TCA: Nat Geo Sets Live Skyscraper Climb

By
( )
published

CompleteCoverage: TCA Summer Press Tour 2013

National Geographic Channel will feature a live telecast featuring acclaimed rock climber Alex Honnold later this fall, the network announced during its Television Critics Associaition summer tour presentation Wednesday morning.

The show, Live Climb with Alex Honnold, will feature the 27-year old rock climber scaling an as yet indentified building, according to network officials. The climb will be shown in real time, with vertical cameramen hanging in position at various points along the side of the building to film the event.

"When Alex brought us this incredible idea, it struck at the very heart of what a National Geographic global television event should be," National Geographic president Howard Owens said. "Alex is the world's premiere free-climber, and we are excited to celebrate his adventurous spirit as he tackles his next challenge."

The announcement comes on the heels of Nat Geo's announcement last week at the Comic-Con International Convention of the Seth MacFarlane-produced series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.