Worst-Case Scenario is the name of a series of merchandise based on a 1999 book written by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht and published by Chronicle Books.[1] The series first entry, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, sold over 10 million copies worldwide and prompted a series of related books, games, calendars, and two television series.[2] Later works have been published via Quirk Books and have been credited with giving the company enough funding to expand.[3]
Aworst-case scenario is the most severe possible outcome that can be projected to occur in a given situation. Conceiving of worst-case scenarios is a common form of strategic planning to prepare for and minimize contingencies that could result in accidents, quality problems, or other issues. The books provide instructions for situations like landing a plane and surviving a shark attack.
There have been two television series that have been loosely based on the book series, a 2002 TBS reality show and a 2010 survival skills television series on the Discovery Channel.[4][5] Both series ran for only one season.
The show Worst Case Scenarios ran on TBS from July 10, 2002, through November 13, 2002, and had a total of 13 episodes.[6][7] It was narrated by Mike Rowe and featured demonstrations by stunt men and stunt women.[8] Each episode was hosted by new experts on how to survive worst-case scenarios. It also aired clips of real life situations, tips, volunteer challenges, and gadgets shown by Gear Girl (Danielle Burgio).
Worst-Case Scenario ran on the Discovery Channel beginning on May 5, 2010, and had a total of 12 episodes.[9] It was hosted by Bear Grylls, who was shown using skills he learned in the 21 SAS, which included self-defense, evasive driving, parkour, urban survival, and wilderness survival.
With over 10 million books sold worldwide, it's clear that the desire to be prepared is universal.