Hot Picks: End Of The Rope

The dangerous jobs sub-genre has long been a staple for channels around the world, so Beyond Rights-distributed End Of The Rope is sure to find a ready audience among buyers.

Set in the US, the series follows a team of ‘rope access technicians’ as they undertake nerve-shredding work on precipitous landmarks – everything from colossal dams and sweeping bridges to giant rollercoasters and towering statues. With just rope – and each other – for support, it’s an intriguing world of bravery, skill and ingenuity that has rarely been documented.

The show is produced by Canada’s Big Coat Media, best known for its long-running factual-entertainment hit Love It Or List It, and follows Trask Bradbury, a former free-climber who has built a successful business undertaking vertigo-inducing tasks. 

Exec producer Maria Armstrong says: “Trask and his team could be asked to change a light bulb at the top of a tower or repaint a signal on a dam – and they do it all with ropes. The one thing he won’t do is wash windows.”

Big Coat came across Colorado-based Bradbury during development and immediately saw the potential for a series. “But it still took us four years to get it financed,” says Armstrong. “In the end, I’m so glad we got backing from Beyond, Science US and UKTV because the result is extraordinary. It has breathtaking visuals, fascinating engineering, and edge-of-your-seat drama.”

In theory, the show could have been made with an emphasis purely on the engineering challenges involved, “but what really elevates this series is the characters”, says Armstrong. “Trask is like a Hollywood matinee idol and his team are all young, charismatic people.

“By focusing on the characters, we get an engaging show and one that has the potential to draw in younger audiences.”

Each episode focuses on two jobs. There is the set-up, the job itself, unexpected challenges, a look at the science and a wind-down section where the audience get to see the team having fun post-job.

“There are always unexpected challenges along the way – like the episode where they have to stop mid-job to help with a rescue after a rockfall,” Armstrong says. “In another, they are being buffeted about by gales at the top of a wind turbine.”

For the series to work, it was crucial to get as close to the action as possible, with filming mainly done by a “daredevil camera operator, drones and GoPros”, says Armstrong. “In one episode, when Trask was suspended over shark-infested waters, we used a helicopter. The key was always to get close to the action.”

Beyond Rights senior vice-president of acquisitions Sarah McCormack says the company’s track record in this space will lead to sales.

“It’s rare we’re dealing with anything that is so visually stunning,” she adds. “At a time when buyers want content that really stands out and engages younger audiences, this takes difficult jobs to a different level.”

Armstrong and McCormack are both convinced End Of The Rope could become a franchise, with Armstrong “looking to take the show international in terms of the jobs”, should it return.