NBC AND BEAR GRYLLS CONDUCT THE ULTIMATE TEST TO DISCOVER WHETHER MODERN MAN STILL HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE IN SIX-EPISODE ADVENTURE SERIES "THE ISLAND"

14 Ordinary American Men Will Embark on a Groundbreaking Social Experiment Into Whether Modern Man Has Lost Those Hard-Earned Pioneer Skills and Attitudes Needed to Survive

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- March 25, 2015 -- NBC has ordered six episodes of the thrilling new man vs. nature adventure series "The Island."

In the hourlong "The Island," internationally acclaimed adventurer and survivalist Bear Grylls gives the modern American man the ultimate challenge. Can a man of today's world survive on a deserted island without the luxuries, or even the basics, of contemporary everyday life?

"This experiment reveals, in a shocking way, whether modern man, when pushed, can still summon all the resolve, ingenuity and strength that traditionally made a man's man -- or whether our society's cushioning has meant we have lost those hard-earned skills of our ancestors," said Grylls. "This is the raw, unfiltered and uncensored story of 14 men, as told exclusively by them."

"The Island," based on the hit Shine TV-produced Channel 4 U.K. series of the same name, doesn't include any of the usual reality show trappings. There are no prizes. No eliminations. No winner. No camera teams. The entire series is filmed by the men themselves. The six episodes will show what happens when 14 American men are abandoned on a deserted island with only the clothes on their backs, minimal survival tools and committed to filming every moment themselves.

These 21st-century American men, who are accustomed to a roof over their head, restaurants and the benefits of technology, are stripped of all the modern conveniences and are catapulted back to their roots. They must hunt for food, source water, erect shelter, build community and try to survive using only their strength, determination and know-how. All of the men, including a stay-at-home dad, trauma surgeon, firefighter and criminal defense attorney, have something to prove to themselves and each other. This experiment takes them to the very edge of human endurance. They will test their physical, mental and emotional limits and fight for their very existence.

"The Island" is produced by Endemol Shine North America and Bear Grylls Ventures. The original U.K. series was produced by Shine TV. Bear Grylls, Eden Gaha, Michael Brooks, Holly Wofford and Delbert Shoopman serve as executive producers of the new series.