By Rick Grant
TV Commentary
Spawned from the wildly popular long-running reality show Survivor, two experienced survivalists compete for viewers every week in some godforsaken wilderness with only their survival skills, a knife, and a canteen of water. Whereas naturalist and former British Special Forces soldier, Bear Grylls of Man Vs Wild is dropped into vast wilderness regions with a film crew, Les Shroud, from Canada, is also dropped into a wilderness region, but he films himself, which to me gives Les more credibility.
The allure of these shows is based on viewers saying to themselves “what if” we end up lost in the woods without any provisions, what would we do? Of course, chances of that happening are slim to none but it’s fun to speculate. I like to hike on well marked paths with my cell phone and plenty of water. Clearly, both Bear Grylls and Les Stroud are experienced survivalists who have advanced knowledge of where to find water in various regions, what indigenous plants are safe to eat, and what small creatures and insects are nutritious.
In Bear Grylls’ show, Man Vs Wild, the film crew is unseen, which raises the possibility of Bear cheating. The crew could be carrying extra water, food, and other amenities to make Bear’s survival in the forest more comfortable. In fact, Bear has been criticized for staging some scenes near his hotel. So, next season, Bear’s show will include the film crew and regular people he is teaching to survive. This way, the scenes will be above reproach. More importantly, the show will be more interesting.
Undeniably, Bear has the right stuff for hosting this show. Despite a bad back injury suffered in a parachuting accident on a Special Forces’ mission, Bear went on to climb Mount Everest. He was only 23 and the youngest person to reach the summit at that time (1998). In 2007, he was also the first person to fly a powered paraglider over the summit of Everest, ascending to 29,500 feet. In 2005, Bear took a group of young men to the Western Sahara Desert to undergo the French Foreign Legion’s basic training, which is considered the most brutal training of any armed forces in the world.
My favorite Bear Grylls adventure was his survival deep in the Everglades, wading through alligator infested swamp water and eating insects and frogs. Bear made a camp in a tree with a fire to dry out his feet, which are vulnerable to trench foot. Bear showed viewers that they could siphon the dirty swamp water through a T-shirt, boil it, and drink it. The endless swamp with its poisonous snakes and alligators is a foreboding place to be stranded. It’s impossible to get your bearings, but Bear showed viewers how to navigate this treacherous environment. One wonders, though, that when he yells “cut” he may say, “Hey, who’s got a beer,” to the crew.
Frankly, I like both shows, and Bear knows his stuff, but by far, Les Shroud seems more rugged and authentic. By filming himself, his challenges are much more authentic. He is indeed alone, with no help from anyone. Of course, the show’s insurance policy insists that Les carry a satellite phone in case he gets injured, he can call for help. But that would be a last resort for this tough outdoors man. Les grew up in the wilderness of northern Canada, hunting and learning survival skills. Les writes, produces, and stars in his series. He even wrote and edited the theme music.
Renowned as an outdoor adventurer, filmmaker, singer/songwriter, and naturalist, Les has 20 years of experience learning survival skills and producing films. He singlehandedly produced the pilot for Survivorman and pitched it to Discovery International/The Science Channel. They bought it on the spot. My favorite Les Shroud adventure was his trip to Alaska where he battled the brutal weather and there were only four hours of light per day. The salmon were running, but he had to stay clear of black and grizzly bears who feast on the yearly salmon run. Shroud built a shelter from rubbish and used items he found in the environment to help him survive, living off rats and other small creatures. Since Shroud is completely alone, his adventures are more intriguing. There is no hotel where he could have a cocktail, only the relentless bleakness of the wilderness. That is not to say that Bear Grylls’ show is not authentic, but he has corrected any doubts by including the film crew in the show.
Ah yes, I can only imagine being lost in the wilderness. I might remember Bear’s or Les’ advice, but chances are; I’m just not tough enough to survive for long.
Man Vs Wild and Suvivorman are both on The Discovery Channel. Check local listings for times.
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