Discovery Channel has fired Cody Lundin

Notice how in the first few episodes they really made Cody look like a hippie wimp? But later you begin to notice that Cody had more survival skills than Dave? Even in environments he hadn't been to.
 
That guy was always a puss, he's smart and good at what he does, but dave and the new military guy are way cooler imo. Hippies smell and I bet he takes the cake! I think its awesome
 
I would love to see a dual survival filmed survivorman style with Cody and Les. Les often talks about the added psychological stress of being alone, which I believe is very real, but to see those situations in a different light would be cool. I also think that their skill sets and methods would compliment each other well, and they could push the time frame out longer. I didn't watch much of dual survival, but I like Cody's methods and thinking.
 
I haven't had cable television for years now, but I did catch a youtube clip on bladeforums of when Cody/Dave did the stunt to cut Dave's arm (on purpose), pour gunpowder in it and light it on fire. I'm wondering if Cody was so concerned about health/safety why he consented to that obviously stupid and useless stunt? Cody Lundin should know better. He should also know enough to wear some freaking shoes. I'm pretty sure that even he doesn't buy the mystical line of BS about 'kickass mitochondria.'
 
That is a shame, I really liked Cody. Honestly, after Dave left I thought the show was missing something and all but stopped watching. I haven't even seen the show in the longest time. Its a pity almost everything on Discovery is nothing more than drama filled reality tv. For those of you which dropped cable, good for you.
 
averageiowaguy said:
I haven't had cable television for years now, but I did catch a youtube clip on bladeforums of when Cody/Dave did the stunt to cut Dave's arm (on purpose), pour gunpowder in it and light it on fire. I'm wondering if Cody was so concerned about health/safety why he consented to that obviously stupid and useless stunt? Cody Lundin should know better. He should also know enough to wear some freaking shoes. I'm pretty sure that even he doesn't buy the mystical line of BS about 'kickass mitochondria.'
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Aside from revealing a little bit about character and integrity it doesn't really matter. Playing the part of an idiot or is an idiot, doesn't matter much. I figure it's a bit like watching wrestling and wondering whether bloke X is a really a loud dipshit clown in real life.
 
And we are talking about television here. I worked at a television station for 3 years while in college. It is a fact that the networks push them to do something over the top for ratings. Most of these guys will say that in interviews. Who knows to what extent the producers have on how they shoot these shows. They want entertainment and ratings as top priority. Don't think for a minute the network executives are concerned about teaching the public survival skills. And they have a strong push when they want to see something outrageous like lighting gunpowder in a wound.
I think Dave and Cody have a genuine passion for teaching outdoor survival, and get pushed and pulled by the networks/ producers. If they did their normal survival education routine I am guessing the network would find it boring. Honestly I think it is the only reason why Bear Grylls became a household name so quickly. He was over the top and was pulling in the viewers.
April 24th thru May 21 is sweeps weeks, watch tv then and you'll see all the shockers on every network to pull in ratings/ viewers.
 
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It's undoubtedly all about the money. Others touched on that recapping greats chunks of the show after the adverts thing above. We don't have that over here yet, but I'm sure once the money saving idea catches on we will.

Pushing and pulling by the networks shouldn't exert that effect on a person with integrity. I can't see that gunpowder stunt any different from Cesar Millan being told “just give them a kicking” and doing it, or breakfast TV rent-a-mouth GP being told “if you want this job push 60 milligrams of Bisacodyl”, and doing it.
 
Ponsau said:
And we are talking about television here. I worked at a television station for 3 years while in college. It is a fact that the networks push them to do something over the top for ratings. Most of these guys will say that in interviews. Who knows to what extent the producers have on how they shoot these shows. They want entertainment and ratings as top priority. Don't think for a minute the network executives are concerned about teaching the public survival skills. And they have a strong push when they want to see something outrageous like lighting gunpowder in a wound.
I think Dave and Cody have a genuine passion for teaching outdoor survival, and get pushed and pulled by the networks/ producers. If they did their normal survival education routine I am guessing the network would find it boring. Honestly I think it is the only reason why Bear Grylls became a household name so quickly. He was over the top and was pulling in the viewers.
April 24th thru May 21 is sweeps weeks, watch tv then and you'll see all the shockers on every network to pull in ratings/ viewers.
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All the more reason why it boggles me that people find these shows interesting, although I think they're mostly interesting to people who don't actually do all that much outdoors and are looking for some sort of vicarious experience, even if it isn't 'reality' at all. At least someone like Canterbury is producing his videos on his own, and sticking to practical, useful skills without all the contrived drama and BS. I'm pretty sure you'll never see Canterbury doing dumbass stunts like lighting gunpowder on his arm. But then again, he'll probably never be super famous and drink his own piss and have a line of outdoor junk that has his initials plastered all over it, either.
 
Jastab said:
That guy was always a puss, he's smart and good at what he does, but dave and the new military guy are way cooler imo. Hippies smell and I bet he takes the cake! I think its awesome
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Well I guess you're the target audience for whatever temper tantrum throwing "spec ops" cool guy they put on next then.

And +1 on the Les and Cody idea.
 
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Thats a shame, he was by far my favorite. I wish people like Cody and Les would somehow get on a network that would let them do what they do without the pressure for ratings. I know that will never happen though. IMO Les doesn't do the theatrics like Dave and Bear, I wonder why Les can get away with not doing that crap and Cody can't.
 
Ethan_Hardy said:
Thats a shame, he was by far my favorite. I wish people like Cody and Les would somehow get on a network that would let them do what they do without the pressure for ratings. I know that will never happen though. IMO Les doesn't do the theatrics like Dave and Bear, I wonder why Les can get away with not doing that crap and Cody can't.
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I believe Les Stroud produces his own shows, which is smart. Les calls the shots on what he wants to show when he films and edits video. He even wrote and recorded the intro song to the show. So he bypasses the greedy network execs partially that way I think. Les has his own corporation that produces his shows and he is head and CEO.

I think one of the only networks that would produce a show without theatrics would be the Outdoors channel. But I could be wrong.

Initially I had heard that Dave was going to do a show with Mykel Hawke on the outdoors channel. I'm guessing that didn't pan out.

All the more reason why it boggles me that people find these shows interesting, although I think they're mostly interesting to people who don't actually do all that much outdoors and are looking for some sort of vicarious experience, even if it isn't 'reality' at all.
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Thats what I say about most television. :) My wife likes to watch television family dramas/comedy. If I wanted more of that I'd spend more time with my own family. :D I was like averageiowaguy for years after working in television. No cable, and most of my news I got from the internet.

And speaking of vicarious, my mother likes watching these survival shows. Even as a kid, she never went camping with my father and I, or my boy scout troop. Even she thinks that the shows are over the top but admits to watching them for entertainment purpose. I thought she might be interested in going outdoors and/or camping because of her found interest in these shows. She quickly told me I was crazy. So yes I think its a little of living vicariously.

I have to admit watching several episodes of these programs, if nothing else because its the only thing to watch on TV at the time.
 
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Ponsau said:
And we are talking about television here. I worked at a television station for 3 years while in college. It is a fact that the networks push them to do something over the top for ratings. Most of these guys will say that in interviews. Who knows to what extent the producers have on how they shoot these shows. They want entertainment and ratings as top priority. Don't think for a minute the network executives are concerned about teaching the public survival skills. And they have a strong push when they want to see something outrageous like lighting gunpowder in a wound.
I think Dave and Cody have a genuine passion for teaching outdoor survival, and get pushed and pulled by the networks/ producers. If they did their normal survival education routine I am guessing the network would find it boring. Honestly I think it is the only reason why Bear Grylls became a household name so quickly. He was over the top and was pulling in the viewers.
April 24th thru May 21 is sweeps weeks, watch tv then and you'll see all the shockers on every network to pull in ratings/ viewers.
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You bring up a good point. Producers are often pushing the actors of 'reality shows' to do stupid stuff that they normally wouldn't do. My cousin, Dirk Ruge, is/was a cameraman for the show Mountain Men as well as a ton of other projects. I haven't seen the show so I'm not sure which actor he was referencing but he tells a story of a guy they were trying to convince to walk across a frozen pond with very thin ice. A producer in LA was on the phone with the production crew who was out in the boonies somewhere. The producer was trying to get whatever mountain man it was to walk across the thin ice so he would fall in and it would make for better television. The mountain man refused and said something like 'that would be stupid and I would never do that in real life so why would I do it for TV?' My understanding is that producers pressure the actors to do stupid stuff a lot but that they can and do say no. Why didn't Lundin and Canterbury just say no? Instead they took the money and put out one of the most stupid displays of 'survival knowledge' I have ever witnessed. Dual Derpvival.
 
I propose that Cody Lundin and Bear Grylls get together and make a new show about cooking in the outdoors/survival situation. They can feature lots of British cuisine as a nod to Bear. Working title? Lundin Grylls.
 
averageiowaguy said:
My understanding is that producers pressure the actors to do stupid stuff a lot but that they can and do say no. Why didn't Lundin and Canterbury just say no? Instead they took the money and put out one of the most stupid displays of 'survival knowledge' I have ever witnessed. Dual Derpvival.
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I guess Cody Lundin finally put his bare foot down and said enough is enough, which lead to firing him? Maybe they asked him to charge an angry rhino and he had to draw the line? I'd like to know what the health and safety issue was. It definitely wasn't going shoeless in the below freezing temps wearing shorts twice.
 
Maybe the safety issues were about stuff like "hey guys, let's see you repel down this cliff with a rope made of your underwear, instead of just walking around it... or wade across this half-frozen river instead of simply following it". Heaven forbid just staying put... *shrug*

gadgetgeek said:
I would love to see a dual survival filmed survivorman style with Cody and Les.
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I'd probably enjoy that too, at least for a couple episodes. The problem is, it would be terribly boring to most viewers. Two guys who mostly agree on how to solve problems? :yawn: The manufactured drama and conflict between personalities is the only thing keeping these shows on the air. Let's face it, you can only watch a guy start a fire and boil water under a debris shelter so many times before the thrill wears off ;)

Smithhammer said:
I'm pretty sure you'll never see Canterbury doing dumbass stunts like lighting gunpowder on his arm.
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Well, actually... he already did.

[video=youtube;eerOKfiOuQ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eerOKfiOuQ4[/video]
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Working title? Lundin Grylls.
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I prefer Les(s) Grylls. Thank goodness my TV has an off switch :p

Money talks. Hey, if they offered me a big stack of cash to make a fool of myself on TV, you bet your sweet BoB I'd be sorely tempted.
 
That's too bad. Even though he was a little out there I liked Cody. From the few episodes I've seen without Dave it just wasn't the same so who knows how it will be now. I was mad when they kicked Dave off too. I don't care that he lied about the extent of his military career on his resume, the show is about survival and not military training and he knows his shit. I hope Cody at least does like Dave and makes videos for youtube. He might not get the same views but he could do it a lot more to his liking.
 
They should make a cat and mouse show where Bear Grylls hunts Cody Lundin and Cody has to evade him throughout the show. That would be awesome... And instead of Bear Eating Cody, How about Cody has a pack full of beef jerky around his neck. Oohhh the Golden Age of Reality TV has arrived. We can call it Man vs Bear. Is anyone taking notes on this?
 
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