Escape Or Die!

Escape Or Die! was a Canadian reality television series produced by Farpoint Films that premiered[1] in Canada in 2015 on OLN.[2] Starring escape artist Dean Gunnarson,[3] the series showed the behind-the-scenes preparations and escapes filmed in various locations around the world. The series featured Cary Tardi,[4] Jeff Gunnarson, Ava Darrach-Gagnon, and John MacDonald as part of Dean's team that helped make the escapes happen and keep him safe. The show also featured appearances by magician and skeptic James Randi[5] and Colombian magician Gustavo Lorgia.[6]

Escape Or Die!
Genre	Documentary
Written by	Chris Charney, Trevor Suffield, John Titley, Eric Weinthal
Directed by	John Barnard, Jeff Newman
Starring	Dean Gunnarson, Cary Tardi, Jeff Gunnarson, Ava Darrach-Gagnon, John MacDonald
Composer	Mitch Dorge
Country of origin	Canada
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	12
Production
Executive producer	Kyle Bornais
Producers	Scott R. Leary, Tony Wosk
Production locations	China, Colombia, Iceland, Texas, Florida, Manitoba, India, Quebec, Malaysia, West Virginia, Bahamas
Production company	Farpoint Films
Release
Original network	OLN
Original release	April 14 – June 30, 2015

The series won a Golden Sheaf Award at the 2016 Yorkton Film Festival for Best Documentary Series.

Personnel

• Dean Gunnarson - escape artist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Gunnarson
• Cary Tardi - theatrics expert
• Jeff Gunnarson - safety expert
• Ava Darrach-Gagnon - office manager
• John MacDonald - blacksmith

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Shanghai Express"	John Barnard	Chris Charney	April 14, 2015
Dean Gunnarson attempts to defend his title of World's Most Daring Escape Artist by escaping from one of Shanghai's biggest and fastest roller coasters - the same one that shattered his ankle the last time he attempted this escape.[7]
2	"Burning, Bound and Upside Down Escape"	John Barnard	Eric Weinthal	April 21, 2015
Dean is bound in a straight jacket, hanging upside down 45 meters over the deadly cobblestone square of Zipaquira, Columbia. The clock is ticking and the only thing between Dean and a deadly fall are two rapidly burning ropes.[8]
3	"Viking Funeral Escape"	Jeff Newman	John Titley	April 28, 2015
Dean is reclaiming his Icelandic roots by attempting to escape from a burning Viking ship in the middle of the North Atlantic. Dean must break free of chains, reach the Viking sword and cut himself free and swim to shore before the ship explodes![9]
4	"Deadly Dallas Draft Escape"	Jeff Newman	Eric Weinthal	May 5, 2015
Everything's bigger in Texas - including the beer cans - and the danger! Dean is in Dallas, Texas attempting an escape that almost killed Harry Houdini. Dean will be locked up in chains then submerged in a full can of beer. He must escape the chains and not drown before a live, cheering crowd.[10]
5	"Death Tank Escape"	John Barnard	Eric Weinthal	May 12, 2015
Dean has spent years honing his escape skills to face the Death Tank once used in WWII as a torture chamber. Dean is in Miami, Florida to change the course of history, and be the only person to escape this death trap.
6	"Man vs. Machine Escape"	Jeff Newman	John Titley	May 19, 2015
Dean returns home to icy Winnipeg, Canada, and his old nemesis the Red River. Dean will be torn apart by two massive machines, chained on each side as he struggles to break free from his constraints or he will be splayed on the ice.[11]
7	"Buried Alive Escape"	John Barnard	Eric Weinthal	May 26, 2015
Dean will be wrapped in chains inside a steel coffin locked tightly, and buried alive. Dean will be clawing his way up from six feet below in Udupi, India for 24 hours.[12]
8	"Death Cage Escape"	John Barnard	Chris Charney	June 2, 2015
High up in the isolated mountains of Zhangjiajie China, Dean is chained and caged and hauled 45 meters into the sky. He has minutes to escape before the cage plunges him to his death in the river below.[13]
9	"Blazing Ball of Death Escape"	John Barnard	Trevor Suffield	June 9, 2015
Quebec's world famous ice hotel is the backdrop for Dean's blazing ball of flames escape. The burning ball is positioned to drop and crush Dean in 90 seconds if he doesn't break free of his chains frozen in 500kg of ice.[14]
10	"Malaysia Viper Escape"	Jeff Newman	John Titley	June 15, 2015
Dean has one fear...SNAKES. So...Dean and the team are at the Snake Temple in Malaysia where Dean will be in a glass box while handcuffed with deadly vipers crawling over him. He needs to break out before getting bitten or passing out.[15]
11	"Haunted Asylum Escape"	John Barnard	Chris Charney & Trevor Suffield	June 23, 2015
The Society of American Magicians has challenged Dean to defend his "World's Most Daring Escape Artist" title by breaking out of West Virginia's most haunted asylum. He must ALSO find his team and free them in less than 60 minutes in over 25,000 square feet of hospital, at night, with no light.[16]
12	"Underwater Coffin Escape"	John Barnard	Eric Weinthal	June 30, 2015
Dean died attempting the underwater coffin escape 30 years ago. He was brought back to life. Dean is intent on doing this escape again but this time in an ocean rather than a river, in a coffin with holes and with sharks surrounding him.[17]

References

1. "Manitoba Man Must Escape Or Die In New Reality Series". CBC.
2. "Escape Or Die". OLN.
3. "Dean Gunnarson". Always Escaping.
4. "Escaping The Cage Of Death". Interlake Today.
5. "James Randi". JREF.
6. "Gustavo Lorgia Official Site". Facebook.
7. "Escape Artist Dean Gunnarson Wows Shanghai". CNTV.
8. "Mañana Dean Gunnarson Grabará Su Escape En Colombia". Pastomagic.
9. "Canadian Escape Artist Will Attempt To Escape A Burning Viking Ship Outside Reykjavík Harbour". Iceland Magazine.
10. "Drink Your Way Out? Artist Attempts Escape From 5-foot Beer Can Sunday". Dallas Morning News.
11. "Dean Gunnarson's Escape From River Trail Hell Airing On OLN". Chris D.
12. "World Renowned Escape Artiste Dean Gunnarson 'Buried Alive' For 24 Hours". Daiji World.
13. "Canadian Escape Artist Dean Gunnarson Performs in Zhangjiajie". Getty Images.
14. "Un pro de l'évasion à l'Hôtel de glace". Le Journal de Quebec.
15. "Canadian Performs Daring Escape Act With 20 Snakes In A Box". The Star.
16. "Dean Gunnarson Brings Escape or Die to WV". Inside Magic.
17. "Escape Artist Dean Gunnarson to Be Dropped in Shark-Infested Waters". Chris D.

External links

• Dean Gunnarson
• Farpoint Films
• Escape Or Die! at IMDb
• EOD on OLN