Life on the Line is an entertaining format combining science with documentary where the presenter uses his body to test the laws of physics. In each episode the presenter takes us on a geographical journey to spectacular locations guiding us into the unfamiliar world of physics, where a scientific fact is proven in a large-scale stunt. Tension builds through challenges and potential dangers along the way, and the presenter continuously shares his thoughts and anxiety with the viewer.
Each episode has one stunt proving one clear message, such as “energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another” or “electric current always takes the path of least resistance”. Throughout, the presenter then demonstrates his over- whelming faith in physics. For example the presenter is shot at close range with a rifle – under water. Due to the resistance of the water, the bullet should stop after a few meters and the presenter can catch it in his hand before it falls to the bottom of the pool. But does the bullet stop in the same spot every time or could a small miscalculation cause the bullet to hit the presenter?
Will the presenter and his assistants carry out the stunt safely? Will the tests of the stunt work? Has he made the right calculations to ensure the stunt ends well?
Gullruten 2016 (Norwegian Emmy): Best Lifestyle Programme.
Life on the Line premiered on Sunday 3rd January 2016 at 8.55pm on NRK 1. The first episode 'Free Fall' pulled in 765,000 viewers with an impressive 41.5% share. The months leading up to the premiere the average viewership for NRK 1 in the slot was just over 430,000.