Get grossed out by ‘Brain Surgery Live’

With the rise of DVRs and time-shifted viewing, which allow viewers to fast-forward through the commercials, advertisers are always on the lookout for live events.

This is why we have everything from regular, old-school entertainment like NBC's bizarrely engrossing comedy, "Undateable Live," to one-time stunts such as Nik Wallenda's tightrope walking.

To that latter category, you can add "Brain Surgery Live" (6 p.m. Sunday, National Geographic Channel).

U.S. Navy veteran Greg Grindley, 49, has lived with Parkinson's disease since 2004. On Sunday, he'll undergo awake deep brain stimulation in an attempt to treat the condition. The key word in that sentence? Awake.

Broadcast from University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, the Bryant Gumbel-hosted special is being billed by the channel as an event "that we hope will illuminate and teach, as well as tell a story that is unforgettable."

But, first and foremost, you'll get to spend two hours looking on in horror as people poke around in some dude's noggin.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com. On Twitter: @life_onthecouch.