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Boston Rob Mariano and Dennis Anderson to Go 'Around the World in 80 Ways'



The four-time "Survivor" contestant and four-time Monster Jam world champion will take on the epic challenge of traveling the globe using every conceivable mode of transportation.



Boston Rob Mariano and Dennis Anderson in "Around the World in 80 Ways"
Boston Rob Mariano and Dennis Anderson Around the World in 80 WaysJuly 27, 2011

Boston Rob Mariano in "Around the World in 80 Ways"
Boston Rob Mariano in "Around the World in 80 Ways"
Dennis Anderson in "Around the World in 80 Ways"
Dennis Anderson in "Around the World in 80 Ways"
LOS ANGELES, CA — Why take any old car when you can get where you're going by rickshaw or hovercraft? For two real-life adrenaline junkies charged with circumnavigating the globe using every conceivable mode of transportation, it's not the destination that counts, but the journey itself.

That's the challenge for Boston Rob Mariano ("Survivor," "The Amazing Race") and Dennis Anderson (creator of the monster truck Gravedigger), hosts of the upcoming new series "Around the World in 80 Ways" on History. The 10-part series premieres 4th Quarter, 2011, and is created by Thom Beers and his Original Productions team.



Whether rushing down Victoria Falls in a barrel, hang gliding over Rio, or crossing the Kalahari by ostrich, Rob and Dennis have to employ 80 different forms of transportation without repeating any vehicle. It's an extreme expedition that will take the hosts not only across the miles, but through time as they explore the history behind the many ways people have gotten around throughout the ages.

This adventure takes Rob and Dennis through Brazil, Peru, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Dubai, India, Thailand, and the United States. Sometimes they must join forces, while at other times they work against each other. At times they even have to invent and build their own means of transport.

But these macho men are both accustomed to being champions and have been known to torment, boast, and battle their way to the top. Although "Around the World in 80 Ways" is not a competition, these two can't resist turning everything into a good-natured dare of their own. In their playbook, nothing is off limits when humiliating consequences await the loser.

"Boston Rob" Mariano made his first television appearance on "Survivor: Marquesas" in 2002. Mariano is a four-time "Survivor" contestant and 2011 "Survivor: Redemption Island" winner as well as a two-time competitor, along with his wife Amber Brkich, on "The Amazing Race." He has hosted several television events and shows and starred in a regular segment for the "CBS Early Show." An avid sportsman, Mariano is Boston-born and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Boston University.

Four-time Monster Jam world champion Dennis Anderson is the creator and driver of Gravedigger, the world's most recognized monster truck brand in the history of the sport. Anderson has won more than 3000 races and 500 trophies over a three decade career and has appeared on numerous television series such as "America's Toughest Jobs," "Conan O'Brien" and "Monster Jam." Anderson also continues to expand the Gravedigger brand through his Muddy Motor Sports Park and restaurant outside Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

"Around the World in 80 Ways" is produced for History by Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company. Thom Beers and Philip D. Segal are Executive Producers and Jeff Conroy is Co-Executive Producer for Original Productions. Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are Executive Producers for History.