{ "id": "epevcfbx1d", "slug": "fearless", "title": "Fearless", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual", "label": 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] } ], "excerpt": "Fearless (2016 Netflix documentary series, Portuguese-language) follows Brazilian PBR bull riders from Barretos to the Las Vegas World Finals; six episodes, directed by Michael John Warren, Boardwalk Pictures, premiered August 19, 2016.", "snippet": "Fearless (2016 Netflix documentary series, Portuguese-language) follows Brazilian PBR bull riders from Barretos to the Las Vegas World Finals; six episodes, directed by Michael John Warren, Boardwalk Pictures, premiered August 19, 2016.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_documentary_factual.factual_entertainment_formats.yr-2001-2019", "markdown": "# Fearless\n\n**Fearless** is a 2016 six-part Netflix original documentary series that follows top Brazilian professional bull riders competing in [Professional Bull Riders](https://www.edgepedia.org/professional-bull-riders) (PBR), from the Barretos event in São Paulo to the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) It premiered on Friday, August 19, 2016, exclusively to Netflix members worldwide, and its original language is Portuguese.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fearless)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | August 19, 2016, exclusively to Netflix members worldwide[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) |\n| Premise | Brazilian riders pursue money, respect, and titles on a journey from Brazil to the Las Vegas championships[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197) |\n| On-screen figures | Adriano Moraes, J.B. Mauney, Silvano Alves, Kaique Pacheco, Guilherme Marchi, Robson Palermo[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197) |\n| Key credits | Directed by Michael John Warren; David Broome executive producer; Andrew Fried showrunner; Sean Gleason co-producer[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fearless) |\n| Production | Boardwalk Pictures, with 25/7 Productions (Dave Broome, Yong Yam)[4](https://boardwalkpics.com/our-work/fearless/) |\n| Language | Portuguese[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fearless) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Format and premise\n\nThe series follows the lives of the top Brazilian riders in PBR from the massive Barretos event in São Paulo to the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, as they risk injury to earn money, respect, and titles.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) • [3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197)\n\nThe New York Times review notes that the series chronicles the PBR's 2015 season, and that much of the series was shot in Brazil, which supplies riders to PBR the way the [Dominican Republic](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominican-republic) supplies shortstops to [Major League Baseball](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-league-baseball).[5](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/arts/television/netflix-fearless-review.html)\n\n### Episodes and on-screen figures\n\nNetflix lists the starring subjects as Adriano Moraes, J.B. Mauney, Silvano Alves, Kaique Pacheco, Guilherme Marchi, and Robson Palermo.[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197) Moraes, a former world champion, is the figure who inspired the group of Brazilian riders to enter the American pro circuit.[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197)\n\nThe episodes include:[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197)\n\n1. \"Shining Knows No Borders\": inspired by former world champion Adriano Moraes, a group of Brazilian bull riders enter the pro circuit in America for their shot at glory.\n2. \"A Harvest In August\": centered on the legendary Barretos International Rodeo event.\n3. \"The Thrill Is Gone\"\n4. In \"The Outsiders,\" the Brazilian families talk over how hard adapting to American life has been; Robson Palermo endures a rough pounding yet carries on; and Nunes claims the judging is biased.\n5. \"Glory And The Price Paid\"\n6. \"Being Mortal\": with injuries piling up, the Brazilian riders fight Mauney until the World Finals conclude; a single competitor leaves bull riding behind, but the rest continue on.\n\n## Production and credits\n\nFearless was produced by Boardwalk Pictures, with executive producers Dave Broome and Yong Yam through 25/7 Productions and Andrew Fried also credited.[4](https://boardwalkpics.com/our-work/fearless/) The PBR press release names David Broome (The Biggest Loser, The Briefcase) as executive producer, Andrew Fried ([Chef's Table](https://www.edgepedia.org/chefs-table)) as showrunner, and Michael Warren as director.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) Rotten Tomatoes gives the director's full name as Michael John Warren.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fearless) Sean Gleason, chief executive of PBR, served as co-producer of the series.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/)\n\nThe commercial context mattered to the project: WME-IMG had bought Professional Bull Riders in 2015 for an estimated $100 million, and the series arrived as part of that ownership's push.[5](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/arts/television/netflix-fearless-review.html)\n\n## Reception and critical positioning\n\nThe New York Times review, published on the premiere date, judged that the series \"looks good and moves smoothly.\"[5](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/arts/television/netflix-fearless-review.html) In that same review, the writer added a caveat: the series resembles an extended advertisement, noting that Sean Gleason, who both helped produce it and serves as PBR's chief executive, appears first among the credits.[5](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/arts/television/netflix-fearless-review.html)\n\nNetflix positioned Fearless within its mid-2010s slate of original documentary and docu-series programming, alongside [Making a Murderer](https://www.edgepedia.org/making-a-murderer), the Oscar-nominated films Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, What Happened, Miss Simone?, The Square, and Virunga, and the Emmy-nominated docu-series Chef's Table.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/)\n\n## By the numbers: scale and reach\n\nThe quantitative frame of the series is compact. It consists of six episodes.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/) The sport it documents had itself just changed hands, with WME-IMG's estimated $100 million purchase of Professional Bull Riders in 2015 preceding the series.[5](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/arts/television/netflix-fearless-review.html)\n\n## Availability\n\nThe series was released exclusively to Netflix members worldwide.[1](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Netflix documentary series, Fearless, to premiere Aug. 19 – PBR press release](https://www.pbr.com/news/2016/07/netflix-documentary-series-fearless-to-premiere-aug-19/)\n2. [Fearless – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/fearless)\n3. [Watch Fearless – Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/title/80078197)\n4. [Fearless – Boardwalk Pictures](https://boardwalkpics.com/our-work/fearless/)\n5. [Review: Netflix's 'Fearless' Explores the World's 'Most Dangerous Sport' – The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/arts/television/netflix-fearless-review.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Documentary, docudrama, and lifestyle series › Factual entertainment and specialist-interest formats › Premiered 2001 to 2019*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Fearless\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Fearless](https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless](https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Fearless\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/fearless. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Fearless follows Brazilian PBR bull riders from Barretos to the Las Vegas World Finals; six episodes, directed by Michael John Warren, Boardwalk Pictures, premiered August 19, 2016." }