Nik Wallenda: Beyond Niagara

Last updated
Nik Wallenda: Beyond Niagara
Genre Documentary
Reality television
Starring Nik Wallenda
Terry Troffer
Erinenda Wallenda
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companies Relativity Media
The Jay and Tony Show
Original release
Network Science Channel
ReleaseJune 18 (2012-06-18) –
July 2, 2012 (2012-07-02)

Nik Wallenda: Beyond Niagara (earlier titled Danger by Design) is an American documentary/reality television program that aired on the Science Channel. The hour-long show followed daredevil and highwire artist Nik Wallenda and his family as they traveled the country performing dangerous feats. [1] It focused on the science and engineering that go into Wallenda's acts, as he pushes "the limits of science further than ever before." [1] [2] According to Science Channel's general manager Debbie Adler Myers, the program gave "viewers some insight into the passion, skills, ingenuity and science behind the thrills, that has driven the Wallendas to world-renowned fame." [3]

Contents

Beyond Niagara officially premiered on June 18, 2012 under the title Danger By Design. However, the show's pilot episode had previously aired in 2010 under the title Life on a Wire, before Discovery decided to hold the show until after Nik Wallenda's highly publicized wire walk over Niagara Falls on June 15, 2012. [1] After the first two episodes aired, Discovery renamed the show Nik Wallenda: Beyond Niagara. The next week, on July 2, it was put "on hold" and pulled from the schedule. On the decision to cancel the show, Wallenda commented: "There was really no marketing done on it, and it went through three name changes, so it's really not that surprising." [4] He did, however, say the show had gained some traction overseas, so there was a possibility it could have a second life abroad. The Science Channel declined to comment on their decision. [4] On July 8, the show premiered in India under the Danger by Design title. [5] On July 11, it premiered in Malaysia, also under the Danger title. [6]

Episodes

Episode 1
Bahamas (June 18, 2012)

The pilot episode tracked Nik Wallenda's high-wire walk and bicycle ride at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. After a planning session with his father Terry Troffer, uncle Mike Troffer, and a long-time friend of Wallenda's, the episode shows Wallenda training for high winds in the backyard using an overturned airboat. It then shows the technical setup that went into Wallenda's feats in the Bahamas, followed by Wallend's record setting bicycle ride. [7]

Between the bike ride and Wallenda scheduled tightrope walk, Terry Troffer, who serves as safety coordinator, passes out from heat and stress. When he is taken to the hospital, Wallenda struggles but decides "the show must go on." Wallenda completes a career best 2000 foot highwire walk with his mother Delilah filling in for Troffer. [7]

Episode 2
Sway Poles & Motorcycle Ride (June 18, 2012)

The second episode of Nik Wallenda: Beyond Niagara focuses on the communication between Nik Wallenda and his wife Erinenda as the do a pair of stunts. The first is a sway pole act in their home town of Sarasota, Florida. The program shows how Erinenda makes the outfits for the performance, before showing the act from several angles. [7]

Later the couple visits Santa Cruz, California where Nik rides a motorcycle across a highwire, using Erinenda as a counter weight to help him spin it around the wire three times. The program focuses on explaining the physics that allow the feat to take place, and the engineering that went into making it possible. [7]

Beyond Niagara stars Nik Wallenda, pictured here crossing Niagara Falls in June 2012 Nik Wallenda Niagara Falls closeup.jpg
Beyond Niagara stars Nik Wallenda, pictured here crossing Niagara Falls in June 2012
Episode 3
Wheel of Death (June 25, 2012)

In the third episode, Nik Wallenda performs at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The events in the episode occurred in April 2011. [8] First, he performs a rare indoor wirewalk. Then the program highlights the technological challenges as Wallenda attempts to perform the Wheel of Death from the resort's rooftop, a feat which has never before been attempted from that height [9] and from the side of a building. [10] The show ends with him setting a world record for highest performance of the act. [2]

Episode 4
Exploding Box, Return to Puerto Rico (June 25, 2012)

The fourth episode of Beyond Niagara focuses on Nik and Delilah Wallenda's attempt to recreate the act that killed Karl Wallenda in 1978. The team must reverse engineer the stunt to determine what caused Karl's death. In a performance filled with emotion, the mother-son duo successfully complete the feat. Earlier in the episode, a box filled with dynamite was ignited with Nik inside. [2]

Episode 5
Zip Line, Ferris Wheel Walk (July 2, 2012)

The fifth episode tracks Nik Wallenda as he attempts his first-ever fire related act. The stunt calls for him to slide down a zip-line into a shallow pool of water as the park burns around him. Later in the episode, Wallenda returns to Santa Cruz to walk along the top of a Ferris wheel as it runs. [2]

Episode 6
Helicopter Hang (July 2, 2012)

In the season finale of Beyond Niagara, the Wallendas travel in Branson, Missouri where they perform a three-person pyramid on the highwire. The act features Nik Wallenda and Jonah Finkelstein riding on bicycles as Delilah Wallenda sits on a chair perched atop a balancing bar they carry. Later in the episode, Nik performs on a trapeze suspended from a moving helicopter. For the finale, he hangs from the bar using nothing but his jaw. [2]

Reception

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune described the pilot episode of Danger By Design as "a sometimes painfully candid look at the creative tensions — and the strong familial bond — between Wallenda and his dad, Terry Troffer." [1] The Advocate classified the program as "worth a look." [11] Patch.com writer Charles Schelle said the show lets viewers see "that underneath Nik's cool, collected personality that we see from afar on the wire, he is a serious businessman and has no room for mistakes from other people or himself." [7]

Melissa Camacho, writing for Common Sense Media, gave the show 3 stars (out of 5) saying it is "definitely entertaining". [12] She adds, "The simple [physics] explanations offered here, as well as the discoveries [the Wallendas] make during testing phases, are very informative. However, the real highlight of the series is watching and listening to the Wallendas perform their acts. [12] The Star commented "what's interesting is that the documentary also sheds light on the vulnerable moments faced by the family." [6]

Credits

Nik Wallenda: Beyond Niagara was produced by Relativity Media and The Jay and Tony Show. Executive producers were Jay Blumenfield, Tony Marsh, Tom Forman, Winston Simone, David Simone, and Josh Berkley. [3] Directors were Tony Sacco and John Downer.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Falls</span> Waterfalls between United States and Canada

Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. It is also known as the Canadian Falls. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings Island</span> Amusement park in Ohio

Kings Island is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park was built by Taft Broadcasting and opened in 1972. It was part of a larger effort to move and expand Coney Island, a popular resort destination along the banks of the Ohio River that was prone to frequent flooding. After more than $300 million in capital investments over the years, the park has grown to feature over a hundred attractions including fourteen roller coasters and a 33-acre (13 ha) water park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Wallenda</span> German stunt performer (1905–1978)

Karl Wallenda was a German-American high wire artist. He was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, a daredevil circus troupe whose members performed dangerous stunts far above the ground, often without a safety net.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human cannonball</span> Ejection of a human being from a specially designed cannon

The human cannonball act is a performance in which a person who acts as the "cannonball" is ejected from a cylinder that has been specially designed to resemble a cannon. The human cannonball lands on a horizontal net or inflated bag placed at the landing point, as predicted by physics. Outdoor performances may aim at a body of water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tightrope walking</span> Skill of walking along a taut wire or rope

Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope walking and slacklining.

Jade Kindar-Martin is an American highwire walker and circus performer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Petit</span> French high-wire artista (born 1949)

Philippe Petit is a French highwire artist who gained fame for his unauthorized highwire walks between the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1971 and of Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1973, as well as between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on the morning of 7 August 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Edson Taylor</span> American schoolteacher and daredevil (1838–1921)

Annie Edson Taylor was an American schoolteacher who, on her 63rd birthday, October 24, 1901, became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Her motives were financial but she never made much money from her adventure. She died penniless and her funeral was paid for by public donations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erie County Fair</span>

The Erie County Fair is a fair held in Hamburg in Erie County, New York, every August. Based on 2018 attendance statistics, The Erie County Fair is the second largest fair in New York and the fourth largest county fair in North America, often drawing over one million in attendance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Armands Key, Florida</span> Island in Florida, United States

St. Armands Key is an island in Sarasota Bay off the west coast of Florida in the United States. It is part of the city of Sarasota, Florida. The island is connected to the mainland by the John Ringling Causeway.

The Flying Wallendas is a circus act and group of daredevil stunt performers who perform highwire acts without a safety net. They were first known as The Great Wallendas, but the current name was coined by the press in the 1940s and has stayed since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrapin Point</span> Observation area located in Niagara Falls, New York

Terrapin Point is an observation area located in Niagara Falls, New York at the western tip of Goat Island, next to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. It is one of two major observation areas to overlook the falls and lower Niagara Gorge on the New York side, the other being Prospect Point further downriver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bello Nock</span> American daredevil and circus performer

Bello Nock, often known simply as Bello, is an American daredevil and circus performer. Nock has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for his highwire walk over a cruise ship. He has performed several stunts in New York City, including rappelling off of Madison Square Garden and hanging from a helicopter over the Statue of Liberty. He has been included in a Time magazine list of "America's Best Artists and Entertainers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nik Wallenda</span> American acrobat (born 1979)

Nikolas Wallenda is an American acrobat, aerialist, daredevil, high wire artist, and author. He is known for his high-wire performances without a safety net. He holds 11 Guinness World Records for various acrobatic feats, and is best known as the first person to walk a tightrope stretched directly over Niagara Falls. Wallenda walked 1,800 feet (550 m) on a steel cable over Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua, his longest walk, on March 4, 2020.

<i>Zarkana</i> (Cirque du Soleil) Former Cirque du Soleil production

Zarkana was a Cirque du Soleil stage production written and directed by François Girard. It began as a touring show in 2011 and was converted to a resident show in Las Vegas in late 2012. It premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 29, 2011, and later toured to the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow and the Madrid Arena in Madrid.

Danger by Design may refer to:

<i>Skywire Live</i> 2013 Disney Channel special

Skywire Live with Nik Wallenda is a Discovery Channel special that aired on June 23, 2013. The special was billed as a highwire walk across "the majestic Grand Canyon". Interpretations varied as to whether the actual location – the Little Colorado River Gorge in Navajo territory outside Grand Canyon National Park's borders – was truly part of the Grand Canyon.

<i>Skyscraper Live</i> American TV series or program

Skyscraper Live with Nik Wallenda is a Discovery Channel special that aired on November 2, 2014. The special was billed as a highwire walk by Nik Wallenda across the city of Chicago in the United States. Specifically, he walked wires between three skyscrapers "all of which are taller than the Washington Monument." On one of the walks, he was blindfolded; on the other the wire was at a 19 degree incline.

DSW Entertainment, established in 2005 by C. Winston Simone and David Simoné, is an entertainment company working in artist management, music publishing, recorded music, and television and movie production.

C. Winston Simone is an American entertainment executive, best known for being one of the founders and a principal of DSW Entertainment, an entertainment company specializing in artist management, music publishing, recorded music, and television and movie production.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Billy Cox (June 17, 2012). "Is a Grand Canyon walk in Nik Wallenda's future?". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Danger By Design" (Press release). Discovery Communications. June 18, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Barry Walsh. "Science taking walk on the wild side with Wallenda". Real Screen. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Billy Cox (July 2, 2012). "Nik Wallenda raises funds; reality show cancelled". Sarasota Herald Tribune. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  5. ↑ Prabalika M. Borah (July 8, 2012). "High on life". The Hindu . Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Kenneth Chaw (July 18, 2012). "Life on the line". The Star . Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Charles Schelle (June 19, 2012). "Episode Recap: Nik Wallenda's 'Danger By Design'" . Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  8. ↑ Wittkowski, Donald (July 9, 2012). "Tightrope-walking Wallenda to perform in Atlantic City again". Press of Atlantic City . Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  9. ↑ Schwachter, Jeff (June 28, 2012). "Daredevil Nik Wallenda and Family at Tropicana for Six-Week Stunt Show Stint". Atlantic City Weekly . Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Vincent (April 27, 2011). "Nik Wallenda, of Flying Wallendas, brings high-wire 'Wheel of Death' to Atlantic City on Friday". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Judy Bergeron (July 17, 2012). "TV Notes for June 17, 2012". The Advocate. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  12. 1 2 Melissa Camacho. "Television Review: Danger by Design". Common Sense Media. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.