Man vs. Wild

I have been watching this show ever since it commenced & I don't think I have missed any episodes as I find them very interesting and entertaining, to say nothing about the information that is given out. I have read a lot about the supposed falsehoods that Bear Grylls is perpetrating & have read comments about many people who have criticized the show.

I would like to add my own two pence of opinion here...accepted that he has a camera crew & other people running behind him, but I think the main purpose of this show is to show us how to survive...somebody has written that he puts himself into situations that nobody who actually gets lost would ever do (like climbing down a waterfall, getting soaked in ice cold water etc)...again the assumption here is that IF anybody encounters such a situation, this is how they could save their life...

I have read allegations that he sleeps in motels and not in the shelters that he has himself built...clearly the filming of an episode takes several days, so why on earth would he subject himself to the inconvenience of sleeping out all that time??? hasn't he demonstrated the most effective way to build a shelter and isn't that more than enough for a person who is watching the show to learn a few tricks? There is another complaint that he never is in any real danger...in fact being the show's star attraction, he would be fool hardy if he put his life in danger and it makes sense that he takes all precautions...again he is showing us the ropes so why don't people understand that? I commend the fact that he is prudent enough to value his own life (for the sake of his producers, fans, his family & obviously himself)...

As for the comparisons with survivorman, I have not seen the other show...from what I have heard that show is quite informative, though not as entertaining...I feel both of them are doing a good job in their own unique ways...it would be unfair to compare them...

Bear Grylls might be making a lot of money with this show, but so what? I don't feel there is anything wrong with using your skills & abilities to earn money...don't we all try to do exactly the same??? The purpose of this show is to provide information about basic survival in various extreme environments in an entertaining manner...I think, on that score, it delivers perfectly...this is evident by the fact that my 10 year old nephew can watch this show in rapt fascination as does my 60 year old father-in-law...

Lastly for all those who criticize the show, though I respect their opinion, I feel they are being too harsh & overlooking the obvious purpose of the show...this is not a test of endurance for Bear grylls and he is not trying to prove anything (check out his background, he has achieved more than most of us will in 10 lifetimes)...he is merely showing ways of survival in a very entertaining manner & let us not be so naive as to think that this could be achieved without a certain amount of manipulation...sit back & enjoy the ride, guys...

Out of all the survival shows being made today, this one is by far the least realistic. Many scenes are often staged (as mentioned in the disclaimer before each episode) and the the survival techniques are suspect. Additionally, some things are done purely for the shock value, such as the way he eats live insects, reptiles, fish, etc with his mouth open and so close to the camera. This is NOT a show to watch to learn survival skills. If you go out and do what you've seen here, you will most likely die a painful and embarrassing death. Your obituary will read like that of a teenage kid who died imitating something he saw on Jackass.

However, with that understood, there is something to be said for the entertainment value, provided that you almost watch it as if it were a fictional TV series. The scenery is amazing and Bear Grylls is fun to follow through the different locations. He's got a great personality and can even be amusing at times. And there may even be a good survival tip in there now and again, but you have to be able to distinguish it from the rest of the stuff and realize that it will almost never be as easy as he makes it out to be. Plus I gotta admit, the concept of always taking a knife, a canteen with a pot and a fire starter of some sort as a minimum of equipment for any trip in the wilds seems to be good advice.

I've only seen the show a few times, but it totally has me hooked. I just can't believe some of the thing's he'll do. My favorite part was Bear wandering about the Amazon when he decides he's hungry. So he makes a bow from branches and vines, whittles a few arrows and shoots a couple of piranhas for dinner! This man is the Macgyver of reality television.

Yeah, the survival advice may not come in handy the next time I take a drive to the supermarket- but it's seriously entertaining to watch what the man can do with only a flint, knife, canteen and a whole lot of research.

The basic plot is Bear parachutes himself into a secluded wildlife area and is there until he gets himself out. The camera crew is along for the ride so he is not as secluded as he could be but he is out in the middle of no where with only his wits, a canteen and a flint to get him through.

Behind the scenes, a ton of research is completed on the area of challenge and Bear is the beneficiary. He can speak smartly about the area and gives wonderful bits of information that he works into his commentary.

All in all, a very good show, very enjoyable, some humor, good bits of information.

Those suggesting that Bear does not have any or the best survival skills and that he is not actually surviving. Putting yourself in a position where you have to survive and presenting a show designed to entertain based on a man in the wild. To be stranded he would actually have to strand himself with a film crew. That is not actually being stranded.

The show itself is entertaining and that is what it is for. Of course he could be more logical with his survival but it is not survival. He has put himself in that position. If he did the same thing as the show referenced in other reviews 'Survivorman' it would be the same show. There is also a reason this is in the Top 150 shows on IMDb and not 'Survivorman' This is not a Documentary. Please take this into consideration when you have a low IQ and feel the need to post a review.