A note from les

This a little old, but its legit and Les Posted this in another forum:

Hello all,

really nice to read some of the various thoughts about my show Survivorman. It's been a long haul. I am currently about to negotiate for a second season.

A lot of your comments are right on and I see that everyone pretty much 'get's it'. It's not easy putting a show about survival on air. If it's done by a TV producer it often barely glances the truth of survival and is completely sensationalistic. If it's done by a survival pro - it is often dry and didactic. I personally love the survival instructional videos I have - but like many of you I'm hard core and could watch that stuff all day - the general TV audience would never go for that. Someone said we are smaller than a small niche - and that's true - same goes for trying to get something on about canoeing - pretty tough to do.
But for whatever reason what I've done feeds enough of the issues to make it a successful show.
Ive said this before: - If there's one thing I did not want to be - it's known as a survival guru - that was never my point - I just want to fumble and bumble like anyone would out there - in other words I have to purposely make some mistakes so I can show SOME ways of overcomoing them - and don't forget I have a bunch more shows to do so I can't play all the trump cards every show. I have three ways things happen out there while I am running all the cameras to get this show done: 1) I do some things really well and I show them that way - and oh boy don't I look cool 2) I have some things I do really well but I don't show them that way because it would be too misleading to show doing something easily when it may have taken me 3 months to master and 3) my favourite - showing things I have really never tried before - and I PURPOSELY DO NOT practise them before hand so the viewer sees it for what it is - someone in a challenging situation trying something for survival they have never actually done before (like the gasoline fire in the Plane Crash episode)....I love when I have those opportunities...
Often - I just don't have the time to do all the things I could do - I have to clean five camera lenses - change five batteries, change five tapes, unclog five heads - oh yeah - and then I need to make my shelter and get my fire going for real!!.....so I know you are yelling from your couch 'why doesn't he.........' .......I just don't have enough time....and no - I am not going to stay out there for longer - I miss my family too much for that!!!
Folks, be happy that I can get anything even remotely, PROPERLY, survivalish on TV. It's a challenge and a half to appease all parties. BUT - and I really empathize with Ron Hood here - I am only able to do what I do because I am unmovable on how my shows will look in the end - and even then there are things I will always flinch at. I think what Ron does is fantastic - far more hard core than I and his experience speaks for itself. I wish, Ron, you and I could have chatted (met) before you took on the project that I have been reading about - I haven't seen the show myself.
For my part, my production relations at Discovery are fantastic - they give me my free reign pretty much and usually fall in with good feedback and comments on my rough cuts.
When it comes to the truth of survival (in my opinion of it anyway) I stand my ground with the networks - and they trust me - plus - I am the producer.

I get a lot of emails from navy Seals and armed forces survival instructors thanking me for showing the failures. I really feel good about that.
You know...no one is going to make a spring loaded trap when they're alone, scared, hungry and trying to survive......just us hard cores. That said - I do hear you all - more detail when possible - I agree - and less pulling a pouch across the ice - I agree. I'm going to Australia next and South America.
Oh and BTW - that mountain show takes a lot of flack - it was a real tough one to shoot - a lot of problems - especially the weather - my least favourite in the end in terms of what I showed and how I showed it.
I also get emails from parents who say their kids desperately want them to take them out camping because of my show.....hey man - if I can help get kids outside again....well then.....
So, since you all are strongly interested in survival for survivals sake - know this - if I do do more shows - I will still try to show - how average people can get through a situation....plus a few cool tricks as an instructor...plus whenever possible - throwing in some cool take home info that works for the particular location, situation I am dealing with. The filmmaking side is the biggest challenge of it all. I probably wont ever show survival with a full kit - because in truth - it would just make it too easy - more like a camping trip - hell that is how I camp.....so then....no challenge - no show....know what I mean.
Love this web site!!! Love the feedback to my show. Here's mine if Doug doesn't mind it being on: www.lesstroudonline.com
Well I have to go and join my kids on a tubing hill - but that's survival of another sort!

take care all

Les

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

i have acctually not read that before, its a great read.

Cool, i've never read that either.

Heres a letter he recently posted on www.lesstroudonline.com.

Hello all,

It is with great excitement that I finally send out a current newsletter.

Survivorman is back in action! In just under one week I will be flying to the Amazon jungle in Ecuador to do the first shoot of the new season. It has taken quite a while to get to this stage but I, along with my production partner Dave Brady and our production team are thrilled to be in the middle of a ridiculously hectic schedule right now, ramping up the activities for Survivorman.

And don’t worry – same set up – just me – alone with only my camera gear. But the locations have become a bit more exotic. Along with the Amazon – I am expecting to go to the Australian Outback, the African desert – the African bushland, the Alaskan coast and the rough scoured rock of northern Labrador.

One extra we are hoping to include this time, will be my live journal updates to a blog from location so you can follow my progress as it happens!

I have been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement from viewers throughout the world. I have emails from Russia, Hungary, UK….all over! So stay tuned…log onto my website at www.lesstroudonline.com - first show should be on air late February 2007. Don’t forget you can get ready for the new season by ordering a copy of the entire first season of Survivorman through my web site.

Watch OLN in Canada this November 28th at 8PM for my ninety minute special; Off The Grid with Les Stroud. It follows our trials of becoming a family dedicated to self sufficiency with a love for a life close to nature.

And finally – the Northern Pikes and I are finished recording a debut CD under the name; Stroud and the Pikes. We hope to get that available as downloads ASAP.

Take care and stay tuned for the live Survivorman blog!

Les

Was this taken from Myccr.com? I know Les posts there occasionally.

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Outdoor Blog
Last.fm

Time passes softly and I'm a day older.
But still I'm living days gone by.
Ashes to ashes, the rain's turning colder.
Finding tomorrow, the ashes, the rain and I.

I cant remember it was some forum/

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic