Dirty Jobs is an American docu-reality television series produced by Pilgrim Films in which host Mike Rowe is shown performing difficult, strange, and/or messy occupational duties alongside professional workers.
The series originally premiered in the USA on the Discovery Channel on 7 November, 2003. There are four seasons to date.
Dirty Jobs airs in South Africa on DStv's Discovery Channel. The second season premiered on Wednesday 2 May 2007, at 21h00. There are 54 episodes in the season.
Synopsis
Stuck in a dead-end job? Daydreaming about a new career? Combing through the classifieds for your next calling? Well, what about these jobs?
"Roadkill Collector: Must be able to work long hours braving oncoming traffic while picking up creatures of various size and breed and in various states of decay. Benefits include working outdoors. Strong stomach a plus."
"Catfish Noodler: In search of people who can catch potentially 100-pound catfish with their hands only. Must not mind sticking limbs in holes in search of game and getting bitten as a result."
Welcome to Dirty Jobs, the series that profiles the unsung American labourers who make their living in the most unthinkable — yet vital — ways.
Host and apprentice Mike Rowe introduces you to a hardworking group of men and women who overcome fear, danger and sometimes stench and overall ickiness to accomplish their daily tasks.
Not one to just stand by, each week Rowe assumes the duties of the jobs he's profiling, working alongside rattlesnake catchers, fish processors, bee removers, septic-tank technicians and other professionals: average folks tackling extraordinary tasks that simply must get done.
Dirty Jobs is about more than just a glimpse into unfamiliar occupational duties — serving slop to pigs, collecting sperm from stallions and removing bones from fish, for example.
It also helps one gain a new understanding and appreciation for all the often-unpleasant functions someone is shouldering to make your everyday life easier, safer — and often cleaner.