• Technicians work on live power lines carrying as much as 765,000 volts.
• Meet old-timers and new trainees, and see how the craft has evolved over the decades.
• A thorough history of one of the most dangerous jobs in the modern world: electrical lineman.

Since man first caught lightning in a bottle and tamed electricity, we have maintained a wary relationship with this unimaginably critical but deadly force. We have always relied on a select caste of technicians to wrangle the vital spark for us: the linemen (and, increasingly, linewomen).

Over every fruited plain and purple mountain of this nation are strung lines conveying hundreds of thousands of volts to the remotest corners. Every mile of line represents an engineering marvel and an imperiled life.

In this special presentation from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®, you have a rare chance to meet these unsung heroes of American progress. Go back in time with men who put up lines half a century ago against stunning odds. Meet victims of harrowing power line accidents. See how today’s trainees are being prepared and watch as they learn how to rescue comrades from high voltage towers.

In the early days, the death toll among these men was one in two. Through their own improvisational ingenuity they devised home-made solutions to many of the problems that hampered electrical distribution and made their work so dangerous. The work remains risky – making repairs from the skids of a hovering helicopter, voluntarily allowing 500,000 volts to pass through you – but today the death toll is far lower and the real story is the mammoth scope of modern electrification projects. It has fascinating historical photos and film clips which document the advances in technology and safety equipment since the early days, when 1 out of every 2 linemen was killed on the job.

You’re in for a shock, you’re in for a treat, from this special THE HISTORY CHANNEL® presentation, HIGH VOLTAGE.