Program Description

Exploring communities on the edge of civilization.

How do humans thrive, day after day, in nature's most extreme environments? Award-winning journalist Donal MacIntyre experiences their harsh struggles firsthand in four engrossing anthropological excursions to the farthest reaches of the world.

Join MacIntyre as he lives with Bedouins on the edge of the vast Rub' al Khali desert, where temperatures regularly exceed 120°F; the Insect Tribe in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, where men spear crocodiles by torchlight; the Quechuan Indians in the Bolivian Andes, where salt flats stretch to the horizon in thin, barely breathable air; and the Bajau Laut, landless nomads who survive entirely on boats in the Celebes Sea. Each adventure serves as an in-depth study in humans' adaptability, imagination, and indomitable will to survive.

An athlete and multi-award-winning investigative reporter, Donal MacIntyre has gone undercover to expose soccer hooligans, organized criminals, and abuses at eldercare facilities. His career in print and broadcast journalism spans more than 20 years.

BONUS FEATURES

• Viewer's guide includes episode summaries, questions to consider, avenues for further learning, maps of the edge, "How Extremes Came to Be," and more
• Biography of Donal MacIntyre, location profiles, and photo gallery
• Exclusive web extras