There's no limit to the things people do to get themselves on television. A teenager, for instance, will count how many licks it takes to get to the centre of a Tootsie Roll Pop, no doubt some form of popular American confectionery. Her tally is 1,097.
The Things People Do (Star World, 7.30am) is a new series that makes entertainment from such odd ambitions.
An unemployed construction worker is another case. He employs a bank of telephones and auto-diallers to ensure he gets on every radio contest going, and makes a living from his winnings.
The series also features monuments to strange human foibles. Every day numerous people walk away from their luggage when leaving airports. The town of Alabama has become the lost luggage capital of the world. Unclaimed baggage gets stored in a giant warehouse before being auctioned to local residents.
This Friday several thousand Hong Kong people will set off on their own crazy challenge, spending up to 48 hours hiking some of our most forbidding mountains. Tackling the 100-kilometre Maclehose Trail is one thing. Doing it without two nights' sleep should qualify for an appearance on the Star series.
The Trailwalker event, which raises money for Oxfam Hong Kong, is featured in Hong Kong Connection (Pearl, 6.50pm). A Gruelling Trail follows previous teams as they enjoy their annual dose of glorious masochism and demonstrate that there is more ambition in Hong Kong than the mere making of money.