Hunted

If you are looking for a fair hunters and hunted show you won't find it here. The rules have everything slanted to make it easy for the hunters, and this can be frustrating. Season 4 especially. But some people can outwit the hunters and you have to applaud them. If you consider it real fugitives do have everything stacked against them the shows does try to replicate this.

Contestants are not able to crawl into a hole for 25 days, they must move, rely on family and friends, have limited access to cash.

If you can suspend disbelief and take this show at face value you will enjoy it. If you are looking for a completely authentic non-scripted reality show, this is not the show for you.

I don't like that they use the help of the public aren't they supposed to do it themselves. It takes away the excitement. There not showing any skills. But I like seeing catch them with skill.

I don't know where to start!

It's a great concept but the statement at the top of the show probably tells you all you need to know. Something like "powers of the state such as CCTV, ANPR etc have been replicated...."

The hunted candidates are genuine enough and have no idea what they're getting into. Fair enough.

And the hunters and their contrived ops room, manufactured powers and cringing and obviously rehearsed sound bites are just laughable. "Let's take them down", "I want these two in the bag by the end of the day" and so in. Laughable.

And the "field agents" in their black SUVs. Couldn't be more stereotypical if they tried.

You'd need to be a mug to treat this show as believable.

I really enjoyed the first few series of Hunters and originally gave it 8/10. However, in the last couple of series it's gone way downhill, and I agree with other reviewers that it now feels very scripted. For whatever reason, the contestants act far more stupid now than they ever did in earlier series and that just spoils it for me. Taunting the Hunters with video clips on social media certainly isn't real life; who on the run would actually do that? The cameraman following the hunted is a necessity for the programme and I understand that. I've downgraded my review to 4/10 now and won't be watching anymore future series.

Here are the rules:

They have a 30 minute head start. They can take whatever they can carry including a tent etc. They have 28 days to get to the designated end location. They must not break the law. During active hours of hunting they must keep on the move and change location regularly – no hiding in the sewer for the entire time. They must attempt to throw the hunters off their scent – and do their best to decoy them. They need to make use of a support network and they must make contact with family and friends. They have £250 in a bank account, only accessible in small amounts via an ATM. I believe they must get the money out regardless of whether its needed as a rule. They must take with them a cameraman.

We are never told the rules on the show (only on the website). This means the players are made to look stupid when choosing not to hide in an abandoned house for the duration, as that would be trespassing. They are required to call home which gives away their location, but it is edited to look as though they are being stupid and doing it out of impulse.

Also, the law rule is ignored as hitchhiking is illegal in this country but they happily ignore that.

Its an interesting show, but the rules need better clarification and explaining to the viewers so we understand the game more, if we are truly to do as they request and ask ourselves what would you do?