About this season
World's Toughest Fixes is an American reality series that premiered on the National Geographic Channel on September 28, 2008. It features Sean Riley participating in various "tough fixes"; repairs and renovations done on equipment that is very large or dangerous. Riley is an expert in heavy duty rigging and load bearing, and works with other specialized engineers to tackle these uniquely difficult jobs. A first season aired 8 episodes beginning on September 26, 2008. A second season aired 8 episodes beginning on June 4, 2009. A third season of 7 episodes aired beginning May 6, 2010. A fourth season aired beginning September 30, 2010. The first season DVD contains 10 episodes, 2 of which aired in season 2. The second season DVD contains 11 episodes, 5 of which aired in season 3.
Episodes (7)
1. Mississippi River Barge
Aired 2 June 2009 • 60 min
Sean Riley heads to New Orleans to help clear out a massive barge that's become stuck onshore, and get it over to a nearby salvage yard. With a fix that revolves around three hundred tons of shifting metal, Riley has to help put this barge back in the water... without getting crushed in the process.
2. Satellite Launch
Aired 4 June 2009 • 60 min
Riley heads into the remote jungle to help a team of rocket scientists and engineers launch a new two-ton satellite with a price tag of more than $1 million into orbit.
3. Alaska Oil Pipeline
Aired 11 June 2009 • 60 min
Witness a high-stakes repair job as Sean Riley and a crew of 100 highly trained men and women shut down the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline—the only conduit to market for almost 15 percent of the US domestic oil production. This major fix calls for swapping out a 32-ton valve system, but the size of the job is the least of their problems. Crude oil is not just highly toxic—its explosive. Follow the crew as it races to complete the fix in just 36 hours.
4. Giant Wind Turbine
Aired 18 June 2009 • 60 min
Riley travels to Portsmouth, R.I., where residents are setting up a 115-ton wind turbine that will provide years of clean energy. The constant blowing wind will fuel the rubine, but how do you raise giant blades in the midst of these unpredictable winds?
5. Solar Power Plant
Aired 9 July 2009 • 60 min
Riley joins a crew lifting a 50 ton boiler 160 feet up a tower and suspending it above 24,000 mirrors - completing America's first large scale solar power tower.
6. Columbia River Dam
Aired 16 July 2009 • 60 min
7. Atom Smasher
Aired 30 July 2009 • 60 min
Sean faces one of his most spectacular fixes to date as he repairs a giant magnet at the Large Hadron Collider with success paving the way for scientific breakthrough, while failure means a potential catastrophe.