The press launch event for Discovery Networks International's new Bear Grylls show, Escape from Hell which took place on Wednesday evening at the Battersea Power Station in south-west London saw fire fighters rush to the scene after a fire alarm was raised.
Bear Grylls: Escape from Hell will start on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) on 1 October at 20:30 in South Africa along with other survivalist shows as part of "Survival Season" for the month. Bear Grylls: Escape from Hell is being launched in 224 countries by Discovery Networks International.
As Bear Grylls rappelled down the side of the Battersea Power Station, flames were projected onto the sides of the building. So realistic were the flames and pyrotechnic explosions which engulfed the landmark power station that it saw a call being put in on Wednesday evening to London's fire brigade which then rushed two fire engines to the scene.
The London Fire Brigade criticised the Discovery Channel for the stunt, telling Discovery that "it would be good to let us know so we don't waste our fire engines."
Other "Survival Season" programming starting in October on Discovery Channel include Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford starting on 1 October at 21:30. The former British army captain and explorer undertakes a survival challenge naked by trying to survive on a desert island south-east of Fiji.
Car vs Wild will start on 1 October at 22:30 on Discovery Channel in which Gary Humphrey and the American car junkie Bill Wu are dropped into and forced to make their way back to civilisation in just a small red car.
Naked & Afraid starts on Tuesday 29 October at 21:30 in which two strangers - one man and one woman, are stranded for 21 days in one of the world's most extreme environments.
In December Discovery Channel will have Swimming with Monsters which will start on Tuesday 10 December at 21:30 in which the adventurer Steve Backshall dives with fascinating but deadly animals, including hippos, giant squid and the great white shark.
"It is fantastic to have Bear Grylls back on Discovery Channel to lead our Survival programming season," says Lee Hobbs, the channel director for emerging business for Discovery Networks for the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region.
"He is a true game-changer in the survival genre, integral in shaping it into the programming powerhouse that it is today."
"Escape from Hell, along with our other new survival series premiering across the season, are guaranteed to have our audiences at the edge of their seats this October," says Lee Hobbs.
