TV: Survivorman versus Man V Wild

LongIslandPiney

Explorer
Jan 11, 2006
484
0
I enjoy these outdoor shows they have on TV now. The 1st show came out a couple years ago on The Science Channel, featuring Les Stroud, called Survivorman. There were episodes in the Boreal Forest, The Canyonlands, The Arctic, The Rainforests of Costa Rica, and Mountains. This is one of the best shows on TV, where Les is literally all by himself, there's no camera crew, he films it all himself.
Thus it is realistic, and the host gives some really good ways to survive getting lost in the woods.
The other show has just hit the airwaves on The Discovery Channel, called Man Vs. Wild. The host is some british guy called Bear Grylls. It's not as good as Survivorman. First of all there's a camera crew there, and the host doesn't seem nearly as knowledge-able, or as tough as Les Stroud. My main critique has to do with the methods used, which are often wrong. In the 1st episode which was in a forest, Bear often rushes down hillsides, which is a good way to injure yourself as you slide down or slide into a ravine to your death. Then instead of hiking along a river, he jumps into it, and gets very cold because of the river, which also has rapids.
In the tropical rainforest episode, which aired just a couple of weeks ago, Bear drinks water from a stream but does not boil it first (nor does he have an iodine tablet). As you'd predict, he gets violently ill with vomiting and diarrhea. He's always rushing through, almost as if he is terrified of the wilderness. The slogan to Man vs Wild is "Watch, Learn, Survive". But doing the things Bear does will get you killed.
It may be good entertainment, but if you really want to watch a show about survival, it's Survivorman with Les Stroud without a doubt!
Now if only they'd get that 2nd season of Survivorman on the air. I was really hoping they'd do an episode about surviving the Pine Barrens. If Bear and Man Vs. Wild does the PB, Bear will be running out of there like a girl because of some noises. :jd:
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,344
333
Near Mt. Misery
They ought to film it in the late summer and see how they deal with the chiggers:) I have been watching "I shouldn't be alive" on Discovery. Did you see that. The one with the guy in the plane crash in the african wild, or the mountain climbers. Good show. I saw the promo for man vs wild but did not see it. What a shame that they are providing misinfomation. I would have thought they would have technical experts there but I guess not...or maybe they are showing you the consequence of the wrong decisions.

Jeff
 
Top