Destroyed in Seconds (Discovery Channel)

The title of DESTROYED IN SECONDS really explains it all. Ron Pitts hosts this relatively intense reality show, narrating clip after clip of harrowing real-life accidents. There are car crashes, airplane crashes, boat crashes, and many, many other kinds of accidents. Watch a tornado lift an entire house off its foundation. Watch a ship plow into a bridge at full speed and burst into flames while the crew runs around the deck trying to salvage their doomed vessel. Watch a fierce windstorm literally shake a suspension bridge to pieces. And so on.

Some of these accidents -- captured on amateur video, surveillance cameras, and news footage -- are just that, completely random events that couldn't be prevented or predicted. Others are the result of human error, from minor mistakes to massive blunders in judgment. As these disasters unfold, Pitts explains what's happening and what caused them, as well as noting whether the people involved survived (given the scope of these catastrophes, it's surprising how often there are no fatalities). The show sometimes runs clips again in slow motion to highlight when someone managed to jump off a boat or bail out of a plane at the last minute.

For an audience raised on the high-octane faux explosions of Hollywood blockbusters, these real blasts will look a bit different. Some seem less impressive but still quite deadly, while others look a lot like the fictional version. But knowing that real people are in real danger makes all of these clips seem more harrowing than any fictional film or TV show.

TV Rating: TV-14
Network: Discovery Channel
Cast: Ron Pitts
Genre: Reality TV
Where to watch: Discovery Channel