Re: the recent press accusations of motels and stagings in the show that have been doing the rounds, all I can say is they don't always tell the full story, but that’s life and part of being in the public eye I guess.
That's a non-denial denial if I've ever heard one.
Anyway, regardless of what they actually do or do-not-do while filming, Man vs. Wild remains one of my favorite television shows. After all, I'm watching it for entertainment purposes, not for learning how to survive in the wild. If I wanted that, I would grow a beard, move to Montana, and befriend a grizzly bear named Ted, and we'd frolic in the mountain valleys and drink too much boxed wine on our cross country road trips and use fluffy bunnies as toilet paper. You know, just like in college.
Jon Sagara 
Man vs Wild and Bear Grylls are the best thing on TV. Of course you can't watch it as a guide to survival. I'm in pretty good shape, but come on; I'm not climbing any 100ft. trees or jumping 60ft. into a river! Most people that get stranded in the wild are not going to be in the shape Bear is in. Nor will they have his knowledge. The bottom line is; If they were that smart and in that shape, they probebly wouldn't be lost somewhere in the first place! I'm no survival expert, but I have a brain. I will never be stranded in the wild. First, I let people know where I'm going and when I'll be back. If I get off course (lost) I'll stop moving within 20 or 30 miles. I carry a lighter in my pocket, waterproof matches in my pack, and a flint around my neck. So I WILL be able to make fire to signal. The people who expect me back notify search and rescue, I'm within 30 miles of where I should be and I'm sending up smoke. I'm found without doing crazy stunts. It really is that simple! My point is; watch Bear Grylls for the same reason you watch pro wrestling. You know it's not real. But they are great athletes and great intertainment! And in that Bear Grylls is the best of the best. And anyone saying that he's not in danger because he has a camera crew and safty people; tell that to Steve Erwin. (The Croc Hunter).
Tom,
Agreed.
The reason people are irked, though, is the way Bear presented the show, at least in the early episodes. I'm paraphrasing here, but he said it was just him, his knife, and a canteen. The camera crew were there only to film him; they were to have no contact with him whatsoever unless Bear was in mortal danger. IIRC, he was supposed to have only 5 days to make it back to civilization.
Realizing that the show was just another entertainment vehicle was like a mild kick to the crotch. Though the general public (myself included) should have known better, it still sucks to be lied to.
Thanks for the feedback!
agreed Jon. i say please remove from the website this part: "These programmes involve Bear being dropped into some of the world's most inhospitable places, equipped with little more than the clothes on his back, and showing how to survive and get out alive! Further info visit Channel Four." just the clothes on his back? right. also in walking distance of a hotel. total bs. he wasnt honest & acted like it was genuine. thats what erks me. he should try what Surviorman does if he wants any respect for his show. he lost mine with this bs. oh well, i liked the show. but to pee on ur head, pretend your dying and stuff. come on. then go to a hotel. booooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
The show has always been about 1) Giving baseline advise on survival. He always gives interesting info on terrain, direction and stories throughout the show. 2) Working through a survival scenario. Its effectively a story with him in the middle. He does a masterful job of pulling you in and makes you almost feel the situation he is in. 3) Introducing a stunt or two in each show that are there for entertainment/education purpose only. I think it is obvious that he wouldn’t jump in the middle of an ice hole or quicksand if he didn’t have a crew with him.
You always knew it wasn’t a true survival situation because he never had the panic or desperation one would have of being completely alone.
The main thing for me is that it is my 6 year old’s favorite show and we have a ball watching it. It is such an extreme departure from the typical junk on TV that I can get by understanding it is a mix of reality/illusion/entertainment.
Chris
The point is that one of the allures of the show that give it it's popularity is that sense that the man is truly in a potentially exhausting battle with nature, not that we are getting educated about survival. If the audience that has given the show it's ratings were told that he truly is not as physically strained as it appears and that he is basically giving a staged lecture on survival, it might get an audience but removing the danger aspect would leave it as just an educational program and the ratings would eventually dwindle. There is only so much education on one subject that one can have.
i think bear's show is great,,,lets face it it's all about learning anyway,,i do'nt really care if he's doing it or not,,i want to see and learn how it's done anyway.honestly he presents the info better than survivorman at least in my opinion.
you are missing the point retards, they stressed his crew was ONLY there to film. and basicly he was not fully honest with his fans, and from of what i heard, about some places where he was suppose to be remote & really in a non-remote area. i think it was the Hawaii one. dont get me wrong i loved the show. but you must be honest & true. dont lie to us that will make people not like you Bear. peace.
Bear Grylls, presenter of 'Born Surivor' has been engulfed in further claims of having faked scenes in an episode of the hit TV show.
In an episode that is yet to be broadcast Grylls had to escape an active volcano in the Pacific by leaping across molten lava and avoiding clouds of 'killer' gas.
However, the episode of Born Survivor set on the Mount Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has emerged as faked in a scandal that has embroiled the television industry – and now threatens Grylls’s future TV career.
The white clouds of poisonous “sulphur dioxide” that billowed around the former SAS explorer were, in fact, harmless vapour created by smoke machines. And according to insiders, the red glow of the molten magma which he warned could incinerate him “in seconds” was supplemented by burning hot coals brought in by members of the production team.
This weekend Discovery Channel, which
In the latest episode of TV series, yet to be broadcast on Channel 4, he is filmed amid billowing clouds of white gas seeping from the crust of the lava field.
I dont think anyones in any doubt that bear was never in any real danger.
Even so, the program shows a struggle against the elements, provides awesome background knowledge and is entertaining.
Ofcourse some of the stuff has to be staged, because otherwise he could end up finding a road within 5 minutes, and not showing his audience anything interesting. The allegations of motels and smoke machines, are unconfirmed, with no actual proof. People should not believe such, until there is hard evidence, not just malicious rumours made by the press.
Grylls has done some cool and inspirational stuff, its a shame that people are trying to slander him, and make him out to be some sort of con artist.
Next time, think before you believe unfounded rumours.
Tompus,
This video is pretty damning.
I have much respect for bear. Why you may ask? Well, i have yet to climb ANY mountain, especially Mt. Everest. So until you all climb to the top too, i'd hush. I mean you all probably liked fear factor right? Well at least this is somewhat intellectual! Dont take it so personal… bear has a family, so its nice to see he IS being safe.
I respect the hell out of his physical ability and knowledge of the outdoors.
I don’t respect his blatant misrepresentation of what was really going on during filming.
amen John. totally agree. that video was very displeasing. we all have families, he should be acting more of a man then tring to decieve the fans that trusted his show was the truth. i would be ashamed if i was him. the truth always comes out Bear. do us a favor, man up to your mistakes & come out with something that is true and we will watch. i enjoyed the show. but we dont like to be fooled. that was not cool.
Yes, it is the morally wrong thing to do, but we all watch films dont we? we know that they arent real and they are in hollywood studio's. Bear has done it all and there is no need for him to do these things, but he wishes to make an entertaining show, and that is why we all watch his show every week! The stagings are minor and he doesnt use a stuntman, plus we have all seen the things he eats. Just remember he doesnt HAVE to do these things, but he DOES and im assured that the things he does do would be well out of our minds whether there is help or not!
RE: Bear responds to accusations of "motels and stagings"
Bear Grylls is back , starting the filming of the remainder of Man vs. Wild Season 2. From the looks