Daredevil Guy Martin to attempt several epic world speed records on C4

17 November 2015

Channel 4 today announced at its Upfronts 2016 event for the advertising industry that daredevil Guy Martin will attempt several epic world speed records on Channel 4.

Guy will turn the ‘Wall of Death’ – the most dangerous fairground side show ever devised - into the most daring live TV event of the year. 

The hit series Speed with Guy Martin returns in 2016. Guy will attempt to claim a number of world records including breaking the 200mph barrier in a souped-up Transit van.  

Other highlights will include a travelogue adventure series Our Guy in China (w/t) and a one off special Our Guy in Latvia, in which Guy takes a journey to the Baltics and uncover the truth about his Latvian grandfather, who died 9 years ago.

 

Guy’s Wall of Death Live

Coming to Channel 4 in 2016

The ‘Wall of Death’ is an epic stunt that involves riding a motorcycle around a vertical wall at high speeds. 

This spectacle dates back to the early 1900s and became a popular staple of travelling fairgrounds across America and Britain.   

Guy and his support team of scientists and engineers plan to revive this stunt in epic fashion by attempting to set a Wall of Death world speed record. 

They will have their work cut out.  The record attempt requires them to build the largest Wall of Death the world has ever seen.  

Guy, a professional motorcycle racer, will need to learn to ride along a vertical wall at high speed while training his brain to cope with intense motion sickness.   He’ll also have to handle extreme G-forces usually only experienced by seasoned fighter pilots.  

Guy will training with the legendary Ken Fox’s Hell Riders – the UK’s No. 1 Wall of Death troupe.  The Fox family has been touring and entertaining since the 1920's and Ken Fox is recognised as one of the world's leading Wall of Death riders. 

Guy will then graduate to riding the largest ever Wall of Death.  It will span a massive 40 metres in diameter – over four times larger than a traditional fairground wall.   

To allow Guy to train day and night, rain or shine, in the run up to his record attempt, this huge structure has been built in an aircraft hangar close to Guy’s Lincolnshire home.  

Finally, almost two years of graft will all come down to one spectacular night of live TV, when Guy attempts to ride at over 80mph on this vertical wall.

Guy Martin says:  “I’m not a television person, but I think this could be the greatest television ever … really … it’s the wall of death - live! I’m getting nervous about this now.”

The film - Guy’s Wall of Death Live - is commissioned by Sara Ramsden, Commissioning Editor for Specialist Factual for Channel 4 and is produced by North One Television.

Sara Ramsden says: “Yet again Guy shows his daring appetite for speed.  This time he proves you don't have to cross to the other side of the world to get a major adrenaline rush. Instead he's travelling just a few miles from his home to push the limits of what a human body can withstand.”

 

Speed with Guy Martin - Series 3

Three part series coming to Channel 4 in 2016

Speed junkie, motorcycle racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin takes on a series of new adrenaline-fuelled challenges.

Guy will attempt to set three extraordinary speed records. 

To do this, he will have to harness cutting edge science, learn new skills and call on the support of some of the unsung heroes of British industry using the best of our design and engineering talent.

Guy will attempt to break the speed record for a Transit Van.  The record currently stands at impressive 174mph.   But ever the optimist, Guy wants to reach the 200mph barrier in a souped-up Transit. 

The English Channel holds a special place in the hearts of aviation enthusiasts ever since it was first crossed by air in 1785.   Now Guy will attempt a bold Channel crossing using a human-powered blimp. 

In what could prove to be his hardest challenge to date, Guy will be required to pedal for over four hours, while flying the aircraft at a steady altitude of 15 metres, all the time avoiding ships in one of the work busiest shipping lanes in the world.    

Even with huge advances in technology, the world speed record for a human powered hydrofoil has stood for 25 years.

A Hydrofoil is a special type of boat with its hull out of the water, decreasing drag and allowing for greater speeds.

On the River Witham, running right through the city of Lincoln, Guy will attempt to set a new world record … on his home turf! 

The series is made by North One Television. Executive Producer is Steve Gowans. Ewan Keil & James Woodroffe. It has been commissioned for Channel 4 by Sara Ramsden.

 

Our Guy in China (w/t)

Three part series coming to Channel 4 in 2016

Guy Martin’s passions are drawing him to a country that is not your typical holiday hotspot. 

His love of industry and endeavour is leading him to the world’s biggest manufacturer - The People’s Republic of China.

Guy’s adventure will take him from the biggest city you've never heard of – Chongqing with its major motorcycle producing industry, via the stench of the world’s largest public loo, to the pinnacle of industrial tourism: the Three Gorges Dam.  This colossal biggest hydroelectric power station shifts so much water it is claimed to slow the rotation of the Earth.

Guy will arrive in Beijing on the 240mph high speed railway.  But there is only one way he will consider getting around “the kingdom of bicycles” – on a Flying Pigeon.   For decades this humble bicycle has been the mode of transport of choice for billions of Chinese.  

Guy is never afraid of a challenge, even in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth.

To finish off his three week epic trip, he’ll attempt to set a new world record for the fastest crossing on a pushbike of a section of the Gobi known as the Taklimakan – the “Desert of Death”.

The film is made by North One Television. Executive Producer is Steve Gowans, Director is Ewan Keil & James Woodroffe. It has been commissioned for Channel 4 by Sara Ramsden.