There’s no better time of year for me than Halloween, as horror movies and TV shows get all the focus, and the world generally becomes creepier. The award for Weirdest Holiday TV Stunt of 2015 could easily be earned by A&E for their upcoming special Fear: Buried Alive. I’ll leave it to you guys to guess what this is about.
While most people are focused on what they’ll dressed up as for trick-or-treating and partying, A&E will be focused on Fear: Buried Alive, a two-hour event that will take place LIVE on the Monday before Halloween and will focus on three people actually being buried alive in an effort to take on their worst fears. Unlike something you’d see on Fear Factor, this oddball psychological experiment will be more like a David Blaine special, as the drama will come from the “victims” not going batshit crazy under such extreme circumstances.
Understandably, this scenario will be prepped for TV and will be about as non-dangerous as possible. The participants will find themselves locked into coffins hooked up with infrared cameras, microphones, and other equipment, while their vital signs will be monitored throughout. The “fun” will come from watching these people attempt to conquer their dread. In an attempt to make this sound like a scientific study, the concept of immersion therapy is being bandied about as a reason for this special existing.
It won’t just be all focused on watching three people babbling to themselves six feet deep, however, and the show will bring in a couple of consultants to talk about the psychological aspects behind the stunt. First will be director Eli Roth, of Hostel and Green Inferno fame, who will talk about how he creates fear and other aspects of scaring people. Then there’s sociologist and fear researcher Dr. Margee Kerr, who will be there to evaluate the progress of each of the participants. We can also expect to see researchers from the Chapman Universal Survey on American Fears, medical and psychological personnel, as well as the friends and family of those being buried. It seems like Ryan Reynolds should be there to talk about what filming Buried was like.
A&E knows a little something about horror, as the network is the home for the Norman Bates prequel Bates Motel and the American remake of the French series The Returned. And this sounds quite a bit more interesting as Destination America’s live exorcism special, as we at least know that Fear: Buried Alive is going to live up to its title.
So don’t forget to grab your shovels and snorkels and tune in for Fear: Buried Alive when it airs on A&E on Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m. ET.
