BBC America Debuts Season 2 of Richard Hammond's CRASH COURSE Tonight, 10/22

Richard Hammond exits the driver's seat and leaves his comfort zone, trading America's monstrous machines for America's most daring and distinctive jobs in the second season of BBC AMERICA's original series Richard Hammond's Crash Course, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. In each episode, he will face head-on new, wildly unfamiliar, comical and, at times, frightening occupations - with less than five days to master each job. From balancing himself on a paper thin paddleboard above the shark-infested Pacific ocean and peddling the vertical San-Francisco terrain as a bike messenger, to braving the bold feats of a Hollywood stuntman – viewers will see Richard attempt to master skills that often take years to learn. Season two of Richard Hammond's Crash Course premieres tonight, October 22 at 10:00pm ET/PT.

In season one of Crash Course, viewers saw Richard take on some of America's largest and dangerous machines. From learning the positions of a US Army MIA2 Abrams tank and maneuvering a two-ton wrecking ball, to operating the world's most powerful fire engine – Richard has proven he is a master of ­­powerful machinery.

This season, Richard takes his Crash Course to a new level. He will immerse himself in uniquely American and often terrifying vocations – tasked with quickly acquiring skills that are not only outside his range of expertise, but pull at the strings of some of his greatest fears.

Can Richard beat the heat and conquer his fear of heights when the role of Hollywood stuntman literally sets him on fire and dares him to dive from the top of a bridge? Will he be able to keep his head above crashing four-foot waves to reach the finish line of an eight-mile down-winder race along Oregon's Hood River? And can Richard overcome the thing he fears most, a live audience, when he hits the stage as a stand-up comic at a top New York City Comedy Club? All this and much more will be put to the test as viewers live vicariously through the daredevil Brit.

While fans around the world know Richard as the charismatic auto-expert on the world's biggest car show, Top Gear, they'll experience a whole new side of the international TV personality when he is placed in settings they – nor he – would have ever expected to find him. Calming a 1,700 pound bull in an enclosed space, wrangling deadly rattle snakes in Southern California, standing at the foot of a rocket-launch in the Mojave Desert, juggling scissors, clippers, and the regular clientele at a Harlem barbershop, and much more-season two of Crash Course brings Richard face to face with occupations that require nerves of steel.

Richard Hammond's Crash Course is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for BBC AMERICA. Tod Mesirow is executive producer. Elli Hakami, Jane Tranter, Tim Pastore and Courtney Conte are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions.

Catch Richard as he also hosts an all new BBC AMERICA original two-part special – Top Gear Top Fails – a celebration of the "How hard can it be?" endeavors of Top Gear. The special includes some of the most memorable (ambitious, but rubbish) challenges, as well as many lesser-known, but no-less destructive, adventures. The result is a comical look back at all that Top Gear has tried to accomplish with Richard sharing in the laughs of these spectacular fails. Part one of Top Gear Top Fails premieres Monday, October 22 at 9:00pm ET/PT, prior to the 10:00pm ET/PT season two premiere of Richard Hammond's Crash Course. Part two of the special premieres Monday, October 29 at 9:00pm ET/PT, prior to the episode two premiere of Richard Hammond's Crash Course.

Best known as co-host of the world's biggest car show, Top Gear, Richard Hammond's extensive career includes radio and television programs, covering everything from science and cars to technology, wildlife and game shows. Richard has been with Top Gear for ten years, joining the series in 2002. The irreverent, witty and unabashedly honest series filled with stunts and challenges, sees Richard, alongside co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May, taking vehicles to the limit and beyond.

Beloved by fans for his quintessential charm and wit, Richard has appeared in over 50 television projects and has his own Production Company, Hamster's Wheel Productions. He currently resides in the UK…when he isn't traveling the globe.

For more about the show, follow Richard Hammond on Twitter @TheHamstersCage or @BBCAMERICA, or the hashtag: #RichardHammond, or visit the official website www.bbcamerica.com/crash-course.

BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy®, five Golden Globes® and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 79 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition in all markets, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist. 

BBC Worldwide Productions, led by Jane Tranter, is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The Production Company is responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars (ABC),as well as Breaking Pointe (CW), Top Gear (HISTORY), Richard Hammond's Crash Course (BBC AMERICA), What Not to Wear (TLC), Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz), The Week the Women Went (Lifetime), Lovetown, USA (OWN), and the upcoming title Da Vinci's Demons (Starz), among others. BBC Worldwide Productions sits within one of five core businesses that form BBC Worldwide, the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

EPISODE SYNOPSES

Episode One: Stuntman

Richard goes to Hollywood to tackle the coolest job in town - stuntman. His mentor is A-list stuntman Rick Avery (Gangster Squad, The Dark Night Rises), who is credited with 30 years of experience performing stunts in countless blockbuster movies. Can Richard conquer his fear of heights, face the past while flipping a car, beat the heat when set on fire and convince other stuntmen that he can handle a proper fight scene? If he does, he'll be welcomed into one of the most elite realms of filmmaking. Episode One premieres Monday, October 22, 10:00pm ET/PT.

**Premiere dates for episodes two-eight will be released at a later date**

Cabbie and Comedian

Truth is, Richard hates navigating traffic so much that back in England he commutes to work via helicopter. So what better job is there for someone who loathes gridlock, than a gig as a New York City cabbie during Manhattan's rush hour? Serving as Richard's guiding compass - John McDonagh, a 35 year veteran behind the taxi wheel. John also takes Richard to his favorite lunch spot, Katz's Delicatessen, where the two sit down to a meal at the famous Harry met Sally table. From the taxi to the open mic - Richardattempts to take on the role of stand-up comic at top New York comedy spot, Gotham Comedy Club. There he must face what he fears most – a live audience.

Rodeo Clown and Helicopter

Richard travels to small-town Texas to see if he can handle the heat of the rodeo ring. With the help of Veteran bull fighter Clint Hopping, Richard will try to master the fancy footwork of a rodeo clown while being chased by a 1,700-pound bull. From the earthen rodeo ring of Texas to the clear blue skies of Southern California, Richard steps into the 617,000 square foot Robinson Helicopter factory in Torrance, CA. As an owner and pilot of a Robinson R44 helicopter, Richard knows how helicopters fly. Now he's going to learn how they're built. Joining the nearly 1,300 person workforce, he must help build and test fly a brand new helicopter, the R66 Turbine. But will his creation be cleared for take-off?

Animal Sanctuary and Paddle Boarder

Ann Goody (of the Three Ring Ranch, a non-profit certified exotic animal sanctuary in Hawaii) has the amazing ability to communicate with, and understand, the animals she cares for. But will she be able to understand and communicate with Richard as she trains him as an exotic animal keeper? In addition to his communication skills, Richard's balance will also be tested in this episode when he travels to Maui to be trained by Dave Kalama, one of the top big-wave surfers on the planet (frequent tow-in surfing partner of Laird Hamilton) and a premier paddle boarder. Richard will need upper body strength, a great sense of balance and plenty of sunscreen. Then it's off to Hood River, Oregon, where Richard enters the eight-mile down-winder race in the Gorge Paddle Challenge.

Snake Wrangler and Barber

In Southern California, home to a multitude of rattlesnakes, Richard meets up with snake wrangler Bo, to see if he can help him keep the two species safely apart – Man and Snake. From the rural to the urban – Kamal Nuru puts Richard in a smock, hands over some clippers, and shows him how it's done at Levels Barbershop in Harlem. He's operated giant pieces of machinery, but can Richard keep a steady enough hand to give a proper Harlem style haircut?

Indy Car

Richard – so often found behind the wheel of a car – this time trains to be one of the key people tasked with changing the wheel in an actual Indy race in Sonoma, CA. Here, he'll also get the opportunity to be driven around the racetrack in an Indy car by legendary driver, Mario Andretti. In joining the Dragon Racing team, Richard has to achieve a sub-seven second time to change the front left wheel of the racecar driven by fellow Brit, Katherine Legge – if he wants to make the pit crew.

Cattle Rancher

Richard travels to the heart of Texas where TJ Haynie, descendant of "the old 300"- the first settlers of Texas, attempts to turn Richard into a real-life buckaroo. There's riding and roping, cows and horses, shooting authentic lever-action rifles and six shooters, and of course, mucking out stalls.

Bike Messenger and Rocket Scientist

Where better for Richard to attempt the work of a bike messenger than the picturesque and hilly city of San Francisco? Richard's first stop is the headquarters of Twitter-where he finds irony in using one of the oldest means of information transfer – bike messenger – in service to one of the newest forms of information transfer – Tweeting. Following his Twitter expedition, Richard faces a serious challenge for any messenger in any form of conveyance – handling a keg of beer…on a bike. Trading in his bike for a rocket ship, Richard journeys to the dry Mojave Desert where he joins the rarefied air of the Rocket Scientist to help build and prepare a rocket for a 40,000 foot launch.

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