BBC America Premieres DANGERMAN: THE INCREDIBLE MR. GOODWIN Tonight

Impossible is merely a challenge for Jonathan Goodwin, a new breed of escapologist and a professional dangerman, who puts himself in the most extreme situations. Emulating his childhood heroes, the great American sideshow acts and comic-book characters, Goodwin takes his unique brand of entertainment onto the streets of Britain and the US. He'll climb buildings, get buried alive, catch arrows and fire a rifle blindfolded in front of stunned onlookers.

But viewers will get to know him even better, witnessing the extraordinary processes Goodwin goes through behind the scenes as he trains intensively for his performances, many of which have never been attempted before. Dangerman: The Incredible Mr. Goodwin premieres tonight, July 8, 10:00pm ET/PT on BBC AMERICA.

UPCOMING STUNTS

WARNING: DO NOT TRY AT HOME

· Gently place scorpion in mouth. Proceed to escape from handcuffs while being slapped in The Face - repeatedly.

· Calmly hang off the roof...of a skyscraper. Roll of dice determines how many fingers can be used to hold on.

· Easy peasy. Catch an Arrow mid-flight.

· Gracefully hang from trapeze rope...attached to helicopter...while chained to speeding car.

· Lovingly accept lethal snakebite before being buried alive. Escape to reach antidote within 20 minutes.

· Artfully chop squash with butcher knife. Wrist to serve as cutting board.

· Sit back, relax, and bend an iron wrench with teeth.

· Lay on bed of nails. Now, lay down on one single nail...as cement block is broken over chest with sledge hammer.

DANGERMAN

Jonathan Goodwin (@RealJGoodwin)

Born and raised in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, 'Dangerman' Jonathan Goodwin became obsessed with the world of the superhero at an early age. As an inquisitive seven-year-old, he discovered the great international daredevil, Harry Houdini, and was enamoured by his extraordinary work. Jonathan too had a taste for danger. As he progressed into his teens, he started to learn the skills of great performers like Houdini and Charles Blondin, who miraculously cheated death while crossing the Niagra Falls on a tightrope. Even at university in Middlesex, Jonathan's dangerous escapades were his main focus. Now, as his full-time profession, Jonathan spends every day training for extraordinary performances. But he makes sure to get home for dinner by eight, joining his wife Kay and daughter, Milligan. Meanwhile, Jonathan's parents are still waiting for him to get a proper job.

EPISODE SYNOPSES

Episode One premieres Monday, July 8, 10:00pm ET/PT.

In the Californian desert, Jonathan tackles a famous stunt which defeated Harry Houdini three times. Then, a hovering helicopter and circus trapeze provide the most lethal way to escape from a pair of handcuffs. Plus, a venom-laced visit to a South London ballroom ends with a slap in the face.

Episode Two premieres Monday, July 15, 10:00pm ET/PT.

A Californian voluntary worker finds herself at the sharp end of Jonathan's skills when he un-wraps a set of throwing knives. Plus tourists in Derbyshire, England, are in for a shock when he takes a heart-stopping ride hanging from their local cable car.

Episode Three premieres Monday, July 22, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Rescued by safety divers after his last water escape went wrong, Jonathan is determined to crack the sport of free-diving while tied to a heavy weight. Plus he revives a traditional fakir's bed of nails feat for a woman who is no slacker with a sledgehammer.

Episode Four premieres Monday, July 29, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Jonathan faces a death-defying climb up a London skyscraper and a hazardous crawl along the belly of a speeding truck. Then, there's the prospect of being dragged off a 200-foot cliff, if Jonathan fails to pick the padlock that locks him to a rocket-launched car.

Episode Five premieres Monday, August 5, 10:00pm ET/PT.

Jonathan has had a lifelong fascination for vaudeville showmen and stunt artists, and he is determined to revive their amazing techniques for a twenty-first century audience. In tonight's final episode, and after years of preparation and rehearsal, Jonathan pulls off the biggest and most dangerous stunt of his entire life before the world's media. He must escape from a strait-jacket while hanging upside-down on a burning rope from the London Eye, the world's largest cantilevered observation wheel. He has just 90 seconds to free himself and reach safety before the rope snaps. Then, a woman is stunned to find herself re-enacting the legend of William Tell, when Jonathan fires a crossbow bolt at an apple on her head from 100 feet away. The tiniest deviation in his aim could be fatal.

BBC America delivers U.S. 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 eleven 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 80.4 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, 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. Find out more by following us on www.twitter.com/bbcamerica.

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