Man vs Wild
This was the first “survival” show I watched. I caught it in tv at a friend’s house many years before I got into survivalisim. I was hooked on the show from that first episode I saw. Man vs wild and presenter Bear Grylis get a pretty bad reputation in the survival community. Admittedly some of it is deserved. Bear is an adventure seeker and a jackass. He takes many risks in his adventures that could and should be avoided. I feel he does this because he’s crazy and gets off on danger. Also I feel that him showing the hardest way to do some things makes better tv. It would be pretty boring otherwise. TVs first role is to entertain, if some actual teaching is snuk in all the better. Bear does manage to squeeze in some good information from time to time. The key takeaway from man vs wild is watch it to be entertained, have a laugh and don’t try to replicate his crazy stunts.
Survivor man
Les Stroud and his show is much more respected and for good reason. Les goes out with no crew and does his own camera work. No pizza or hotels for him. That definitely adds a huge measure of realism to the show. It also adds to the difficulty of trying to survive with les having to constantly go back to get cameras. Another thing this show showed was how bad most survival situation would suck. Les spent most time being miserably, starving, cold and dehydrated. With that said Les really used the show as a teaching platform. He filled the shows with tips and tricks and showed when things didn’t work. I feel that learning from failures is very important and try to always show my failures. Watching this show will help you realize that survival is not glamorous fun times. It will suck and being prepared is the best fix.
The Colony
Jericho
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By and large, “Survivorman” is my favorite survival show. I’ve seen each episode numerous times because it offers a realistic portrayal of survival. “Man vs. Wild” is a good show, also, with the exceptions you mentioned. I totally agree that Bear does over-the-top stunts for the sake of good TV, but he does know his stuff and a lot of his advice is solid. “Jericho” was an awesome show that I felt ended too soon.
Grylls is a jackass. In fact he would fit in perfectly on the show of the same name, in my opinion.
I part-time as an instructor at a survival school, and hearing his name in class is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I refuse to buy Gerber products since he signed with them. He represents everything that makes the term “survivalist” a bad thing. Yes, it is to sell TV ads, and, sadly, it works. But not for this guy.
Stroud is a great one, he tells you up front he isn’t a survival expert, though after all the work he has put in, I’m guessing he is now better at it than most.
Jericho was definitely a +1.
I also like Dual Survival (even with the Canterbury fiasco – he DOES know his stuff, even if his resume was faked a bit).
I also like Man, Woman, Wild. It offers a unique spin, man wife combo with the man knowing everything, the wife is just there for eye candy and drama. It works. By showing the wife how to do things, he also teaches the viewers. Nice format.
And anything with Ray Mears is worth watching. The guy makes it look so easy.
Jericho started out really well. I think they did a fantastic job of portraying how the first few days during and after a disaster would play out. People are confused, panicked, and formerly routine problems (a heart attack, a structure fire) suddenly become dire situations without systems of support. The power struggles within the town hit ring true, but the vast majority of the town is made up of good people who band together to make the best of it.
After things settle down and the town realizes that they need to start working on life after the disaster, all of the petty high school drama that has been simmering beneath the surface throughout the first few episodes starts to rear its ugly head. Now-adult characters are dragged into old jealousies and feuds that take the focus off of survival and place it on rekindled romances and inter-family drama. Then suddenly biker gangs, an undercover government agent planted in the town to transmit information, escaped prisoners, and jack-booted army thugs start terrorizing the town and the show loses all the focus it built up in the early going.
I’d agree with you on early Jericho episodes, but it loses its way in a hurry.
Saw a promo for a new show…don’t think it starts until this coming week. Apparently, it is based on dropping a nude man and woman off to survive in the wilderness.
I did see the one about the naked man…..excellent…he didn’t mind sorta going nuts on camera, like any normal person would do. But they should have given him a tiny thong to wear.
Sorry, but I thought Jericho was a horrible example of how NOT to get things done.
First, they let their personal relationships (good tv, bad survival skills) have too much bearing on their decisions. If you don’t like how things are done, hit the road. The drama queens will have to rethink their petty selfish actions or they won’t be living in my camp.
There was one episode where they were going to be attacked by some outlaws, so they set up a roadblock with a family sedan and all got down behind it.
They had access to dump rucks and heavy equipment and they had people capable of sniping the enemy from the hillsides.
Taking out an armed group head on is not good tactics; take out their tires, fuel trucks, drivers, cooks, mechanics and their will to fight with ambushes.
There were many other examples like that, but, hey, it wasn’t bad entertainment.
Season 2 of the colony was pretty bad. some what watchable. But Bear Grylis? oh hell no!
Wow Man vs Wild…. Really?
Yes I know Bear is a jackass, I also know much of the show is fake. However Bear does know survival and having successfully climbed MT. Everest he can back up his asshatery.
As a female lifetime prepper, I found your comments about Doomsday Preppers to be very true. I fine my best source for learning new skills is You Tube. I type in my interest and watch the video. If it is good, I use the info. There is a survival school newaby, but at $100.00 per class – I save my cash and actually invest in needed gear. I very much enjoy Survival Punk.
I agree Youtube is a much better learning resource than Tv. $100 for survival training is a steal though, if they are qualified instructors, what school is it Wolfy?
If you get the chance, take a look at the British show Survivors. Go with the original one, that ran from ’75 to ’77. There is a newer version, 2008, but it only lasted one season, and did not get into the things people need to consider in such a situation. The original one even had the characters working on a biogas setup based on pig poop!
Both versions of the show are on Netflix.
Not a Man vs Wild fan as I prefer Survivorman which is more relatable to me. Stroud also had a disaster show. He talked about when he was a guest on Joe Rogan’s show, about the things that went wrong on this show and why it didn’t work out. It was an interesting concept though and he gave a great interview. You can catch the show and the interview on YouTube – and watch him jam as well. Just search rogan les stroud.
Another show I thought was interesting was Apocalypse Man. I only saw one show but I liked what I saw. I’m not sure if there were other shows. I am not in the shape that guy was so as far as applying it to an everyday schlub like me…well, I don’t know. It was probably nothing that you haven’t seen before but it was interesting to see it applied in video/docudrama format.
BBC has/had a Doomsday Prepper type show as well. I liked it for the perspective outside the US, our laws versus their laws.
A show I WOULD like to see is sort of a combo between Extreme Home Makeover and Doomsday Preppers were experts assist regular people who are trying to prep. It could be prepping your BOV, GHB, pantry/storage, energy, defense, cooking/canning…how to shop, how to save $$, re-purposing….anything you or I talk or read about everyday. Make it less about what they are preparing for an more about the preps. I can see Mr Survival Punk using his independent film/video producer contacts getting together to make this happen! 😉
I guess in the end you have to determine if you want to be entertained or educated when picking the shows you want to watch.
I would love to go video some preps and chit chat with people on what they are doing. What I really want to see in a survival show is for random real preppers to be dropped off in the woods with their actual BOB and to survive with it. It would be cook to see what works and what doesn’t.