“The Buried Life” makes dreams come true

“Altruism is ultimately what drives us the most,” Brad Tiemann, director of the MTV show The Buried Life, said. This sort of selflessness is exactly what draws people into the increasingly popular show, which uses realistic moments to counteract the fake tans and fighting on Jersey Shore along with a simple mission: complete the 100 tasks on a bucket list and help strangers complete their own missions on the way. While the four cast members appearing on camera came up with the idea for the show, Tiemann was brought on to complete the project.

In the summer of 2007, Ben Nemtin, Duncan Penn, Dave Lingwood and Jonnie Penn, the masterminds behind the project, bought a 1969 purple transit bus with no odometer or gas gauge and called Brad.

“That was it for me. I was in,” Tiemann said. “After some formalities, we hit the road with a small but exceptional crew. After months…and the trip of a lifetime, a pilot episode was made and MTV picked it up.”

This first episode depicted the four cast members attempting to sneak into a party at the Mansion, dressed as Oompa Loompas and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. The Oompa Loompas made it in, but “Cristiano” was sent packing by a snarky security guard. This exploit, while comical, was not met without concerns.

“We never want to set an example of recklessness or irreverence. [The guys] are four of the most respectful people I have ever met,” Tiemann said. “Sometimes you have to take chances in life.”

The Buried Life is much more than parties, though. The foundation of the show is based around helping others, and this assistance is delivered without outside aid.

“We don’t have help from MTV, so once we choose who we are going to help, we can’t help others because we just don’t have the resources,” Tiemann said.

Despite the fact that not everyone is assisted, lives of people across the nation are changed due to the actions of the crew. Parents and children are reunited, fears are addressed and fond memories are revisited with the help of the show. During a particularly amusing moment in the show, Ben, Jonnie, Duncan and Dave dance and even sell the clothes off their backs to raise money in order to buy a computer for a charter school in desperate need of one. Their success and delivery of the brand-new computer brought a tear-jerking moment that none of the other shows on the notorious “un-reality” network can deliver. In a time when the former music station is airing more and more inappropriate and irrelevant shows, The Buried Life brings jolts of heart-wrenching moments like this to the population watching Silent Library and MADE.

The success of the show could not have been brought about without dedication from all members of the crew, and Tiemann was no exception when it came to putting his all into the project.

“If I can’t give something everything I have, then I don’t want to do it.” Tiemann said. “I can tell you this, from the beginning I have left nothing on the table with this project.”

Though Tiemann is clearly invested in the show, in none of the episodes does he explain what he wants to do before he dies. When asked, he responded with a disclaimer and then his dream.

“This answer doesn’t stem from naivety,” Tiemann said. “Help save the world.”

An episode that followed his ambition would surely take more than the 30 minutes given to the show, but there’s also a good chance that by helping create this show, he’s coming closer to completing this exact goal.