I think you should attempt to master the violin in a week, or better yet, every instrument that is utilized in a full string orchestra: violin, viola, cello.
I also think it would be funny if you learned how to be a Geisha, minus the whole patron part of course :).
I would have blogged this anyway, but I posted to my blog a little plug. Also sent over to the one bag one world folks who are always interested in traveling around the world lightly.
You should tackle passing the DOD fluency test in a language you’ve never learned.
Big Tim,
I’m actually laughing out loud at how cool I think all of this is. . .super-sweet. Only trouble is, I don’t own a freakin’ TV! So, alas, I’ll have to wait to catch it on line at some point. I’m furiously searching for someone I know who has a Tivo and can record it for me locally here in Chicago. Any volunteers, let me know?!
Okay, so to help with the cause I’ve used my newly minted Ping.fm powers (thanks to GaryVee for that tip!) and messaged the heck out of all the networks I’m in with one deft click of the mouse. So, that includes LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Udderli, Twitter, Pownce (what’s left of it), and on and on. I think there are something like 15 networks in all. Some followed, some mere real estate, but the Google Juice should help, I imagine.
Ideas for next time? Hmm. . .how about:
Mastering Eddie VanHalen’s “Eruption”?
Getting two opposing world leaders to meet when they would rather kill one another?
Captain a yacht in the America’s Cup?
De-poison a puffer fish? (Maybe that’s a bit too risky. . .we want you around for awhile)
Co-piloting a 747?
These are wacky, but so is Japanese archery!
Good luck, man. . .this seems like one helluva’ great concept!
Cheers,
Doc
Good luck Tim. This is a great concept that only you could bring to life. Anyone who pays attention knows this means a lot to you.
We ALL need to help spread the word !
Update:
-Email to 7,000+ in the school wide email system a success!! I’m sure I’m going to get a nice call from the dean, but I will ask for forgiveness and explain to him that the email is for educational purposes (Hey it is!!)
-My mother (Carol Burrell) is the COO of Northeast Georgia Medical Center. See here: http://www.nghs.com/AboutUs.aspx?id=54 She knows I’m a huge fan of the 4hww, so I asked her to send a company wide email. No problem. But then I got to thinking, so I made this happen:
Hospitals have tons of tv’s right? So I implored (aka beg, entreat, beseech, appeal to, exhort, urge, enjoin, press, push, petition, bid, importune) my mother to email the head of the nursing dept. and ask her to instruct the nurses to turn on the tv’s in all the filled (with patient permission of course) and non-filled rooms to the History Channel this thursday.
To my surprise the head of nursing said no problem!! 500+ beds w/ 5000+ employees. Wow I love my mother 🙂
I would really love to see a Trial By Fire series and have a kickin new bag to boot!!
Should be interesting. Hope this goes into a series.
I submitted it to Reddit.com . Could spread the word pretty well 😉
I posted to facebook (rolling ~1000 strong).
I suggest the 200m butterfly and respectfully do not suggest the male stripper.
Hey Tim,
I just posted an entry to my blog (about 2,000 readers on entrepreneurship) to promote the show:
http://www.startbreakingfree.com/609/tim-ferriss-has-a-tv-show-on-tomorrow-night/
By the way, I just finished listening the the 4HWW on audio book for the second time. I have my first “lifestyle design” trip planned next year first week of April to South America. I’ve been spending the last year or so getting my business (www.UniversityTutor.com) as automated as possible so that I can take this trip.
This is part of the reason the backpack was an exciting prize for me since I’ve been researching it. I even left you a comment on your “travel the world with 10lbs or less” post about what backpack would be best, so this answers the question!
Anyway, I think the show will be a great way to build your brand, especially since so few people actually read these days. That is assuming filming a TV show fits with your lifestyle!
All the best,
Brian
Almost forgot: regarding next challenge – I think learning to act and booking a big part/audition would be great. This is a fantasy for a lot of people and I think it’d get good ratings.
Hey Tim,
Great idea and concept, can’t wait to watch it! Will def link the preview to FB…an idea: few months ago you completed your 1k open water swim, how about documenting the training and competing in another race, perhaps the Swim to Alcatraz or the annual swim around Key West? With Michael Phelps and US Swimming gaining such popularity right now, might lead to some good viewership numbers…
Take care, and good luck!
Ron Turner
USA Swimming National Team Coach
Hey Tim, love this idea. My influence does not contribute to hundreds of people but I can contribute some ideas. I second the motion to put the show on hulu.com or some online source, as many more people want to watch it than there are who can stop what they are doing (with their 20%) on thursday night.
On top of that, the music business is a subject I am interested in a lot (performing, producing, etc). Perhaps doing your own Princeton challenge will fascinate people. You can get a quest along the line of contacting someone ridiculously out there like the secretary of state for kazakstan, or a member of the spanish pop group RBD. Basically something that would be harder than just an american celebrity.
I do not have the history channel but will be looking for this show online, and hopefully the history channel takes into account online viewership. Thanks for the show.
Hi, Tim:
I posted your pilot’s info:
On myspace as a headline, in the profile with a full description and with a link, and as a bulletin.
On facebook as a message, in my profile as a link, and on my status updates.
On twitter.
Will email out later. Best of luck. You can do it!
Your book is amazing. You’ve changed my life.
Best,
Brandi
Ahh,
Yes, almost forgot.
Hacking into the music business would be bad ass if you can sing, too. It’d be funny if you couldn’t.
See ya!
Hey Tim,
Great looking show. I’m doing the share via google reader, twitter, facebook status, friendfeed thing.
For your next lifehack, I came up with a few options:
-pass the physical tests that astronauts are put through for space shuttle flight
-climb Mount Everest (with some help from Kevin Rose of course…)
-hit a home run in an MLB game
-race in the Iditarod which is 93 days away…
-learn to play an instrument and change places with a professional in a public event to prove no one can tell the difference…
Good luck and I can’t wait to watch the show!
-JB
[…] Ferris has a TV show. It’s pilot is Thursday at 11 ET, 11 PT on the History channel. I enjoy reading his blog. He […]
Tim,
Some ideas for future shows when the series is picked up…
-Since you seem interested in investing, how about trying to win the CNBC $1mm investment challenge. They have several througout the yr.
-Ski Jumping…etiher acrobatic or for distance
-Deep sea diving. The kind where you see how how deep you can go on one breath
-Performing on Cirque du Soliel.
MT
–
@ Julia: Great questions. I’d love to hear Tim’s answers
Tim,
I emailed my closest friends about your show, that’s my part…
Here’s some other things I would do to try to get some instant publicity (since I’m in a marketing mindset right now):
— Go to your blog buddies immediately, and get them to make a blog post/mail their email newsletters right away telling people to tune into history channel or tivo it that night…
CONSIDER THIS NEXT ONE VERY CAREFULLY:
— Alex Mandossian, a guy who interviewed you, and Yanik Silver, Joe Polish, Yaro Starok, etc are all internet marketers who have LARGE email lists, have interviewed you and if you asked them to mail out a quick email newsletter telling people to watch your show it would definitely increase your rankings because of your “ethical bribe” of answering questions after the show — all their subscribers would want a piece of that.
— Adding onto Shannon Clark’s suggestions above, go and buy adword ads for anything to do with your name and companies keywords, “Tim Ferriss, “four hour work week”, etc and run google ads pointing to your promo video. Run the ads on yahoo search marketing as well…
— Schedule as many radio interviews as possible in the next night or two, these could be offline radios, but I bet a lot of quick “internet radio shows” would love to do a quick interview with you…
— Go to your amazon publishers page and post on your author’s blog about your show coming up soon as your amazon page is probably getting a lot of traffic (and do it over at barns and nobles or any other online retailer of your book as well that has a system like that)…
— Those are some of the things I would do to get more viewership…
And I’m assuming you’ve already made announcements on all your own social media sites you belong to, twitter, facebook, myspace, etc…
Later!
Caleb
Tim: congratulations! I am so very much looking forward to this! Though: I looked at the schedule and at least Sweden seems to have another program? Couldn’t find your show, so I’m a little concerned. Hope to find it on the web – and more shows to come, even to Europe:) Good luck!
And: had you done any horsebackriding before you started? If you’re a total beginner with a horse… let’s just say that it can take some time to be comfortable with that:P
Hi Tim, I’m super excited to watch. Promoting on my Facebook and my blog. toodleloodlenoodle
I added the show to facebook, FWIW. My suggestion, you have to do this right now.
Hit the wire services with a PR, and make the tag something of interest to their readers/viewers, but really off the wall, as you are so good at, such as “Tim also offers to make a $xxxx donation to the collective viewers favorite charity if he gets enough viewers”, and then set up a web page to register votes for which charities. (and include my soldiers families please.)
Also, if you can pull strings to get on a National morning talk show Thursday morning, pull them.
Finally, I don’t think your 25″ backpack is legal carryon anymore, it is way over the 45″ total limit, could be wrong. would love to be wrong.
twittered, facebooked, friendfeeded. 🙂 hah.
Best of luck with the new show! Sounds fantastic.
How about racing small bi-planes?
I would love to see you take on the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam.
DUDE, YOU ROCK!!! Sorry, I am yelling again. I can’t wait, got the Tivo set. I pulled the following info off of DIRECTV’s website for all that have the best service on the Planet. Good Luck…
Results: Showing programs starting over next 24 hours
Title Channel Time Date
01 Trial by Fire 269 HIST 10:00 PM CST 12/04/2008
02 Trial by Fire 269 HISTHD 10:00 PM CST 12/04/2008
04 Trial by Fire 269 HIST 2:00 AM CST 12/05/2008
Great idea. I’ve been writing about stuff like this on one of my blogs for a few months, but it should be fun watching somebody do this for a much larger audience
I’m going to give promotion a shot. I’m taking a 5-minute break from authoring a post at rewardyourself.wordpress.com to type this comment. Hopefully it’ll help you out.
Good luck,
Ismail
Hi Tim! Already added the video to my Facebook profile, e-mailed all my clients and coworkers the YouTube link (some of them will probably freak out, but that’s ok), sent a message to all of my MSN Live online contacts (and an e-mail to the offline ones), so probably a good 500 people will see at least one way of contact with your YouTube video.
-I have screenshots of everything for verification- and of course also Digging it!
I think your next challenge would be to learn Mexican “Ball Game” (Juego de Pelota) it is an ancient Pre-Columbine game that some cultures in Mexico (the Mayans and the Aztecs, for example) used to play. One of the teams (can’t remember if it was the winner of the loser) was sacrificed at the end of the game; it is played with a hard “rubber” ball so you have to be very careful on how you play or you could get really hurt.
Great luck with your show I know it will be a great success!
Miguel.
Ah, also left comments on Gizmodo and Engadget (hopefully those won’t be erased by the moderator).
Hehe… Good luck !
[…] friend Tim Ferriss, who wrote the popular book “The 4-Hour Workweek”, has created a pilot for “Trial by Fire”, a new TV show on The History Channel. The concept behind the show is that he has one week to learn […]
Here’s what I’d like to see:
1 Fighter Pilot
2 Escape artist – like a Houdini throwback
3 Safe cracker
4 Pastry Chef – high end wedding cakes
5 Wall Street – not just a stock broker, something more complex – derivatives trader – use it as a tie in to our current economic mess.
6 Tailor – make a hand made suit – I heard a story on NPR where a)it’s a dying art and b) it takes years of apprenticeship to get it right
7 Any type of craftsman trade where it takes years to become a master: Carpentry, Brick laying etc.
8 Olympic sports that take years to perfect – platform diving, freestyle skating. Or deconstruct the decathlon arguably the manliest of all Olympic sports.
9 Vehicle based racing: indy car, NASCAR, drag racing, drift racing, motorcycle racing.
10 Enough brawn, how about some brains – There are competitions for spelling, Scrabble, NY Times Cross Word Puzzles.
I’ve got tons more but ten is a nice round number.
I think this is an awesome concept. I can’t wait to watch the pilot tomorrow.
As the next challenge, Tow in surfing. It has the viewer appeal and defnitely has enough risk.
Good luck!
Hello-
This show looks great. It should definitely provide an unique insight into how the learning process works and what one can accomplish if they put their mind to it. I created an unofficial facebook group for the tv show. If you’re interested in joining, it’d be a good discussion forum for the tv show. Don’t know if this wil even work but why not try? I haven’t found any other facebook groups about this show yet. Here’s the link to the facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37795303940
Just made it and just invited all my friends to join it.
Tim, that’s great! I can’t wait to watch it on Thursday. I’d want to see that show keep going and my pick for a challenge would be for you to learn Icelandic in a week… that autistic genius did it.
Keep up the good work Mr Ferriss.
Posted first link and recommendation into HelloTXT. From there it aggregated to Myspace, Facebook, Friendfeed, Pownce, and Twitter. Took less than a minute to do.
My challenge – Run the modern Pentathalon (swimming, running, horseback riding, pistol shooting, and fencing).
[…] Ferriss, author of 4-Hour Work Week (blog here), has a new show premiering on the History Channel called “Trial By Fire” tomorrow, […]
[…] friend Tim Ferris (yes of the 4 hour workweek fame and who is launching a new TV show Trial by Fire this week on the History Channel) talks about Lifehacking and indeed to a degree I should implement many of his lessons and […]
I posted on my blog about the show and gave notice on my gchat status, twitter, and facebook. Oh, and I told a couple of my law school friends to tune in.
Good luck, I hope History picks it up. I’ll be tuning in tomorrow.
[…] For more info on the show, check out Tim’s own blog post here. […]
Ok, here’s what I have done.
1 I inserted the link into my company’s monthly e-newsletter that will be sent out tomorrow morning at 9 am to our 70 employees, and 400 other staff affiliates (the newsletter was written by an outsourcer from elance, of course). I’m the final one that checks to make sure that all the links on the newsletter are correct, and changed the link on the first page of the newsletter, where we give on a required to fill out a company survey, to the link about your show. On Friday, after your show of course, I will send an email expressing my profound apology for such a thoughtless typo and send the correct URL.
I’ll of course also do the obvious of changing my status of facebook, myspace, gmail chat, etc.
2. What you should do next is seduce men as a ladyboy in Thailand (just kidding, that is WAY too easy)….You should go scuba diving in Antarctica. If you can handle the most intense cold you will be able to see some of the most fantastic life on this planet that is unlike anything we have ever seen before.
tweeted, email’d, fbooked, dugg, friendfed
challenge: find Osama Bid Laden – seriously, you can do it.
This is great! Any access to the show for those of us who live our lives online and threw out the TV years ago?
[…] should read his post announcing the show. He’s trying to rally support and build buzz for the show in advance so that the pilot will […]
Hell yeah!!!!!!
Good luck Tim,
I forwarded your announce to couple of friends over ICQ , gtalk and will post it on livejournal.
It would be curious to see you doing some Russian traditional martial arts. One variation of this is called Kadochnikov system
If you think martial arts is not challenging enough look at no contact fighting at yourtube
I bet you can’t learn it in one week
Tim.
Did a post on our Magazine’s site
http://www.tsbmag.com/2008/12/03/tim-ferrisss-pilot-tv-show-trial-by-fire-airs-thursday-night/
also twittered it for you, and Facebooked it… Not cause I want the bag.. but because I want this damn show to get picked up.
What would i like to see you learn?
Could you learn how to pickup women like Mystery? I doubt they’d air that on the history channel… but I’d be curious.
Bobby
Congratulations Tim!
Book just arrived from Amazon, and now this. I hope it all works out well for you. I hit up Twitter, Livejournal, Myspace, Facebook, my MSN Messenger status and direct email to my gmail address book. Trying to get the word out for you. Hope it takes off, sounds like a great concept.
Good Luck!
Hey Tim,
I announced the pilot on my Sirius Satellite Radio show. Some nebulous number out of 18.5 million subscribers should now be keen to hear what you’re up to when your show airs.
As for the challenge, I’d like to see you learn to bull ride. It’d be fun to learn and it sounds right up your alley, despite your normal risk-averse mentality.
If you like this entry, I don’t want the prize, but would love to see it given to my friend Rob Murgatroyd over at jetsetlife.tv, who is also a huge fan of this blog.
-Jordan Harbinger
SiriusXM Radio
Already ahead of you on the promotion. Posted on my Facebook, Twitter MMA gym forum (also trying to post on Sherdog but the forum is buggy) and I’ll email a few folks.
I don’t want the bag though, unless you think it might be good to study for improvement my future bags 🙂
I’ll find a tv to watch that pilot here in Denmar :o)
Tweeted (also to Facebook) this and gave it a big mention at work.
Next show candidates: tightrope walking, break a bobsledding record, solve a unsolved mathematical problem.
Cheers from Denmark :o)
Hey !! I love it !!
I like it and I am really interested in watching it !!!
Too cool – I am interested in the accelerated learning !! Almost Matrix style 🙂
I have a challenge for you – big wave tow in surfing..
Mark Visser is a great guy and one of the worlds best. Let me know if you need to contact him. I talk to him almost every day – he is a fit enthusiastic guy like yourself.
You might like to see how he prepares for big waves by blowing out all his air and sitting on the bottom of the pool for 1:30 then swims 50m..
The idea is to simulate getting held under 2 or 3 massive sets and not getting a chance to take a breath before he went under..
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=xBQVJVT4Zec
Cool best of luck with it all !!
Cant wait to see it
Michael
Here is facebook, somewhat tough to put yourself out there
Dennis asks everyone to watch Tim Ferriss on History Channel tomorrow at 9 – http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=09_YaUw9Rm8 for more: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog
hit up Tuckermax messageboard, 4chan.org – largest picture forum in the world.
It would be neat to try:
stockmarket picks – HA HA HA
fencing
juggling
deep sea diving
actor
rally car driver
the circus type show with ropes and hanging on a rope doing tricks
I have a lot more, since I had an idea for this kind of a show in the past – why not email me and may be I can help you out with it?
Congrats Tim – am bummed I wont he here in the states to see it, but have just scheduled it into my Tivo from 35,000 feet – gotta love the tech
It just dawned on me to ask a follow-up, how will HC go about figuring out how many TVs are tuned to the show?
That would definitely influence the attack plan.
[…] show continues. Planning on watching? Tell us what you think about the teaser clip in the comments. BIG NEWS and Sneak Peek – Tim Ferriss TV Show Debut 12/4 [The Blog of Tim […]
Wow Tim. This is huge dude. I’m there. Anything to help out. I’ll twit the heck out of it too – tomorrow.
Good luck man!
Stephen
[…] show continues. Planning on watching? Tell us what you think about the teaser clip in the comments. BIG NEWS and Sneak Peek – Tim Ferriss TV Show Debut 12/4 [The Blog of Tim […]
Learn an instrument and fill in for a member of a medium to high profile rock band of reasonable musicianship.
1. Knock a homerun off a real MLB pitcher in less than X pitches (using his full arsenal).
2. Learn to play Joe Satriani’s Summer Song (impossible!).
3. Come close to matching free diving world record.
4. Survive 5 rounds with a professional boxer.
5. Become a bullfighter.
6. Master ping pong; come close to beating a Chinese champion.
7. Become freestyle rap champion.
8. Install a stable Haitian government (nevermind…impossible).
9. Get elected to US House (you’d have to take a few years off your show if it made this far).
10. Raise $10M for a good cause.
Congrats man, love to see you succeed.
See your 15 minutes have just begun buddy!!
@dennysugar
Tim,
Awesome and congrats! I have e-mailed all my clients and it will be going onto an e-mail blast that hits about 120,000 people on a list serve tomorrow. My suggestions are:
(1) Successful cliff-skimming with a wingsuit jump:
(2) Defeat a gold medal member of the 2008 US Olympic fencing team.
(3) Swim the English Channel…
(4) Learn to fly either a Mustang or a Spitfire…solo.
This will be awesome…TIVO is set…good luck!
Phil
Sounds like a great idea, Tim. Like some others, I don’t live in the US. Any way us expats can see the episode? Also, I am very interested in how you approach learning, especially when it comes to languages. Hope the show is a success.
[…] show continues. Planning on watching? Tell us what you think about the teaser clip in the comments. BIG NEWS and Sneak Peek – Tim Ferriss TV Show Debut 12/4 [The Blog of Tim […]
Your thoughts Tim? Have u seen Anthony Robbins new video blog? Cool stuff…
Heres the link..
http://tonyrobbinstraining.com/?ec=136686
Cheers
Jose. Dallas
Hey Tim this is Q,
I WAS IN NIKKO IN THE MOUNTAINS LAST WEEK! When did you shoot this???
Your biggest challenge…TIME…Delegating the law of multiplicity. So 80% of your work is done…but we still have some time left. Lets hit the MASSES quickly and effectively….So here’s what I’m doing
1A. Sending 100+ emails to your closest friends using a mail merge feature. (and I’m telling people that “I will get a reward if I WIN THIS COMPEITION TO MEET TIM FERRIS, And if I win, I will be donating the cash value of my prize to Women’s Breast Cancer Medical Centers in Developing Countries”. I will ask them to forward this to anyone they know…which won’t be that effective, but might gain some additional audiences. (“If you can’t FORWARD THIS MESSAGE, THEN AT LEAST WATCH THE SHOW!)
1B. FACEBOOK, MYSPACE and other social programs…GO DEEPER!. Anywhere you have CREDIBILITY , Groups or what not…Send a massive post/announcement/message so it hits all members. And then once again, use the previous message from above. SUBJECT: “Holy shit, this is cool” …and for a good cause.
2. You have to stick with what the audience wants of course…and that’s exotic destinations…and something new and creative, but yet something your audience would be completely in tune with..and you need to pull in the WOMEN audience! How about learning Flamenco dancing in Sevilla, Spain…THAT’S AMAZING! And a VERY hard challenge, but you could pull it off.
Good luck Tim
Q
Lifehacker
Hey Tim this is Q,
1A. Sending 100+ emails to your closest friends using a mail merge feature. (and I’m telling people that “I will get a reward if I WIN THIS COMPETITION TO MEET TIM FERRIS, And if I win, I will be donating the cash value of my prize to Women’s Breast Cancer Medical Centers in Developing Countries”. I will ask them to forward this to anyone they know…which won’t be that effective, but might gain some additional audiences. (“If you can’t FORWARD THIS MESSAGE, THEN AT LEAST WATCH THE SHOW!)
1B. FACEBOOK, MYSPACE and other social programs…GO DEEPER!. Anywhere you have CREDIBILITY , Groups or what not…Send a massive post/announcement/message so it hits all members. And then once again, use the previous message from above. SUBJECT: “Holy shit, this is cool” …and for a good cause.
2. You have to stick with what the audience wants of course…and that’s exotic destinations…and something new and creative, but yet something your audience would be completely in tune with..and you need to pull in the WOMEN audience! How about learning Flamanco dancing in Sevilla, Spain…THAT’S AMAZING! And a VERY hard challenge, but you could pull it off.
Good luck Tim
Quinn
Lifehacker
Tim,
Great to hear about the show and I really hope it stays on. Loved the book and have no reason to believe i wouldn’t love your show.
Anyway, I’ve put the link in my facebook status, created a facebook group, put up a myspace bulletin,shot emails to all my friends who enjoyed your book when i put them onto originally. Also sending out an email at work tonite so people can have all day tomorrow to forward it to their other working stiff friends like myself 🙂 . Nothing like an email about TV and an interesting life to get the office folks forwarding on and on to all their other friends asap!
Oh yah, i have two suggestions for future skills to master. Ocean free diving — as in no scuba gear or snorkel — or big wave surfing as in 20 plus foot waves
Best of luck to you,
Chris
This just arrived in my email today?!
I have to go find someone to record this for me. I’m nowhere near the US and Trial By Fire is not showing up in my local THC listings.
Hey Tim,
Read your book, did what you said, now I’m in Tokyo writing my first comment at a cafe in Shunjuku. Hope I can find the show online somewhere, or have a friend back in the States record it for me. Anyhow…
I hit up the usual channels, Email, Facebok and MySpace. I also hit up the World of Warcraft community (12 million strong and growing).
Some ideas for your next skill to deconstruct, how about:
* Attain a very competitive level at a video game (1st person shooter, RTS, PVP in a MMO, etc)
* Poker
* Learning to play an instrument
* Pass the test a special forces soldier must pass to become a (Navy Seal, DELTA Force, etc)
See ya!
-Nate-
Fantastic. I sent it to twitter, facebook, Macgroup, AIM, MSN and forward to distro list.
Next challenge: Capoeira in Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. I’ll translate. Cheers.
1) I added the youtube video to my Facebook account and emailed all non facebook friends with the link.
2) Master sign language, hundreds of people could benefit from seeing how you break it down and learn it in a quick hurry.
This show concept is awesome, I hope there is a huge turn out.
[…] show continues. Planning on watching? Tell us what you think about the teaser clip in the comments. BIG NEWS and Sneak Peek – Tim Ferriss TV Show Debut 12/4 [The Blog of Tim […]
Dear All,
Ladies and gentlemen…. you guys ROCK!
Seriously, have I mentioned that you all kick ass? Have I? Kicking ass and rocking hard, like early G&R? Well, you make Paradise City look like a black & white polka.
Thank you all so much for the support. Tomorrow will be a blast. You’ll laugh, you might cry (probably not), and you might just decide I’m a total fool. I’m cool with all of the outcomes. It will be fun no matter what.
Please keep on rallying the troops, please don’t forget to Tivo (even if you watch, as I hear Tivo reports numbers), and talk soon!
Live Q&A info to come in the ‘morrow.
Kia kaha, my lads and lasses 🙂
Tim