Review of World's Toughest Fixes on National Geographic Channel

I truly love the World's Toughest Fixes. I'm not really interested in the engineering field, but this show sure makes me think like one. The basic premise involves Sean Riley participating in trying to fix incredibly complex electronic machines. The show doesn't just show you how they fix things, but they also try to involve the general public. The show makes you think like a genius and I think that most people enjoy that. The concept is very daring and the Nation Geographic Channel is taking a big risk is creating a show of this complexity. Did they make the right decision or not? I will break it down episode by episode. You be the judge!

Boeing 767

- The Boeing 767 is the standard of luxury passenger planes. It comes unmatched. The engineers that created this behemoth are incredibly intelligent as well. What happens when this majestic plane has some damage on some key areas? The engineers come in, of course!

- It starts off by showing us the problem. That's when the viewer tries to figure out how to fix it. This thought process really come to life as they start to brainstorm their ideas. That's when your idea is rejected (rats!).

- I don't want to ruin the show for you, but the fixing process involves taking the plane apart, piece by piece!

Grade: 91/100

High-Voltage Power Lines

- In this episode, Sean Riley and Co. take on a set of broken High Voltage Power Lines, also known as 5-SEG.

- I really liked this episode. Keep in mind people, these aren't the power lines you see near your park. These are incredibly strong at 500,000 volts of electricity.

- Once again, I don't want to ruin anything for you, but the whole process involves many engineers and equipment you have never seen before. When things get tricky, they must use a helicopter to get close to the power lines!

Grade: 85/100

Large Engine

- In this episode, Sean Riley and his band of hooligans (engineers, of course) take on an incredibly large engine. No, not a small car engine. Not even an engine of a semi-truck. A 38 Ton engine!

- They premise of this episode involves a large ship needing a new engine. It doesn't help that they have to do this in the middle of the sea. Oh, and the weather is getting bad, real bad. I'm not a big fan of drama in T.V. shows, but this is simply amazing.

Grade: 95/100

Giant Telescope

- In this episode, Sean Riley and Co. must take on a complex job. They need to clean a very expensive telescope, but it sounds a lot easier than job entails.

- In order for them to clean the telescope, they must break it apart. The telescope is actually 3 smaller telescopes combined! The problem is - the telescope weighs about 25 tons and costs about $15 million! Oh, and it's the world largest telescope. Pressure, pressure!

Grade: 89/100

Nuclear Turbine

- Nuclear energy plays a critical role in our evolving country. As the country evolves, so do the nuclear power plants.

- In this episode, Sean Riley tries to replace the steam turbine within the nuclear power plant!

- This process involves Sean putting a protective suits and a helmet to shield off the radiation. A very interesting episode, for sure!

Grade: 87/100

Conclusion:
As you can tell by the individual grades for each episode, the show has a lot of potential. I think that the idea is very good and most importantly - very unique. I think that the show does something that is different, and yes, the National Geographic Channel takes a big gamble with this show, but it really does deliver. My biggest concern is if they can continue to deliver with these tough fixes. It'll be interesting to follow this show, for sure!

Source(s):
National Geographic - Inspiring People to Care About the Planet. 12 Mar. 2009 .