Talk about TV show hosts

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n7titan

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Jun 14, 2014
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I've wanted to make a thread for a while now but I wasn't sure how to word it or where to post it. So I'll just lay it out, I don't want this to be a hate thread. You can certainly say what you do and don't like about a host but keep in mind what has already been said to avoid echoes.

Dual Survival: I only recently watched seasons 3 and 4; until a month ago I didn't realize Dave was out, then Cody. In the beginning I though Dave was a little G.I.Joe but it was acceptable. Joe on the other hand seems all kinds of unreasonable to me. The newest host Matt, I think is a great addition. Who ever they choose for hosts I have a feeling I'm biased to the primitive skills instructor.
In the Norway episode with Joe and Cody, they started out with Joe halfway down an icy hole with the anchors slowly showing signs of fatigue. Everything about that situation just said to me, Get out, Reset the anchors, then go back down for the bag.

Man vs Wild: Probably most entertaining overall, but... you guys already know

Survivorman: I have nothing bad to say about Les. He's the man. Even his buddy who tagged along with him in Canada was pretty cool to watch.

I would love to see a show with any combination of Les, Cody, Dave, or Matt.
 
I see where the Weather Channel now has a show called, Fat Guys In The Woods!

"Fat Guys in the Woods" host and Survival Expert, Creek Stewart outlines the 3 mistakes you don't want to make in a survival situation. For more Creek watch "Fat Guys in the Woods" on The Weather Channel, Sundays 9/8c.
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[video=youtube;vfZg4gEUhuo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfZg4gEUhuo[/video]
 
I like survivor man the best. I really like dual survival also, but I don't care for Cody Lundin's personality. I like the new guy on dual survival. Matt seems like the most genuine survivalist. I think all of the guys are more than capable.

I don't care for the show Dude You're Screwed. It's pathetic.
 
I'll have to check out fat guy in the woods.

Shows like dude you're screwed, i shouldn't be alive, etc are all just drama bait.
I never liked reality tv and I hate that it's bleeding into other shows.
 
I have another vote for survivor man. Les seems like he really knows what he is doing. I think the worst show is naked and afraid. It really doesn't show any skills just two people slowly withering away from no food and little water.
 
I know Dave padded his resume and lied, but overall I think he is incredibly knowledgeable and has a teachers personality. I thought he and Cody got along better than Joe and Cody. I love watching his youtube videos and find them very informative, although I am a stainless steel kinda guy.

Love Les Stroud even though he sold out for a cheap knife line. I thought the Helle Temagami was a solid knife.

Ahhh Bear Grylls...entertaining, and he did do a show in my backyard(Alabama, little river canyon), and I believe he knows his stuff, but just too over the top.
 
Dave was a good fit with Cody and the show was enjoyable. Joe and Cody made for a toxic relationship and I watched the show less. Matt has been a good fit, however it would be a better show if they brought back Dave and got rid of Joe.
 
n7titan said:
I've wanted to make a thread for a while now but I wasn't sure how to word it or where to post it. So I'll just lay it out, I don't want this to be a hate thread. You can certainly say what you do and don't like about a host but keep in mind what has already been said to avoid echoes.

Dual Survival: I only recently watched seasons 3 and 4; until a month ago I didn't realize Dave was out, then Cody. In the beginning I though Dave was a little G.I.Joe but it was acceptable. Joe on the other hand seems all kinds of unreasonable to me. The newest host Matt, I think is a great addition. Who ever they choose for hosts I have a feeling I'm biased to the primitive skills instructor.
In the Norway episode with Joe and Cody, they started out with Joe halfway down an icy hole with the anchors slowly showing signs of fatigue. Everything about that situation just said to me, Get out, Reset the anchors, then go back down for the bag.

Man vs Wild: Probably most entertaining overall, but... you guys already know

Survivorman: I have nothing bad to say about Les. He's the man. Even his buddy who tagged along with him in Canada was pretty cool to watch.

I would love to see a show with any combination of Les, Cody, Dave, or Matt.
Click to expand...

Actually Bear Grills was the only ''host'' that outright alarmed me. With all his jumping off into unknown water fall pools etc. I have never watched Naked and Afraid, and likely never will. As for Dual survival, I watch it. These men have things to teach me and I respect that. But there was something about .... ...... that seemed off putting to me on a personality level. Like how he grinned when he mentioned that they would have to spoon to preserve body heat in a shelter once in a long gone by episode. And a couple of times there was bizarre\inappropriate sexual innuendo in a few episodes. My wife even caught it once and said ''that guy is a pervert''. Whatever, my focus is on the skills\knowledge, not about spending a night with these dudes. As for Les, I feel that he tries his best to be ethical, but it is reality TV after all. I'm to the point now that if a host isn't too weird and has knowledge to pass on, I will watch. So it has boiled down to Dual Survival and Survivor Man for me.
 
I've probably watched all those shows except for Gryll's. Dual survival was pretty good the first season. When you start season 2 you see Canterbury cutting himself open to test cauterization via black powder ignition. Personally felt there were better ways to deal with a cut then that. I think then is when the producers went nuts adding more risks and drama to the show. My theory is they discovered Canterbury padded his resume,and were holding it over his head to get him to do crazy stuff.

I never liked Teti,it's like he's a yes man to Discovery ,doing whatever crazy uneccesary stunt they ask for. The first episode he drinks his own urine,you can't tell me he doesn't know that's a bad idea,but he goes ahead and drinks (probably water) out of his helmet. From there on out the show goes downhill. I think finally that is what drove Lundin out of the show,he just had enough of the make believe drama. His replacement Graham seems ok,but very mellow,like he just got done smoking pot or something.

My opinion they should can the producers and bring back Canterbury ,team him up with Graham. Teti's onscreen personality is so over the top that people find him annoying or abrasive. Secondly have the hosts do a special every now and then and talk about such things as an optimal or minimal survival kit,also mental attitude and other aspects. Bring it back so it's more grounded in teaching things rather than stunts and bad acting.

Survivorman,you have to admire someone who can go out ,carry his own camera gear with him,and film the show while starving. I don't know if he cheated,some have suggested so,but he did spend time teaching,rather than climbing waterfalls. I wouldn't mind seeing him do more shows,than don't involve shilling for knives,etc. Like others I like the looks of the Helle knife and wetterling axe,the Camillius not so much.

Saw naked and afraid, stank on ice. I guess the producers never heard of vetting the people they want on the show? Compared to people like Lundin and Canterbury,the contestants were utterly incompetent. The gear selection was limited. You can bring it back,but give people some clothes,and at least three items to survive with.

A better show might be to gather contestants ,amateurs who bring in their own survival kits and have them see how well they do in various locales. At least we would know what worked and what didn't.
 
TWBryan said:
-snip-
A better show might be to gather contestants ,amateurs who bring in their own survival kits and have them see how well they do in various locales. At least we would know what worked and what didn't.
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This would be an amazing concept, one I'd watch most definitely.
 
Yeah Bear does much more alarming stuff than Joe. His personality and acting though is easier for me to watch; Joe is just so abrasive. Dave and Cody were very cohesive and it made a good sense of progress throughout the show. Joe and Cody feels like arguing every 10 minutes. Matt on the other hand, yes he looks like the biggest stereotypical hippie stoner, but that's okay with me. He's entertaining and doesn't seem to overly dramatize his points.

Cody probably is a bit of a pervert, but I find him to to be comedic perverted, not "we have to ask this guy to go away" perverted. Dave and Cody both had similar senses of humor; they were able to joke around a lot more fluidly than Joe and Cody.

One of my all time favorite episodes out of every show is the Norway Survivorman 10-day, 2-episode special. It had a real sense of dread and in that amount of time you could tell Les was really being beaten down. I'm okay with drama, as long as it's a natural one, not some fabricated reality tv bs.

I want to see an episode where any of the hosts bring with them a pack that's solely chosen by amateur viewers. Maybe there could be multiple episodes with suggestions, kind of like an equipment testing/review channel with the hosts.

Edit: I'm not fond of Joe's weak stomach and picky taste. I know food safety is paramount, don't get sick out there. Just coming from an Asian background and being a person who loves seafood, c'mon dude give the weird stuff an honest go.
 
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abo4ster said:
http://www.edarnell.com/locations/Locations/Intro.html
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/ticaboo-creek-aka-survivorman-is-a-fake.2818/
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That's the first I've seen for anything about Les in that way. That being said at least it's not a motel fiasco.

As for wilderness shows in general I want to point out that the filming aspect of it is a huge pain. Just having a large group with you can be a huge pain.

I'm sure we've all been in a situation where we have 3+ new hikers in your group and it slows you down immensely.
A local trail here in LA county took me and a buddy 5 hours our first trip out, not enough food, not enough water.
Next time there were 6 of us, 8.5 hours, enough food, enough water.
 
Watched Fat Guys in the Woods on the Weather Channel. I found it entertaining. I will watch a couple more episodes. I really liked the Weather Channel crystal hunting shows. I think I watched every one of them several times. There is gold in them thar hills and it aint Au or Ag, its mineral crystals sought after by collectors.
 
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abo4ster said:
http://www.edarnell.com/locations/Locations/Intro.html
http://backcountrypost.com/forum/threads/ticaboo-creek-aka-survivorman-is-a-fake.2818/
Click to expand...

I've never seen or heard this either.
I wonder if he has replied to these accusations?

I've watched every one of the shows. Sure, some of them are dramatized, while others are more instructional.
I watch them because there are some little tidbits occasionally that make me say "I didn't know that!"
(And that happens often)
 
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