Survive This

The latest episode of "Survive This" sent the final four rock climbing. They had to scale a cliff, survive at the top with minimal supplies, then rappel back down in the morning. They obviously were getting some help with the climbing. There was already a rope on the cliff when they started, and the last person to go down had someone playing out the rope as he went. These people stayed off camera, though, and we weren't told what kind of professional instruction and assistance they had. I just hope the series doesn't go too far in this direction. (Can you say "Mantracker?)
The show is a learning experience for both the participants and the viewers. This week was no exception. Atop the cliff, the 2 experienced teens paired up, leaving the 2 who weren't as good at this to work together. The result was that the first team got a lot more accomplished than the other 2. The experienced ones should have split up, so each team had a motivator to make sure things got done.
The next episode looks like it could well be the toughest challenge yet. Les is putting them in a new situation where they will start off cold, wet and miserable with virtually no gear, and if they don't have some real good bushcraft skills, it will only get worse for them. I can hardly wait. Twisted Evil

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

for them being kids I think its alright to have people on ropes helping out.
it's seems to be getting better and better.

next week will be the first episode for us. can't wait. Cool

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They didn't rappel down, they were lowered, all four of them. This is obvious because there's no rope trailing below them. Apparently there was a safety crew off camera -- I bet if I watch again, I'll find that they were lifted up, as well.

The producers would have to go that way. You think you can take four kids with no experience, give them a crash course on rappelling, then expect them to rappel down a cliff, exhausted, after setting up their own ropes and gear, and get away with that when the lawyers start circling their dead bodies? You'd have to be nuts.

Yea I'm sure with all things they did need to make sure that there was a safety crew. Otherwise if something went wrong there will be someone sued you can count on that.
Like Kim I look forward to watching them here. Cool

Going up, they likely did some climbing and got pulled when the going got tough. I think they should be very open about just what the kids are doing. If an activity is too tough for them, come up with a different one; don't make it seem as if they are doing more than they are.
Andrew - Is it your impression that these challenges are taking place on consecutive days, as they make it appear, or do you think that there is some r & r in between? I might pose this question to Les.

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

thats a good question. R&R would be good. Very Happy

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This week's episode involved a real challenge.
As usual, spoilers ahead.
Les stranded the 4 on an island. Not a big lush tropical island like in Lost. Not even an island like in Cast Away. You know the cartoons that show someone castaway on a tiny patch of land with a single palm tree? Well it wasn't much more than that. And it wasn't in the tropics. It was a windswept rock about the size of a city block, with a handful of trees. They had to swim to it, so they were cold and wet and had virtually no gear. They tried for hours to start a fire with a fire bow, with no success. They finally got the idea to cheat: they started a fire by using the battery from one of their cameras. (They each use a camcorder to supplement the footage shot by the crew.) Les said he didn't begrudge them using the camera battery. He said it showed resourcefulness in a survival situation. But whose idea was it, really? I mean, why did they happen to have steel wool with them and virtually nothing else................
Even with the fire, it was a very cold, miserable night. To make it even more authentic, Les had not told them when he would return for them. And he didn't come back the next day! They had to spend a 2nd night on the rock before being rescued.
Next time, the 4 are going to be split up. They will each have to survive alone. Two of the teens have been getting by largely because of the skills of the other two, so this will be a particularly difficult test for them. But it will also be a major test for the 2 skilled ones. They have been joined at the hip from the start, and it will be a rude awakening for each to have to go it alone, despite having the necessary bushcraft knowledge.

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

first episode tonite can't wait
Very Happy

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Yea makes ya wonder sometimes about shows like that. Thanks for the update Bushrat. Cool

I see they are taking applications for the second season.....Wonder how Les will top the challenges..lol Laughing

I watched it last night. It was pretty good. Very interesting.

I've stopped reading BushRat's spoilers, so it should be very interesting to see how these teenagers fair out in the wilderness.

Becca was dumb enough to get her lip stuck in the pocketknife. Laughing

What kind of an idiot tries to open a pocket knife with their teeth?! That kind has nail nicks. Rolling Eyes

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Using dial-up is like riding a tricycle at Indy.

	LaraCroft wrote:
	I see they are taking applications for the second season.....Wonder how Les will top the challenges..lol

Based on what I've seen so far, I can't imagine what could be done to top season 1. Maybe they will do it in a different kind of environment.

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

	flashlightfreak9 wrote:
	Becca was dumb enough to get her lip stuck in the pocketknife. What kind of an idiot tries to open a pocket knife with their teeth?! That kind has nail nicks.

That was the highlight of series opener. Shocked

And yes, it is very interesting to watch how they do in the wilds.

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

LMBO..Yea I couldn't believe that Becca did that too. This seems to be a real eye opener for the "Princess"... Wink

Great show all in all....Maybe it'll get the eye of one of the big TV networks and Les will have a big hit on his hands. Cool

I don't know how it's being broadcast in the U.S., but in Canada new episodes are shown Tuesday evenings, preceded by a repeat of the previous episode. It is also rerun on Saturday evenings. No excuse for missing it. Wink

One of the reasons "Survivorman" was so good is because of the control that Les had over it. Especially early on, but even seasons 2 and 3 were a result of the precedent Les set for the show's format. When big networks are involved from the start, I'm sure some compromises have to be made. This has probably happened with "Shark Week", for example. I don't know how close to Les' vision "Survive This" is this season, but it's probably more real than almost any other so called reality series. If a major network gets involved, it could be a double edged sword. It would mean more exposure and more seasons, but it also runs the risk of being turned into a cross between "Canadian Idol", and "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here".

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

Good question, Bushrat, re whether they get rest in between.

I'm pretty sure that between the challenges it's back to a base camp for a real meal, etc. If they were still running just on what you see them eating on the show, they wouldn't have made it up the rock face. (Although on watching again, it was clear that they were being lifted by a safety crew up top, I think the safety crew was really just taking up the slack.)

I don't have a problem with that. If the producers want to let the kids eat before stranding them on a hunk of rock in Georgian Bay for two days, I'm not going to be the one to sneer and say, "man, they're making it easy!" Wink

That's true, Andrew. No matter what the kids did beforehand, that was 2 miserable days and nights they spent on that island. Speaking of which, seeing how utterly unsuccessful they were with the fire bow, I don't know why they didn't try something else. Two of them could have been taking turns with a fire drill while someone else tried a fire plough.

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

I watched it and LOVED it. I like Jen Zak and Adam. when I saw les I told him I loved it. I was yelling at the t.v. at becca for trying to open the knife with her mouth even I wouldn't do that. but you got to hand it to the kids for trying to do this show and all that apply kodoes to them. Very Happy

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The only thing I don't like about the show is it is too short. 30 minutes minus commercials doesn't leave much of a show. Confused

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Using dial-up is like riding a tricycle at Indy.

Same here thought they would make it an hour show. Seems they would have enough material to do so. Cool

Hmmm, i may be wrong here but the times ive watched it im pretty sure its been an hour show here ?.

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
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