From jumping off a building to blowing up a lift shaft, comics Paul Chowdhry and Chris Ramsey break down the blockbuster’s stunts to see if they would work in the real world
Hello and welcome to the daftest bit of programming for Christmas 2023. And I mean that in a good way. The Unofficial Science of Die Hard is presented by deadpan standup comedian Paul Chowdhry and less deadpan standup Chris Ramsey, who together have most daft presenting bases covered. Their festive mission is to investigate the feats performed by everyone’s favourite everyman, John McClane, in the 1988 blockbuster (set during an unfortunate Christmas party in Nakatomi Plaza) that has become a yuletide staple. Their aim is to see if they can re-enact the stunts without dying. Think of it as a movie-specific MythBusters with a dash of Taskmaster thrown in. It is ideal for children and the lightly drunk, which by this time should be most of us. Slainte!
First up is a re-enactment of the jump by McClane off the Nakatomi tower with nothing but a firehose tied around his waist to save him from the unforgiving forces of gravity, and a gun with which to shoot out the windows that represent the next imminent threat to his existence.
