>>> WE ALL REMEMBER MIKE ROWE
FROM HIS HIT SHOW "DIRTY JOBS."
HE TRAVELED THE COUNTRY, TAKING
ON 300 OF THE HARDEST, DIRTIEST,
AND MOST DANGEROUS JOBS AROUND.
>> WELL, MIKE HAS A NEW SHOW NOW
ON DISCOVERY PLUS CALLED "SIX
DEGREES WITH MIKE ROWE."
HE SETS OUT TO PROVE THAT
EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD IS
CONNECTED.
LIKE HOW A MOUSE TRAP CAN CURE
YOUR HANGOVER.
HOW HORSESHOES HELPED US FIND
OUR SOUL MATES.
IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU, MR. ROWE.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> MORNING.
>> IT IS GOOD TO BE SEEN, GUYS.
HERE ON THE WEST COAST, I CAN
TELL YOU, YOU’RE THE ONLY ONES I
WOULD GET UP THIS EARLY FOR.
>> WELL, WE THANK YOU FOR
GETTING UP.
SO I THINK IN THIS DAY AND AGE,
ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, A SHOW
LIKE THIS, THAT SHOWS
CONNECTIONS, IS PROBABLY
SOMETHING THAT WE COULD USE.
>> IT’S FUNNY, AL, THAT WAS THE
FURTHEST THING FROM MY MIND WHEN
WE SET OUT TO DO THIS THING.
WE STARTED SHOOTING AROUND A
YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
YOU MENTIONED "DIRTY JOBS."
THAT PROGRAM WAS A TRIBUTE TO MY
GRANDFATHER, WHO WAS A SKILLED
TRADESMAN.
"SIX DEGREES" IS A TRIBUTE TO MY
DAD, WHO WAS A HISTORY TEACHER.
HE TOLD ME FROM AS FAR BACK AS I
CAN REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, MY JOB,
MEANING HIM, IS TO MAKE HISTORY
INTERESTING FOR PEOPLE WHO
AREN’T INTERESTED IN HISTORY.
CAN YOU EVER DO A SHOW LIKE
THAT?
>> I LOVE IT.
>> IT TOOK ME 55 YEARS, BUT WE
FINALLY GOT AROUND TO IT.
>> LISTEN, NOW IS BETTER THAN
EVER.
SOME THEORIES SAY THAT MOST
PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED BY ONLY SIX
DEGREES OF SEPARATION.
WE HEAR THAT ONE DEVOTED AND
PERSISTENT FAN HELPED YOU
REALIZE ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS
YOU HAVE.
THIS ONE WAS INTERESTING.
INCLUDING THAT YOU’RE RELATED TO
LORD VOLDEMORT.
>> THE GUY’S NAME WAS JESSE
HAGEN.
JESSE WAS A FAN OF THE SHOW, AND
HE HEARD I WAS IN TOWN.
IT IS A LITTLE WEIRD.
HE GOT THE TAIL NUMBER OFF THE
PLANE I WAS ON.
I WAS ON A SMALL PLANE.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
>> TRACKED ME DOWN, MET ME AT
THE AIRPORT.
>> WOW.
>> GAVE ME THIS.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
>> IT IS THE GENEALOGY OF MY
LIFE.
THAT’S HOW THICK IT IS.
I’LL TELL YA, I KNOW YOU GUYS
HAVE DEVOTED FANS, BUT I WENT
THROUGH THIS THING.
IT TOOK ME A WEEK.
WHEN YOU START TO FIND OUT
YOU’RE RELATED TO PEOPLE WITH
LORD IN THEIR FIRST NAME, IT
DOES MAKE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT HOW
THE REST OF THE WORLD WORKS.
>> THAT’S INCREDIBLE.
YOU JUST MENTIONED "DIRTY JOBS."
I THINK, WITH US TALKING ABOUT
ESSENTIAL WORKERS, YOU’VE
DESCRIBED IT AS THE GRANDDADDY
OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS’ SHOWS.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE, WITH
EVERYTHING GOING ON, WE COULD
SEE A REBOOT COMING UP ANY TIME
SOON?
>> IT FILLS ME WITH A KIND OF
WEIRD MIX OF DREAD AND OPTIMISM,
BUT, YES, IT COULD HAPPEN.
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
IT’S FUNNY YOU ASK, BECAUSE
ESSENTIAL WORK IS HEADLINE NEWS,
BUT NOW THERE’S THIS WHOLE OTHER
NARRATIVE GOING ON THAT SAYS,
WAIT A SECOND, IF THOSE ARE
ESSENTIAL WORKERS, IS EVERYBODY
ELSE NON-ESSENTIAL?
I’M NOT REALLY SURE IT’S SMART
TO USE THAT TERM IN THIS DAY AND
AGE.
>> THAT’S FAIR.
>> SO THERE’S A TON TO TALK
ABOUT AROUND THE NATURE OF WORK
AND HISTORY, AND IT’S REALLY
BEEN A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO HAVE
A FRONT ROW SEAT TO BOTH.
>> WELL, THERE ARE ESSENTIAL
WORKERS, YOU’RE LOOKING AT THREE
OF THEM RIGHT NOW.
NON-ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
YOU’RE LOOKING AT THREE RIGHT
NOW.
>> NON-ESSENTIAL, YEAH.
>> TALKING ABOUT "SIX DEGREES,"
THERE IS A THIN DEGREE OF
SEPARATION BETWEEN YOU AND OUR
PAL, JILL MARTIN.
ONE OF YOUR EARLY JOBS WAS
SELLING PRODUCTS ON QVC?
>> OH, GOSH, YEAH.
1989.
>> WOW.
>> I LOST A BET.
AUDITIONED FOR A JOB I DIDN’T
WANT.
TALKED ABOUT A PENCIL FOR
ROUGHLY EIGHT MINUTES.
AS A RESULT, WOUND UP SELLING
LAVA LAMPS AND WHATNOT IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR THREE
YEARS.
SO, YEAH, THAT HAPPENED.
>> WENT WELL IF YOU DID IT FOR
THREE YEARS.
BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, WE THOUGHT
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, YOU
HAVE A FOUNDATION, WHICH
ENCOURAGES SKILLED TRADES.
YOU GIVE AWAY $1 MILLION?
>> WE GIVE AWAY IS MILLION$1 MIL
YEAR FOR KIDS WHO DON’T WANT TO
HEAD TOWARD A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE,
BUT WOULD RATHER LEARN A SKILL
THAT’S TRULY IN DEMAND.
>> IT’S IMPORTANT.
>> DOING IT SINCE LABOR DAY
2008.
WE’LL DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
IF YOU HAVE ME BACK, I’LL BRING
A COUPLE RECIPIENTS WITH ME.
YOU’LL LOVE THEM.
>> FANTASTIC.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MIKE.
IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.