Four young men, with their lives ahead of them, have spent a lot of time thinking about what they want to do before they die. Duncan, 26, Ben, 25, Dave, 23, and Jonnie, 22, wrote down 100 goals (kiss the Stanley Cup; get on the cover of Rolling Stone; help deliver a baby; experience zero gravity; skydive and so on) and have spent the last three years filming the thrill of getting them done.
The Buried Life, premiering Monday (10 p.m., MTV) is an engaging series following their quest, which began as a road trip in the summer of 2006. MTV actually offered them a TV show - No. 53 - not long after they started, but they turned it down to keep working at the list on their own terms. Three years later, they've taken MTV's bait, and with any luck the publicity will help them cross off a few of their Hollywood ambitions, such as No. 79, dance with Ellen DeGeneres and No. 99, host Saturday Night Live. The guys may not get to every item (No. 100 is "Go to space"), but their enthusiasm and sense of fun make this addictive viewing. Plus, they have also pledged to help a stranger realize a dream every time they cross an item off their list - everything from tracking down a man's long-lost son, to taking sick kids on a shopping spree at Toys R Us.
ALSO AIRING
Diagnosis Bipolar (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., 6 p.m. on HBO Canada) A searing film about children living with mental illness in which five families open their homes to a documentary team. Hard to watch, but heartening for anyone living with a similar problem.
Bugs, Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime (Thursday, 8 p.m. on CBC) Airing on The Nature of Things, this hour examines how the natural world helps forensic investigators break down what happened and when at a crime scene.