Average Joes Get Off the Couch and Into the Weather in ‘Fat Guys in the Woods’

ATLANTA, GA – June 30, 2014 – Pssst...hey you...couch potato…it's amazing out there! Put down the iPad and get outside…way outside. Get primal and learn what it means to be truly connected to the Earth.

The latest original primetime series on The Weather Channel®, Fat Guys in the Woods, gives viewers a crash course in the art of outdoor survival. Fat Guys in the Woods premieres Sunday, August 10, at 10:00 p.m. ET*, following companion series So You Think You’d Survive? (formerly Now What?) at 9:00 p.m. ET*.

For thousands of years, man lived wild, out in the weather...but now he's at the top of the food chain and it shows – few are able to fend for themselves in the great outdoors. In every episode of Fat Guys in the Woods, survival expert Creek Stewart brings three average Joes back to the woods to survive for a week with only one objective: to teach them the skills that make a man, a man.

Set in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, these guys learn to navigate the woods with little or no mass-made camping tools, all while battling frigid and unpredictable weather. From searching for a water source and building insulated shelters made with pine needles and moss, to catching a meal with their bare hands or foraging for the few foods left unscathed by Mother Nature's frigid touch, Creek's challenges are designed to give the guys a midlife wakeup call.

Fat Guys in the Woods is an adrenaline-filled – and often hilarious – look at the battle between man vs. nature as these typical guys bravely choose to eliminate modern luxuries and learn what their fathers and grandfathers knew – how to survive without access to the drive-thru,” said David Clark, president, The Weather Channel network. “The series was filmed during one of the coldest winters in recent history, and viewers will see the central, and often critical, role that weather plays in people’s lives outdoors. These guys are pushed to the limit to go big or go home, and learn invaluable skills along the way that will stay with them the rest of their lives.”

Produced by RIVR Media (a full-service television production company that has worked on over 2000 shows for 21 different networks), Fat Guys in the Woods features 8x one-hour episodes.

Fat Guys in the Woods joins recently premiered series Catching Hell, Cold Water Captains, and Tornado Alley. Other upcoming series on The Weather Channel include Hurricane 360 (Aug. 18) and American Super/Natural (formerly Wicked in the Weather, Oct. 5). Popular series returns include Coast Guard Cape Disappointment season one - part two (June 23), Strangest Weather on Earth season two (Oct. 5), Secrets of the Earth season two (Oct. 20), Prospectors season three (Nov. 30), Highway Thru Hell season three (Nov. 30) and Why Planes Crash season two (Dec. 15).

* All air dates subject to change and/or preemption due to severe weather.

Jessika Walsten

Jessika is an analyst for TVREV and Fabric Media. She previously served in various roles at Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News and NextTV, working with the brands since 2013. A graduate of USC Annenberg, Jessika has edited and reported on a variety of subjects in the media and entertainment space, including profiles on industry leaders and breaking news.