After ages of planning, I’m VERY excited to share big news with you all.
Starting this December 1st, I will have my own primetime TV show, airing Sundays at 8pm on HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News. I’m both host and co-executive producer, and I’m currently filming my ass off. It’s all part of a big Turner Broadcasting initiative called Upwave.
Here are the basics:
Name of show: The Tim Ferriss Experiment (TFX)
The premise: Showing viewers how to become superhuman through better tools and tricks, not better genetics.
Easily thought of as: “Anthony Bourdain meets Jason Bourne” or “Jackass meets A Beautiful Mind”
Production company: Zero Point Zero (ZPZ), the team behind Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Parts Unknown.
Spirit animal: Ocelot.
Synopsis:
In his #1 bestsellers, “The 4-Hour Workweek,” “The 4-Hour Body” and “The 4-Hour Chef,” Tim Ferriss proposes radically counter-intuitive solutions that take readers from zero to hero in minimal time.
Newsweek calls him “the world’s best human guinea pig,” as he tests the extremes for the rest of us. He believes that nearly any skill can be “hacked” and learned in 1/100th the time most people expect… but can he do it in a matter of days?
The Tim Ferriss Experiment (TFX) will push Ferriss to the breaking point as he attempts just that.
In each episode, Tim will find the world’s most unorthodox teachers and – together — demystify some of the world’s coolest and most dangerous skills. Sometimes he’ll succeed, and other times, he’ll fail spectacularly while risking life and limb.
Tim believes that there is the potential for greatness in every “normal” person, and as he overcomes his own fears each week, he’ll help viewers do the same.
[TIM NOTE: Sorry I can’t share exact episodes yet, but just imagine Jason Bourne + my biggest fears + my personal bucket list, all wrapped into one. What would *you* like to see me tackle? Please let me know in the comments, as we still have a few open slots!]
How You Can Join Me
Would you like to join me for a week? Here is one opportunity, which expires tonight (Sorry!) at midnight: Swim with Tim. There will be more fun opportunities if you miss this one.
Next: would you like to interview me about TFX for your TV show, magazine, radio program, podcast, blog, e-mail newsletter, or other? It would mean the world to me, and I have plenty of insider stories and takeaways. If interested in discussing options, please fill out this short form here.
More details coming soon!
Thank you all so much for your support. It’s what keeps me going.
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.)
This is awesome!
Through you, I created a 4-hour workweek and have been life-hacking ever since.
If you need a guinea pig for anything, I’m in … will travel wherever. 🙂
Keep it up!!
This is really amazing. I am in South Africa and wondering if we will be able to watch it or will it be available online somewhere?
I have been reading 4hww and 4hb and know that this will change the lives of many.
A lot of excitement and only one question: Can I stream it?
Same question:)
How many episodes will there be in season one? Does anyone know?
itunes, $2.99 / episode, $19.95 for the whole season.
Awesome! Will we be able to watch it outside the US? I live in the UK.
Can we watch this online at all?
I gave up my TV three years ago so I could be more productive, but your show would be an exception.
Congrats Tim! I know you’ve been wanting to do this for awhile, you deserve it! Now if only I hadn’t gotten rid of my TV and Cable since reading the 4-Hour Work Week 3 years ago to open up more time….
While I’d love to be apart of anything you’re doing Tim. I’ll wait for the other opportunities. Swimming is great, it just doesn’t draw me in. Now when something else regarding muscle gain or other physical ability pops up. I’ll definitely apply.
Awesome news Tim, can’t wait to see the show!
Tim Ferriss be dropping knowledge through the tele-visi-YON.
Oh shiiit. Time to buy a T.V.
I know this might seem bland to you, but I’d like to see an episode about how to create a B2B tech startup.
Consumer is definitely for the mass but B2B is for the rich.
Hi Tim
Will it be shown in Ireland?
Thanks.
Brian
Anthony Bourdain’s show is awesome, so I hope that yours will be the same!
I can’t wait to watch it!
I’d like to see an episode about becoming superhuman rich. This might seem droll to you by now, but still appealing to the masses.
This would be quite a departure from what I imagine you’re planning and your other work, but if you did some intense work with your dreams, a la Jung, and then made a visual representation of it I think it would be incredible.
And it takes a lot more courage, rawness, honesty, etc. than skydiving etc.
Definitely more beautiful mind than jackass though..
Have fun and be blessed!
Jacob
Awesome. Pity I can’t do the Swim with Tim thing. (Not from the USA.) But good luck with the show. 🙂
This is fantastic news! This makes me want to re-up my cable subscription!
All the best – I can’t wait to watch and learn more from you Mr. Ferriss.
Congratulations! This is definitely the next step in years of hard work for you.
Your audience will now be able to see all of your practices put to work.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but now I wish I had cable. Congrats.
Outstanding! Good luck and I can’t wait to watch!
Congrats, Tim! I will definitely catch this, particularly looking forward to the Swimming episode!
We’ve cut the cord and sworn off cable – is there any way to watch HLN online without a TV provider?
I would watch regularly if we could get it via our iPad or Playstation. Or even Netflix!
It should be on iTunes!
iTunes – perfect! Looking forward to seeing your tweet announcing when the first episode is in the store 🙂
Great work Tim!
Notification of when episodes hit iTunes would be great for us in Australia.
Fantastic!!
Between all your activities, teacher is what I love most, and video best vector for.
And being available on iTunes is great too.
Finally it’s happenning, Ferriss has his own TV show! Congrats man.
Hope you would make polls of subjects… and not only swimming or 3 point shooting type…
Awesome! and can you pleeeease make sure it’s available with out any geo-restrictions?
I’ll do my best, but you might need to hack it with Hotspot Shield or Tor or SurfEasy 🙂
When will it be available in Australia Tim? No doubt many many Australian’s are dying to watch #tfx
Academic subjects, learning and clearly understanding, applying it, and remembering it. . .for mathematics up to physics.
So exciting!
I can’t wait to see this 😀 Been hoping for something like this since your swimming TED talk.
I don’t usually watch TV but this will definitely be an exception.
A few episodes I’d like to see:
– Skydiving (complete with tricks, etc. I’m willing/ would love to be the subject)
– Music production
– Power/olympic lifting
Looking forward to the show!
Glad to see you hooked up with ZPZ, best crew you could hope for!
Really looking forward to the show.
-Andrew
This is so exciting. I can’t wait to watch these!
You are an unbelievable, non-stop, hustling machine! 🙂 What do you plan on NOT doing with your life? PS. Have you ever been skydiving? Maybe go get your license. Here’s some info on SF dropzones (http://goo.gl/lhPwNU). I got my license a couple years ago, and it really pushed my boundaries and helped create an eternal metaphor for overcoming fears.
I’m looking forward to this project! Hopefully it is viewable online on this thing called “the internet”. Because, you know, who has cable anymore?
I can’t wait to watch this
Finally, a host that isn’t mind-numbingly annoying or dramatic on HLN.
Go Get ’em!
Holy freakin sh*t!
I’d love to see Tim tackle something like this:
http://pdc.simraceway.com/programs/racing-schools
The challenge could be: “Get to “School of Racing Stage IV”, and do a top 5% lap time.”
See also how Leo Parente (former race car driver) did in the same car:
Don’t let the fact that you’re not fully enclosed scare you – the “formula car safety standards” (for lack of a better term) have increased tremendously over the past 2 decades.
In terms of risk, this is not the equivalent of racing a motorcycle, not by a long shot!
Something like 4HB focusses on radical transformation of the body, and I’d be interested to see you tackle radical transformation of consciousness. Not learning things quickly/efficiently, but actually reorganizing the apparatus that learns, experiencing different states of consciousness — as seen, for example, in the YouTube video, “Ken Wilber Stops His Brain Waves.” (There are plenty of books/studies on advanced meditators and their brain waves, etc.)
Trying to hack samadhi — the ecstatic and liberated state that Buddhists, Tantrics and yogis (etc) have been tackling for a couple thousand years (that Wilber demonstrates with the EEG) — could be a bit ambitious, but lucid dreaming may be a bit more doable.
I bring all of this up because it seems that ultimate happiness and peace comes not from an amazing body or amazing skills (not saying they don’t help), but rather a reconditioned (or de-conditioned) mind. Might not make for great TV, I always hoped you’d tackle this in a book …
Loving this one. Great idea! Begs the question of how you could make a trip into your mind visually interesting enough to make a TV show, too.
Looking forward to the show and yes, it would be fun to chat about it on Spreecast. Good luck and much success on The Tim Ferriss Experiment!
If you ever have an episode where you help people become more flexible or show mobility hacks let us know?
I threw my hat in the ring for Swim With Tim. Really excited to see this show. Being on it would be insane! And scary….I really don’t like water.
Could you learn to sing chords like Lalah Hathaway?
Repelling might be a fun one. You can do regular, face first and Australian. Fast roping from a helo might be fun as well.
You had the hitting a home run as on recently…how about learning a couple off speed pitches like a curve ball, change up or knuckleball.
A truly Jackass-style event…drinking a yard of beer or a German beer boot
Looking forward to the show and get back on Joe Rogan’s podcast!
When was he on JRE?
Hack a poker tournament Tim. That would be so entertaining, I’ve always thought a poker game is like starting a business, the decisions you make will reflect your outcome. And it’s always debate able weather Poker is skill based or luck based. It would be an awesome experiment on so many levels. Thank you
Hey great news look forward to the show.
I would be interested in rapid healing or correcting posture. So many of us are hunched over computers.
And looking forward to the show
Tim,
Past four months I have suffered several set backs. A bacteria ate my ankle and left a scare 14 inches long on my right leg. Due to surgeries and time off I was let go of my job in October. I lost my first income. Prior to this I tried land lord for a variety of properties that did not work in 2008, I have read your books and if you are interested in someone that needs to beat back some bad luck, let me know.
Thanks,
Dude, so excited for this. Are you still doing the podcast? Just listening to your voice inspires me and is therapeutic at the same time. Can’t wait tim!
Is it possible to see it online ? I am from Germany
Brilliant!!!!!
How about hacking Barzilian Jiu Jitsu… 12.5 years average to Black Belt with less than 1% of people making it there?
It’s a twist on what you are doing, but I’d really like to see you attempt a feat while you’re also responsible for watching kids (age 4 and under). (baby sit a relatives or friends kids for the weekend/week, and try to maximize every opportunity to learn/practice, the little buggers give you.)
I know it’s not impossible to do amazing things while you have kids, but as someone who’s run multiple businesses with lots of employees and is now attempting work at home dad with two little ones, they are a focus sucker, like no other. They could care less about “the schedule” and you can’t automate, outsource or eliminate them (you could, but then I don’t think you’re operating at “world class Dad” level, which is the primary goal, the new “skill” you’re learning is secondary). Is it possible to juggle both, more importantly, is it “worth” trying to juggle both?
I’m on a mission to prove you can juggle both at a world class level, but then you’ll have to split the profits when we co-write “The 4-Hour Dad”. (Think of the nasty letters and amazing publicity that title will draw from the people who “don’t get it”) (The 4-Hour House is another one, but I’ve come to the conclusion that one would only be one sentence long. “Buy a Condo”.)
Beautiful. :-]
I 2nd this idea, Steve! This is me, too — and there are legions of us out there. For me, it’s constantly refining my 80/20 and being a better delegator. But it still requires burning the midnight oil night after night…
Liking this one too. I have a 25 month old, own an established business and am full time in the middle of a startup.
You haven’t run that marathon yet, have you?
Yes, this might be something a bit tricky to do quickly and to an elite level.
Hi Tim,
I’d like to see you take on fly-fishing. Someone like Daniel Galhardo from Tenkara USA might lend an interesting perspective, as this approach is sort of the 80/20 of the sport. It’s been a passive interest of mine for two years, but I’m still only moderately good. I’d love to take up the learning process with you and get closer to the 95% level.
Ryan
Chris’ formula 1 race car idea is cool. So would learning the skill of bull riding or big wave surfing. Big wave surfing is probably too dangerous though.
Red Bull would sponsor all three of them, I suppose.
Hey Tim!
I live in Australia. I was just wondering what will be the best way to see your show when it airs!
Will there be a chance to watch the episodes online at all?
Thanks heaps!
Josh
awesome – congrats Tim!
I would like to see you test your flexibility and become a contortionist and/or perform Cirque de Soleil.
So mad I missed the swimming opportunity, I’m from the islands and scared to dive or swim in deep waters.
Anyway, congrats!
Can’t wait to see the show – will be excited to see the episodes and love the Bourdain team!
I second the commenters who say marathon. I just ran my first marathon yesterday. It felt amazing to cross it off my bucket list. The post-run high was greater than any I’ve experienced in 3 years of running. Plus, if you want to enjoy multiple cheat days in a row, carb loading is a great excuse.
Congratulations Tim! This will be a fabulous show.
I absolutely love Steve Buschta’s suggestion of taking something on with kids in tow. So many people have the disempowering belief that they can’t do great stuff with kids and I think this is totally untrue. So it would be great to see you crush it in that area.
This is a bit out there, but I also think it would be interesting to play with the idea of hacking something as a woman. There has been a lot of talk in the startup space recently about how much more difficult it is as a woman to get funding etc. I wonder if you could coach a woman to pitch successfully for funding without using any of your personal networks. (Or you could do it yourself – but I’m not sure we could make you look ‘girly’ enough to pass muster! 🙂 )
Awesome Tim! Congrats! Love your books!
Tim I hope that somewhere in the skills you’ll be looking at hacking will be starting a small simple (solopreneur, micropreneur, virtual) business. The US is center of world capitalism with all kinds of opportunities and resources to be combined to meet market needs. Yet despite all this we still have literally millions of people who have lost their jobs and are waiting to be given another one. What if starting a business was a easy and simple as shopping for a car and could be done in one afternoon? What if the whole essential process (i.e. validating a market as Noah Kagan and Appsumo do so well, accessing startup funds such as personal funds, micro loans, etc.) was extremely simple?
Just a thought. I hope you’ll consider it and focus one or two or three episodes on this and make it available on Youtube for people who have been unemployed for too long and want to look at other options.
YOU + ZPZ = KICK. ASS.
Just as your books have set new standards, no doubt this show will DOMINATE — ’tis wonderful news 😀
Congratulations, Tim!
Tim! I want to teach you to pole vault! Let’s do this!
How about learning to ride a unicycle?
In traffic?? 😉
Tim, I have a few ideas.
Flying squirrel suit diving. How do you even begin with that hobby?
Ride a MotoGP motorcycle. The racers who use those things have been riding motorcycles since toddlers (no joke). It’d be cool to see someone get up to speed (pun!) more quickly.
Become a comedian. Joke telling is tough. Public speaking is tough. Combining the two… nuff said.
Tight ropes. Falling from high up is hazardous to your health.
Anything in the X Games. Think you can prove that skating and BMX is not just for teens?
Survival for 1 week in the wilderness with nothing. I mean nothing but the clothes on your back.
The rodeo. Ride a bull, or even worse – be one of the clowns.
Climb a building or do rock climbing. Bonus points if it’s without the ropes!
Break down texas hold em. People love to play, and the game is intricate beyond most people’s understanding. Bet a scary amount of cash.
Card counting. Form a team and go Oceans 11. You are probably not allowed to do this one.
You can select me for any of the above. And I have some more to throw your way when we are chillin poolside.
Damn, these are all awesome suggestions!
These are all great suggestions. Would love to see any of these.
Also, what about learning to play the guitar in a short time.
Music is a great idea too!
Being able to perform at a bar and get some real applause would be a good benchmark.
Hey Tim,
Would love to see an episode on “How to diagnose and cure yourself of food allergies”. Everyone seems to be developing food allergies (or sensitivities) to something, but the western medical community is pretty terrible at dealing with it.
If you need a guinea pig, I’ve managed to develop food allergies to damn near everything and am looking for a way to reverse them.
Also, Chris’s F1 idea is pretty awesome.
I’m quite ready for this!
Great concept
Look forward to streaming it
What about a collaborative show with Bear Grills ?
Would love to see a show on improving focus and concentration!
Can’t wait to watch the series.
Damn I missed the entry deadline for the swimming. Would have loved to learn how to swim with Tim!
Hi Tim,
Congratulations on getting your big break into the Television industry!
This should be an exciting experience to watch. I know that you have already gained 28lbs of muscle in a month, but showing that on T.V would be impressive.
Keep up the good work
Tim,
I’d love to see you learn how to get barreled while surfing.
It’s hard to learn how to surf and it’s really hard to get barreled. You’d be building on the swimming skills you’ve developed, and you’d get to travel to an exotic spot to accomplish this. It would be awesome!
Hey Man, congratulations for the show!
It is really inspiriring. I would like to see you tackling some stunts outside the US. Beirut – Lebanon would be a cool destination :).
Happy to be your guide there.
Good Luck!
Congratulations Tim, I am delighted for you.
What you are doing in your work is great. I do my best in my own way to simplify everything I share with readers and clients just to make things more accessible. You have taken ‘hacking’ to a very high level and now with your show you will have even greater impact.
It is great times we live in keep rolling strong Tim,
David
Sounds great! Hopefully, the show can be watched online. Not all of your fans live in the U.S.
It’s looks like the TV version of 4-hour body. It would be nice to make a show about the lifestyle design based on 4-hour work week. Or about traveling. People love it.
Good luck, Tim!
Tim,
I would love to the swim but I don’t live close by, I am across the ocean.
I used to be scared of water for a long time and in recent years I learned how to swim and I keep stretching my boundaries in the sea. I recently started learning APNEA and that pushes me to an even deeper level. It is all very much in the mind.
I believe swimming is an important life skill so ‘thumbs up’ to you for working on inspiring people to take the plunge
Continued success,
David
I’d love to see you tackle parenting. I think you’ll be an awesome dad, and can’t imagine what it would look like as you teach your child to hack life and play bigger games than even you can imagine.
I love your stuff.
Shoot, my husband would’ve been perfect for the swimming episode. He’s a sinker. Teaching him to swim is maddening! His (and mine) next worst talent is singing. A hack on how to get a better singing voice would be great!
I interviewed twenty-one British marathon greats from the 1980s for my last book, so if you need some tips to run your marathon just let me know. 😉 There are so many things I’d like to be great at: horse riding, martial arts, playing an instrument…the list is endless. Hoping to see the show online. It sounds very exciting. Best of luck with it.
Oh Tim, for your show, I’d love to see your thought process on relationship problems, REAL ONES–what were your toughies? Also how you’ve inspired people to change for the better that were loved ones. I read that piece from Daria on her dad, but I’d like to know how you’d tackle trying to change your mom, your sister, your cousin…Lastly, I’d like to see your thoughts on design of a house. Sometimes all that space is overwhelming. How do you deconstruct redecorating, remodeling, etc.?
Thanks Tim:)
Fantastic news Tim, congrats!!
And, it’s about time!
Can’t wait for this. Hope there will be some 4 Hour Body type (exercise and diet) forays and experiments in amongst everything else.
All the best with it. I’m sure it will be a huge success.
“Parkour” — definitely learn to hack urban parkour! 🙂
Sounds fun Tim… Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Huge huge fan!
-Chris 🙂
Tim, have you ever been in a car or sports accident? If so, your body probably still has some locked tension, which is called trauma. What I’d like you to tackle, is how to heal that trauma and resolve that tension. Tricks and technology: find Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing. This is living in the 2nd degree.
Firstly, a huge congratulations, Tim. I wish you every success with this and think it’s a great step forward for you; well deserved.
Secondly, I’d like to see you step into the squared circle and tackle Pro Wrestling. That would be one hell of an episode. I’d also be interested to see you as a tattoo artist (no pressure then in permanently etching art upon someone’s skin!).
WING SUIT!… go to Norway and fly like a flying squirrel
Brent
Nice Tim,
I’ll be on the look out for your fun opportunities!
Hi Tim! Ever been horseback!? How about riding to MUSIC – what the pro’s call Freestyle Dressage and I call Horse Dancing? Typically it’s reserved for high level training and riders, but inspired by your cut-to-the-good-parts mode, my horse and I hacked it with a blue ribbon for our first competition! It would add a challenging uncontrollable factor (horses are independent, sentient beings), and leverage your tango-ness. I’d be happy to be your instructor (it’s an avocation, not vocation) for this “for the people” approach to a beautiful discipline.
Singing.
Agreeded
I was excited to see this until I realized it was on CNN Headline News.
Finally! This should be fun! You, sir are a mentor! Thanks for stepping up to life!
My “easy” list:
understanding quantum mechanics
giving up smoking (or stg similar)
playing at a major symphonic orchestra
doing standup comedy for VIP people (= people who you admire or are afraid of)
playing chess against ELO 2000+ players
Tim, that sounds amazing!!
Will it be recorded for broadcast/download via the web?..
Loving the three books, this is taking it all to another level!
Hi Tim,
HUGE fan.
Your show sounds fantastic! What about people’s fear of heights. Personally I’ve had a few tense moments in the mountains. What could you do to top Baumgartners supersonic leap in space?…tall order.
Sitting in my hotel room in San Diego after 3 awesome days with Mike Koenigs at his Rocktoberfest weekend.
I’ve submitted my request to interview you for my new digital magazine.
Cheers and best wishes.
Brent
Tackling suggestions:
1. Hit a 90 mph fastball.
2. Stop a 100 mph slap shot. (Goalie equipment req’d.)
3. Spot a liar. Master micro-expression recognition à la Paul Eckman. (FYI, this is a really cool life/mind-hack.)
4. Beat the house in blackjack à la MIT blackjack team. (Casino and phony mustache recommended.)
-Neil
Neil, a 90 mph fastball isn’t a problem…a 90 mph curveball is a BIG problem.
Maybe for you! For me it’s a super hero achievement. I have trouble hitting soft balls at the batting cage. 😉
Congrats Tim; I’m really excited for this.
I still want to see you tackle that ultramarathon!
I’d love to see Muay Thai hacked; not sure if that is the directive of the show, as you’re already proficient, but I’d love to see it!
Tim,
Great news!
But, any chance for those of us not living in USA?
The show will be on iTunes
So? There are lots of things in iTunes not allowed to be downloaded outside USA 🙁
Where there’s a will, there’s a way :-]
I’d love to see Tim tackle language learning in an episode. Really show us and explain in detail how you go about learning new languages. How do you memorize those 1200 words you mentioned in T4HC? I’d love to see the process! I imagine that’d be a really popular episode, too!
Wonderful! I’m look forward your show. It must be exciting, and I want to know if I can watch this on internet as I am in China.
Tim, good luck on your new show. You’ve helped me gain a new perspective on many things.
One suggestion; do an ongoing segment on people who attempt each show’s tool or tip or hack and update us further in the season on their success.
Way to go Tim. Awesome Job!!
Try to pass the Bar Exam or MCAT’s.
Go to an industrial plant, fast food joint, hotel, farm… Spend 1 hour learning a position and then try to hit quota the next hour. Try to master as many different positions in a day.
Try “Flipping” a house. (difficult depending on your time constraints)
See how far you can get on American Ninja Warrior Course.
And of course the greatest challenge of all… Try to end the government shutdown.
Tim you should look into Tom Amberry, he had the guiness world record for 2750 consecutive free throws at age 71….12 hours straight not one miss. That’s a great story you could hack into, there’s a lot more to it than just the record.
I missed it!
Hey Tim when are you going to offer another coaching program?
Are you serious? A show on how to become superhuman through tricks and techniques rather than drugs? What a waste of money and resources. Why don’t you spend your time on something that adds something of necessity and is actually interesting to society. This is what’s wrong with America. More and more ridiculous reality, self-help improvement garbage. This show will be cancelled in less than a year