SUNDAY: Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone (10pm on History)
When Survivor creator Mark Burnett cast this new reality show, tracing the 19th-century route taken by Henry Morton Stanley to find Dr. David Livingstone (”…I presume”), he didn’t return to his usual well of wanna-be actors and D-list celebrities. (Sorry, Flava Flav, we’ll get you on the next go-round!) Since Burnett knew his re-creation of the 1871 African expedition would be torturous, he enlisted a survivalist, a wildlife expert and—to play “Stanley,” of sorts—a journalist. Just how much more real than Survivor is this monthlong experience? Adventurer Benedict Allen introduces himself on this weekend’s series premiere by saying, “On my very first expedition, I had to eat my dog to stay alive.” For his part, Mount Everest guide Pasquale Scaturro solemnly calls a hatchet the best defense against the 29 deadly snakes in Tanzania (to slice up the snake? No, the chopping motion Scaturro makes against his own wrist is explanation enough: “Lots of times that’s the only way to survive.”)
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