[TV] Alone - History Channel reality competition series

[Deleted]

http://www.history.ca/alone/

Has anyone watched this? It's supposedly a competition where ten men are left alone on Vancouver Island, miles away from each other. They bring some tools and cameras with them, and film themselves trying to survive. Whoever is left last after nine others tap out wins $500K, Canadian I guess.

I'm just wondering whether it's just a bunch of actors. I mean, I'm looking at these grown men, supposedly being "survivalists", start to break down mentally after only two or three days alone on the island. Sure, there's some close encounters with bears and cougars and wolves even (or it's made to look like it), and I'm sure that can definitely do a number on one's nerves, but these guys are crying about how they miss their wives and children and friends and they've been there for just a couple days. Hell, I think one of them started to weep on the first day. I mean, of course there are different kinds of people, and not everyone likes being alone, but perhaps aspiring to be a so-called "survivalist" isn't for you if you're not comfortable being away from people for a few days, and definitely should rethink signing up to do a series that's actually called "Alone". Personally I used to spend days, even a couple weeks alone at our summer cottage, stocking up on food and just enjoying the peace and quiet, not having to put up with anyone else. Definitely a different kind of culture where those guys come from.

Anyways, being that it's a History channel series, I wouldn't be surprised if they were actors. All the footage does seem to be from portable and stationary cameras, though, and it does seem like they are there alone.

Would be an interesting series to follow just for the survival parts of it, if it wasn't for the constant bitching and moaning about how it's so damn hard to be separated from people. Maybe it'll get better once all the pansies call it quits. Have to wait and see.

[TheCount]

Fun fact, History Channel no longer has any history related programming. Well except for the once in a year history special, this year it was the Texas Revolution.

And most likely yes they are actors

[Deleted]

Fun fact, History Channel no longer has any history related programming. Well except for the once in a year history special, this year it was the Texas Revolution.

Yeah, I know, right? Also, I wonder when's the last time anyone learned anything by watching TLC (The Learning Channel.)

[anakin57]

the show is awesome - but i've only seen the first episode so far. going to on demand it here to catch up!

[Stormcall]

A lot of these guys, based on what I read, seem like "armchair survivalists". They're hardcore outdoorsmen, collecting knives, shooting guns, buying ferro rods and paracord...from the comfort of their home. Put them in an actual survival situation, and suddenly they're not as hardcore as they thought they were. It's like the guy who joins the army, lookin forward to go kick ass and shoot him some "ragheads", who panics the first time he comes under fire.

I've seen a few episodes, not seen anyone crying, just a few people complaining about how it's tougher than they thought and stuff.

[Deleted]

Eight episodes in now, with a special about the people who've quit so far.

The amount of whining and bitching to camera is incredible, and makes me think these guys definitely shouldn't sign up for shit where they have to survive in the wild, and that they've definitely not done it before, but the amount of talking about feelings and emotions and how they miss their wives and children and this and that is enough to make me think this is absolutely made up bullshit. At the very least, these are people who shouldn't even dream of doing stuff like this, if that's how emotional they get, and how easily they break down.

Meanwhile, I watch stuff like Mountain Men, where, for example, that one trapper guy, Marty Meierotto, goes off on a bush plane to spend weeks, even months alone trapping marten, leaving his wife and daughter behind. Sure, he's been followed by a camera guy or two for a couple years now, but it's not his first trip to the Alaskan mountains. He goes out there, in winter conditions, builds cabins, lives in a tent, lives off the land (with a gun, of course, yes, as well as traps), and is completely content with that kind of a lifestyle.

The point being, why are these girly men who are so madly deeply in love with their lives, wives and children, going off to survive in the woods for weeks and months, if they can hardly do it for a few days before breaking down emotionally?

But yeah... The amount of emotional opening up to the camera is just unbelievable. Must be a very, very different culture, indeed, or it's just simply scripted and these guys are some actors.