The Buried Life
Encyclopedia
The Buried Life is a reality
documentary
series on MTV
. The series features Duncan Penn, Jonnie Penn, Ben Nemtin and Dave Lingwood attempting to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." The pilot episode aired on January 18, 2010, and the show was renewed for a second season in 2010. On Oct. 25, 2011, it was reported that MTV had canceled The Buried Life; however, the show's creators claim they are currently working on a "new and improved" show for the network based on the premise of the original series.
in a purple transit bus they named "Penelope" to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." For every item they try to complete on their list, they help a stranger achieve one of their dreams and encourage others to go after their own lists. Everywhere they go they ask the question: "What do you want to do before you die?" They have crossed off most of the numbers on their list. Ranging from asking a girl out to surviving on a desert island, the boys are always doing something different. They aim to inspire others to create their own lists, and continue to work on their own. It has been confirmed that the Buried Life will not be returning for a third season, but is still working with MTV on a new project.
. The idea for the name originated from an 1852 Matthew Arnold
poem entitled "The Buried Life".
The project filmed its first full feature documentary in the summer months of 2006 (August) and 2007 (August to October). The documentary is currently titled The Buried Life: What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? It tells the story of four friends who make a list of 100 things to do before they die and their journey across North America to accomplish it. The film was shot in locales throughout Canada
and the United States
including: British Columbia
, California
, Idaho
, Nevada
, Oregon
, Texas
and Washington, D.C.
In 2007 The Buried Life was offered a television show in Canada but ultimately turned it down citing they were not willing to give up creative control of the project.
On April 18, 2009 an article in The New York Times
announced that a serial television version of their documentary
titled The Buried Life was chosen by MTV
for development. The show was selected as a flagship reality program that would usher in MTV's shift away from the superficial content currently dominating the network's programming, toward the production of more socially conscious media, something the Times dubbed "MTV for the era of Obama."
In an interview with Shave Magazine, Dave Lingwood revealed that MTV first found the boys on YouTube
and later reached an agreement with them whereby they would film, edit and cut all the material themselves and send MTV "the finished product and they just air it."
After originally failing in their attempts to play basketball against the President, in the spring of 2010 The Buried Life finally crossed off Playing Basketball with Obama during a visit to the White House.
In 2010 The Buried Life appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show where they helped a young girl conquer her fear of heights.
In 2011, The Buried Life again earned a nomination for the Do Something TV Show Award from the VH1 Do Something Awards.
In October 2010 The Buried Life helped make a $100,000 donation to the World Food Programme
(Fighting Hunger World Wide).
In October 2010 The Buried Life set the record for the largest roulette spin in Vegas history making a bet of $250,000 on black at The Golden Gate Casino. The previous record was set at $135,000 by radio personality Howard Stern.
In July of 2011, The Buried Life helped to make a $300,000 donation to The Keep America Beautiful
foundation.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
series on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. The series features Duncan Penn, Jonnie Penn, Ben Nemtin and Dave Lingwood attempting to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." The pilot episode aired on January 18, 2010, and the show was renewed for a second season in 2010. On Oct. 25, 2011, it was reported that MTV had canceled The Buried Life; however, the show's creators claim they are currently working on a "new and improved" show for the network based on the premise of the original series.
Premise
The series focuses on four friends (Ben, Jonnie, Duncan, and Dave) as they travel across North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in a purple transit bus they named "Penelope" to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." For every item they try to complete on their list, they help a stranger achieve one of their dreams and encourage others to go after their own lists. Everywhere they go they ask the question: "What do you want to do before you die?" They have crossed off most of the numbers on their list. Ranging from asking a girl out to surviving on a desert island, the boys are always doing something different. They aim to inspire others to create their own lists, and continue to work on their own. It has been confirmed that the Buried Life will not be returning for a third season, but is still working with MTV on a new project.
Background
The Buried Life is a company formed by four university students from Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. The idea for the name originated from an 1852 Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
poem entitled "The Buried Life".
The project filmed its first full feature documentary in the summer months of 2006 (August) and 2007 (August to October). The documentary is currently titled The Buried Life: What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? It tells the story of four friends who make a list of 100 things to do before they die and their journey across North America to accomplish it. The film was shot in locales throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
including: British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Washington, D.C.
In 2007 The Buried Life was offered a television show in Canada but ultimately turned it down citing they were not willing to give up creative control of the project.
On April 18, 2009 an article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
announced that a serial television version of their documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
titled The Buried Life was chosen by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
for development. The show was selected as a flagship reality program that would usher in MTV's shift away from the superficial content currently dominating the network's programming, toward the production of more socially conscious media, something the Times dubbed "MTV for the era of Obama."
In an interview with Shave Magazine, Dave Lingwood revealed that MTV first found the boys on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and later reached an agreement with them whereby they would film, edit and cut all the material themselves and send MTV "the finished product and they just air it."
Awards and nominations
In 2010, The Buried Life earned a nomination for the Do Something TV Show Award from the VH1 Do Something Awards. The Buried Life received a nomination for its efforts to encourage people to pursue their life goals.After originally failing in their attempts to play basketball against the President, in the spring of 2010 The Buried Life finally crossed off Playing Basketball with Obama during a visit to the White House.
In 2010 The Buried Life appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show where they helped a young girl conquer her fear of heights.
In 2011, The Buried Life again earned a nomination for the Do Something TV Show Award from the VH1 Do Something Awards.
In October 2010 The Buried Life helped make a $100,000 donation to the World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
(Fighting Hunger World Wide).
In October 2010 The Buried Life set the record for the largest roulette spin in Vegas history making a bet of $250,000 on black at The Golden Gate Casino. The previous record was set at $135,000 by radio personality Howard Stern.
In July of 2011, The Buried Life helped to make a $300,000 donation to The Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is a U.S. based nonprofit organization founded in 1953. It is the largest community improvement organization in the United States, with approximately 589 affiliate organizations and more than 1,000 community organizations that participate in their programs.Keep America...
foundation.
Cast
- Dave Lingwood, is the "funny guy" and optimist of the group. He recently got married to Michelle of Las Vegas on an episode that premiered in Season 2 "Get Married in Vegas." Following the wedding Michelle and Dave had their marriage annulled.
- Ben Nemtin, is the "ringleader" of the group and the agent of the group. Ben was never the captain of Canadian Junior Rugby team. Ben is also dating "The City" star Whitney Port.
- Duncan Penn, is the "business manager" and the voice of reason of the group best known in the show for his quick wit. Duncan graduated with honours in business in 2007.
- Jonnie Penn, is Duncan's younger brother. He is the group's "idea guy", as well as the main cameraman and editor. He is an accomplished activist and academic with a knack for coming up with creative ideas.
Season 1
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Season 2
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Their List
- 1.) Open the six o'clock news
- 2.) Lead a parade
- 3.) Get a tattooTattooA tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
- 4.) Start a dance in a public place
- 5.) Go down a mountain on a long board
- 6.) Attend a party at the Playboy MansionPlayboy MansionThe Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
- 7.) Get in a real NBA match
- 8.) Ride a bull
- 9.) Destroy a computer
- 10.) Learn to fly
- 11.) Get a college degree
- 12.) Kick a field goal
- 13.) Help someone build a house
- 14.) Grow a mustache
- 15.) Get on the cover of Rolling Stone
- 16.) Drive across North America
- 17.) Start a huge wave
- 18.) Tell a joke on Late Night Television
- 19.) Write a book
- 20.) Get a song we've written on the radio
- 21.) Become a licensed minister
- 22.) Approach the most beautiful girl you've ever seen and kiss her
- 23.) Learn how to play an instrument
- 24.) Go to a rock concert in all leather
- 25.) Solve a crime or capture a fugitive
- 26.) Tell a judge: "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!"
- 27.) Give a stranger a $100 bill
- 28.) Send a message in a bottle
- 29.) Scream at the top of your lungs
- 30.) Make a donation to charity
- 31.) Cut a ribbon at a major opening
- 32.) Get someone named after you
- 33.) Compete in a Krump Competition
- 34.) Pay for someone's groceries
- 35.) Sing the National Anthem to a packed stadium
- 36.) Throw the first pitch at a major league baseball game
- 37.) Win and yell "Bingo!" at a Bingo hall
- 38.) Kiss the Stanley Cup
- 39.) Desighn a baseball cap and get 50 people to buy it
- 40.) Make the front page of a newspaper
- 41.) Make a toast at a stranger's wedding
- 42.) Host a cooking show
- 43.) Become a knight for a day
- 44.) Catch something and eat it
- 45.) Sleep in a haunted house for 1 night
- 46.) Do a sketch with Will Ferrell
- 47.) Get in the Guinness Book of World Records
- 48.) Accept a dare
- 49.) Take a stranger out to dinner
- 50.) Streak a field
- 51.) Climb a large mountain
- 52.) Go on a blind date
- 53.) Start a television show
- 54.) Donate blood
- 55.) Kiss Rachael McAdams
- 56.) Write an article for a major publication
- 57.) Spend a week in silence
- 58.) See a dead body
- 59.) Ask out the girl of your dreams
- 60.) Go paragliding
- 61.) Draw a mural
- 62.) Be in a protest
- 63.) Run a successful business
- 64.) Visit Folsom Prison
- 65.) Learn how to sail
- 66.) Camp at the Playboy MansionPlayboy MansionThe Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
- 67.) Make an important speech
- 68.) Swim with sharks
- 69.) Smash a guitar on stage
- 70.) Compete in a soap-box derby
- 71.) Take a kid on a toy shopping spree
- 72.) Throw a surprise party
- 73.) Make a music video
- 74.) Help deliver a baby
- 75.) Make a million bucks
- 76.) Go dog sledding
- 77.) Go to Burning ManBurning ManBurning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
- 78.) Fall in love
- 79.) Dance with Ellen DegeneresEllen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
- 80.) Meet the Lonely Island dudes
- 81.) Tour with a major band
- 82.) Win an award
- 83.) Street perform and make $100
- 84.) Run a marathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
- 85.) Throw the most bad-ass party ever
- 86.) Teach an elementary school class
- 87.) Pay off our parent's mortgage
- 88.) Escape from a deserted island
- 89.) Experience zero gravity
- 90.) Ride a roller coasterRoller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
- 91.) Get married (in VegasVegasVegas may refer to a variety of entities. In English, it is almost always a reference or an allusion to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada or the region of Las Vegas Valley in Nevada or to the gambling activities associated with it....
) - 92.) Learn how to surfSurfSurf is the wave activity in the area between the shoreline and outer limit of breakers. It may refer to a breaking wave in shallow water, upon the shore, or in the area in which waves breakSurf also may refer to:Commercial products...
- 93.) Ride through the desert in a dune-buggy
- 94.) Party with a rock star
- 95.) Play ball with President Obama
- 96.) Host a lemonadeLemonadeLemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
stand - 97.) Be in a fight
- 98.) Race horses
- 99.) Host Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
- 100.) Go to space