I’m starting to watch more and more things on Discovery Channel for some reason. Maybe they just got smart with their TV programming and it’s not a bunch of shows on how to build a rocket. I used to watched American Choppers since they lived in the next town from me but then they got annoying. Or maybe then just got more annoying than they usual were. They definitely took their stardom to their heads, and it even seems they read off cue cards now. That’s “reality” for ya! Then I started to watch MythBusters (which I still love) but now there’s a new series I’m hooked on. The show is called Man vs. Wild (or Stranded for the folks in the UK).

Man vs. Wild stars Bear Grylls, who’s put into extreme locations and has to get himself out of it. The main focus of the show is survival and Bear shows you all the techniques and ways of surviving in various places. Bear Grylls served with the Special Air Service, a special forces unit of the British Army and is a well-known adventurer. He did an expedition to Mount Everest, and was the youngest to climb it and survive (I think). The man has been all over the world and knows a thing or two about surviving. He gets dropped off or parachutes into his location, and then has to make his way to safety or find some sort of human contact. Some of the places he went to in the first season were places like Costa Rica Rain Forest, The Rocky Mountains, Alaska, Moab Desert, Africa and other places. He shows you what to do in these situations and tells of stories of hikers, tourists, etc. of getting killed because they didn’t know what to do. So if your planes crashes on a deserted island, you’ll know what to do..That is, if you’re still alive.

I think the reason why I like this show so much is Bear reminds me of the British MacGyver, with a little bit of Steve Irwin’s craziness. If you want to get grossed out, this is the show that will make you grossed out! Nothing like seeing a grown man starving and eating off a dead deer carcass. Then he saves some maggots to eat for later! “Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots. How do they taste? ” Blech! The guy also catches fish and eats them like Gollum. Cracks their bodies, and just goes face first and rips out the fish guts. It’s quite the site but I guess he likes his sushi. Sadly, Bear doesn’t sing like Gollum does when he gets fish. This is one reason why I will never be able to survive out in the wilderness, I hate fish! Well I actually never tried it, I just hate the way it smells. So if I was starving I probably would be eating ants, maggots and fish. Other crazy things Bear has done was pee on his shirt and use that as a headdress so he wouldn’t be burned and it would cool him down. I’d hate to be the person to find him in the wilderness. There’s pee in your sweat so I guess there are far worse things for you to be putting on your body. Drinking the liquid from shit, now that’s where I draw the line and will face death if that ever comes up.

So if you haven’t seen this show yet, do yourself a favor and check out Man vs. Wild on Friday nights, 9pm at Discovery Channel. You won’t be disappointed!

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