Man vs. Wild (2006–2020) User Reviews

Unwarranted criticism directed towards an entertaining & informative show !!!

[mohan_i · 9/10 · 30 March 2009]

I have been watching this show ever since it commenced & I don't think I have missed any episodes as I find them very interesting and entertaining, to say nothing about the information that is given out. I have read a lot about the supposed falsehoods that Bear Grylls is perpetrating & have read comments about many people who have criticized the show.

I would like to add my own two pence of opinion here...accepted that he has a camera crew & other people running behind him, but I think the main purpose of this show is to show us how to survive...somebody has written that he puts himself into situations that nobody who actually gets lost would ever do (like climbing down a waterfall, getting soaked in ice cold water etc)...again the assumption here is that IF anybody encounters such a situation, this is how they could save their life...

I have read allegations that he sleeps in motels and not in the shelters that he has himself built...clearly the filming of an episode takes several days, so why on earth would he subject himself to the inconvenience of sleeping out all that time??? hasn't he demonstrated the most effective way to build a shelter and isn't that more than enough for a person who is watching the show to learn a few tricks? There is another complaint that he never is in any real danger...in fact being the show's star attraction, he would be fool hardy if he put his life in danger and it makes sense that he takes all precautions...again he is showing us the ropes so why don't people understand that? I commend the fact that he is prudent enough to value his own life (for the sake of his producers, fans, his family & obviously himself)...

As for the comparisons with survivorman, I have not seen the other show...from what I have heard that show is quite informative, though not as entertaining...I feel both of them are doing a good job in their own unique ways...it would be unfair to compare them...

Bear Grylls might be making a lot of money with this show, but so what? I don't feel there is anything wrong with using your skills & abilities to earn money...don't we all try to do exactly the same??? The purpose of this show is to provide information about basic survival in various extreme environments in an entertaining manner...I think, on that score, it delivers perfectly...this is evident by the fact that my 10 year old nephew can watch this show in rapt fascination as does my 60 year old father-in-law...

Lastly for all those who criticize the show, though I respect their opinion, I feel they are being too harsh & overlooking the obvious purpose of the show...this is not a test of endurance for Bear grylls and he is not trying to prove anything (check out his background, he has achieved more than most of us will in 10 lifetimes)...he is merely showing ways of survival in a very entertaining manner & let us not be so naive as to think that this could be achieved without a certain amount of manipulation...sit back & enjoy the ride, guys...

Bear gets it done

[Catalist127 · 9/10 · 14 August 2007]

The basic plot is Bear parachutes himself into a secluded wildlife area and is there until he gets himself out. The camera crew is along for the ride so he is not as secluded as he could be but he is out in the middle of no where with only his wits, a canteen and a flint to get him through.

Behind the scenes, a ton of research is completed on the area of challenge and Bear is the beneficiary. He can speak smartly about the area and gives wonderful bits of information that he works into his commentary.

All in all, a very good show, very enjoyable, some humor, good bits of information.

Turn off your brain and enjoy Bear's adventures

[virtualxi · 8/10 · 3 May 2009]

Like it or not this is reality TV hence this show should be taken for what it is: a man applying survival techniques in a moderately safe (but usually horrible) environment. I am not a fan of reality TV but I can't help but to sympathize with Bear in each episode -a truly charismatic and intelligent man-. He will show ultimate survival techniques for different parts of the world, some of them helpful some of them a little too weird but ALL of them fun to watch. The episodes are filled with excellent trivia about the different places and hilarious situations (from a viewer perspective there is nothing funnier than watching a dude eat bugs). I won't deny that this show is not for everyone but I find it hard to believe that any person remotely adventurous won't enjoy watching this fine piece of entertainment.

Survival Skills Review

[GoitTR · 25 August 2012]

Those suggesting that Bear does not have any or the best survival skills and that he is not actually surviving. Putting yourself in a position where you have to survive and presenting a show designed to entertain based on a man in the wild. To be stranded he would actually have to strand himself with a film crew. That is not actually being stranded.

The show itself is entertaining and that is what it is for. Of course he could be more logical with his survival but it is not survival. He has put himself in that position. If he did the same thing as the show referenced in other reviews 'Survivorman' it would be the same show. There is also a reason this is in the Top 150 shows on IMDb and not 'Survivorman' This is not a Documentary. Please take this into consideration when you have a low IQ and feel the need to post a review.

Former SAS Soldier Shows You How To Survive In The Wild!

[arvie88 · 10/10 · 16 October 2008]

First of all, Bear Grylls is a fantastic charismatic person. Besides that he can rely on his experience in the British SAS.

Now, some of you might not realize how hard it is to even come into the SAS. There is a selection process that has no equal in the world. For Example, you have to go to a mountain and they drop you at the beginning and you will have to figure out where the finish is. It will be a mountain that has paths and you will have to walk instead of climbing...but still it is a very tough route. You got a rucksack full of heavy bricks to carry on your back. And you are supposed to reach the 'finish' in a short time frame. And this isn't even the hard part of the selection. There are even tougher things you gotta do. But i will not talk about it, because i want to say a few things about the show now.

The show has got me hooked since i saw the first episode. It isn't fake like some other reviewer dared to say. The only 'fake' thing is that he is accompanied by a camera crew so he is never in real danger. But i don't mind. This way the show is much more professional and how are you supposed to film yourself while you're trying to climb a mountain?

In every episode you will see Bear eat disgusting things. It's like Fear Factor in the wild. And the faces Bear makes while he eats the revolting things, it's great while you're sitting home watching the show with a back of crisps available to you. Bear is funny in his own original way, and it makes the show complete.

EnjoY the show!

Macgyver really does exist

[joliefille411 · 8/10 · 20 August 2007]

I've only seen the show a few times, but it totally has me hooked. I just can't believe some of the thing's he'll do. My favorite part was Bear wandering about the Amazon when he decides he's hungry. So he makes a bow from branches and vines, whittles a few arrows and shoots a couple of piranhas for dinner! This man is the Macgyver of reality television.

Yeah, the survival advice may not come in handy the next time I take a drive to the supermarket- but it's seriously entertaining to watch what the man can do with only a flint, knife, canteen and a whole lot of research.

What a great show!

[leader-16 · 10/10 · 17 September 2008]

When i first saw the advertisement for this show i knew that i was going to love it, then 2 years later, I'm watching it every Wensday. Bear is a really good adviser, even though some of the stuff is presented to him, its amazing how he can handle himself out there. I like nature and things like that so its a real treat to see him in other countries and what not. I forget allot of the things that he says that will help, but if i was lost, i think i could manage to live for a while, ha probably not. What a good show. 10 out of 10, this show is a discovery channel original.

If you haven't seen this, SEE IT, it is amazing, good classic discovery TV.

Excellent

[Absoluteless · 9/10 · 6 July 2007]

This show is almost too good to be true. The Camera work is excellent, indeed it is at times almost too good. It seemed rather odd that he was able to film himself traversing a 100+ foot ridge on a rope from above, while simultaneously showing us angles from below and too the side without revealing the locations of the camera above him. I also found it curious when they filmed him falling into a crevasse from below. Either way, the show sells me on it's authenticity. I assume the camera guys have tents and supplies for themselves, but they also appear to let him get in and out of trouble on his own. This was proved to me when he jumped into freezing water at the base of glacier and almost drowned, slipping back into it a few times before finally being able to pull himself out. However they film it, it's brilliant, fantastic television, and I strongly recommend the show. Be prepared for some truly gruesome scenes though, as Bear will eat ANYTHING, and I d mean that. I nearly tossed my cookies a few times watching this show. Let's just say that any vegans or veggies out there should probably steer clear. But all in all, a truly fascinating program.

great show

[clairemittlekauf · 10/10 · 21 June 2007]

Wow is this show great! I have found myself totally addicted ever since I saw Bear gnawing on the carcass of a zebra which he pronounces Zeh-bra. I love watching him figure out ways to get out of tricky situation! I wonder what the camera man does some of the situations seem like they would be hard enough not holding a camera. As a reality show I think this is great. It is entertaining useful and it takes on one of the most basic human conflicts man vs. nature. I really like the one where he is stranded on a desert Island and he climbs the coconut tree, and makes a raft it's like castaway coming to life. He sees a shark and he stays totally calm it's nuts! Anyone who is interested in nature will enjoy this show. I personally think it's great! I would suggest anyone give it whirl!!!

Saved my life in the Alps!!!!

[MothraStrikes · 8/10 · 5 January 2007]

At times the continuity of this show is subject, but overall it is much more satisfying than similar shows like "Survivorman." Bear is informative and provides a very clear and informative narration, and the geography presented in the episodes is daunting and entertaining. The only problem is the obvious presence of the cameraman, diffusing any real stress in the situations Bear faces. I nearly cut my finger off on a serrated Gerber knife earlier and my typing is slightly sub-par this evening because of it. What would Bear do? Probably wrap the wound in tree bark and keep the wound out of still water until it clotted, then build a shelter out of leaves and beaver pelts and raft down the river on conch shells and a hippo skeleton.

Fear Factor in the bush

[dorotka24 · 7/10 · 30 July 2008]

I watched and enjoyed Survivorman well before Man vs. Wild came along, and expected a similar type of show. The producers apparently anticipated the same reaction from their audience, and decided the show needed to be spiced up a bit.

So we have the host, Bear Grylls, performing all sorts of highly adventurous activities, like swimming upstream, climbing cliffs and trees, eating live animals/insects, and so forth. This makes for great entertainment, but much of what Bear engages in is impractical and even dangerous at best in a survival situation.

Now granted, it would also be impractical to assume that this show should be construed as a survival guide. Bear does, however, give a great deal of information and good advice mixed in with the thrills. I find him to be mostly level-headed and good natured, even when faced with very difficult situations. Despite his hardships, I don't believe I've ever heard him complain once. And that really is as important to survival as anything - having a positive attitude and making the best of one's situation.

His credibility does suffer a bit with the admission that he tends to sleep in hotel rooms or base camps as opposed to in the wild. That certainly keeps him fresh and ready to face new challenges, but perhaps most importantly to speak with authority and excitement in order to keep the audience interested.

It's difficult to sort through the good and bad advice, since the show is as concerned with entertainment as it is with developing survival skills. I suppose one must do whatever it takes to survive, but some things can make one even worse off. In one instance, Bear drinks his own urine without much second though, but in another case he is very careful about determining the source of potential drinking water. And a parasitic infection from frequent consumption of live animals might make hunger seem nothing but a dull ache in comparison.

In all, Man vs. Wild is a good show. It is more of a show about personal challenge for Bear than it is for survival education. "The Bear Grylls Challenge" might have been a better name. At any rate, despite the liberally sprinkled good advice, this show is primarily for entertainment purposes. If you want to learn about more practical, albeit less exciting, application of survival technique, then watch "Survivorman."

The manliest man in the history of mankind.

[tankace · 9/10 · 8 June 2016]

This is a series which I grew watching on Weekends and to put it simple if you have not the stomach for what is showed on Man versus Wild then do not see it ,you will feel ill. But for those who the phase "I drunk my own pee" makes them feel nostalgia then my comrades this is the show for us ,the persons who if the apocalypse comes then you are going to be as happy as ten year old in a candy-shop.

To the series ,Man versus Wild with Bear Grylls is a reality series in which the ex royal marine Bear Grylls goes to desolate places and shows us who to survive ,find food ,water ,protection and finally return back to civilization mostly in one peace(:)) . In a sense is a survivor guide line for extreme situations ,like been alone in Siberia and how to find water in the Saxara Dessert( fun fact Saxara means "Dessert" so when you say "Saxara Dessert" you actually say "Dessert Dessert") . For real some of his advises are often simple common sense and it amazes me that some of the tricks he was teaching us I already knew or could think on the spot. It just astonishes me who easy could you do it ,but this a way to show you that usually the reason why people who are lost and do not come back are those who went face problems like these portrait here, they start acting stupidly and in the end nature claim their bodies!!! As the man ,mr Grylls, said him self " Survival can be sum ed up in three words "Never give up". That's the hard really just keep trying".

We have heard something like that all the time by friends, parents ,teachers we look down on them ,because they ,for all their good indecencies, fail to caught out attention so their moral lesson goes to waste. Mr Grylls knowing that he first do something extreme on the opening of the episode like sky diving towards the open Ocean(!!!) and then step by step shows how surviving is done.

If you are going to dismiss this series for its content them ,you do not deserve the Grilling ( pun intended) lessons and for those want to see it, it is on YouTube ,knock yourselves out survivors!

Good entertainment, but forget what you learn

[johnstrash1 · 6/10 · 27 August 2010]

Out of all the survival shows being made today, this one is by far the least realistic. Many scenes are often staged (as mentioned in the disclaimer before each episode) and the the survival techniques are suspect. Additionally, some things are done purely for the shock value, such as the way he eats live insects, reptiles, fish, etc with his mouth open and so close to the camera. This is NOT a show to watch to learn survival skills. If you go out and do what you've seen here, you will most likely die a painful and embarrassing death. Your obituary will read like that of a teenage kid who died imitating something he saw on Jackass.

However, with that understood, there is something to be said for the entertainment value, provided that you almost watch it as if it were a fictional TV series. The scenery is amazing and Bear Grylls is fun to follow through the different locations. He's got a great personality and can even be amusing at times. And there may even be a good survival tip in there now and again, but you have to be able to distinguish it from the rest of the stuff and realize that it will almost never be as easy as he makes it out to be. Plus I gotta admit, the concept of always taking a knife, a canteen with a pot and a fire starter of some sort as a minimum of equipment for any trip in the wilds seems to be good advice.

Hardcore Surviving... In Hotel rooms..

[ken_martin-932-430106 · 1/10 · 13 March 2012]

In the first few seasons, the producers (and Bear) failed to tell you that this is just a "how to guide" but lets you assume that it is "unaided solo survival". But when we found out that Mr Grylls was actually roughing it out in hotel rooms with jacuzi and internet access, the network then promises to be more "transparent" in its future episodes. What a disappointment. And it (failing to be transparent) actually worked in reeling in a massive base audience in the first place. Bravo to the producers. And an 8+ rating as of this review? really? I give it a 1 for its initial deceit and assuming most audiences are retards.

Here's a report from Australia where he supposedly ate a snake he killed when it was actually road kill!? Yep, he ate double dead meat. Probably had to puke it out right after camera roll.

HE'S known around the world as Bear, but the TV survivalist has been seriously grilled by an Aussie guide who reckons he wasn't all that tough when it came to the rugged Kimberley outback. Staying Alive Survival Services director Nick Vroomans was hired by the Man vs Wild crew in 2007 to act as Bear Grylls' behind-the-scenes guide during an episode shot in Western Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

Vroomans, based in Laidley, just outside of Brisbane, told mX the show was "entirely scripted''.

"He's not a survival expert, he's an adventure actor,'' said Vroomans, who set up his own Outback survival company in 1997.

"Everything you see in the show is set up I built him shelters and found him snakes to .. eat it's all for show.''

Grylls will be in Melbourne tomorrow for Bear Grylls Live.

A spokeswoman for Man vs. Wild's UK-based production company, Diverse Television, said compliance issues in the early series had been raised before.

"Bear does do all his own stunts and does put himself in extremely perilous situations, however the series is not an observational documentary but a how-to guide to basic survival techniques in extreme environments,'' she said.

Vroomans said he didn't hold anything against Grylls, 37.

"Bear is a nice guy, he's a good person and he generally contacts me when he comes to Australia,'' he said.

"He may not be a survival expert but if he gets people interested in finding out more, that can only be a good thing.

"I've got nothing against Bear or the producers.

"What he does isn't survival but it's definitely entertaining,'' said Vroomans, who learned his trade at the Australian Defence Force combat survival school.

"On the show broadcast to Europe and the US, you see him catch a snake, kill it, and eat it.

"But it was actually two snakes a roadkill that I found which he (was shown beating) on the head and eating, and then a live olive python that a wildlife carer had been rehabilitating.

"Bear decided he wanted to swim across a river with the snake, but he kept dropping it and losing it. I had to keep catching the thing and giving it back to him.''

While the episode showed Grylls perilously close to saltwater crocodiles, Vroomans said Bear, a former UK Special Forces commando, wouldn't go near them.

"The whole crew was petrified of the crocodiles,'' he said.

"Bear didn't want to get anywhere near the water, so we filmed a set up of him (like) he was near a crocodile when he was actually a safe distance away.

"I was a bit miffed when I saw the finished show.''

Diverse Television said the "program explicitly does not claim that presenter Bear Grylls's experience is one of unaided solo survival''.

Yuck

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 26 June 2020]

I like the bit where he drinks his own wee. Which is pretty much every episode

Hugely Entertaining

[GilbertS-85 · 10/10 · 10 May 2020]

The best survival show not because of what you learn but because of the entertainment value.

Yes, many of the skills you learn you should never apply. For that, look elsewhere, maybe Survivor Man. The skills here are for when you are lost and zero people know where you are or are in fact missing.

Most of all, this is a show the whole family will enjoy.

Brilliant Bear shows what reality shows are all about

[mysticrea · 9/10 · 25 October 2008]

Never commented on a show before, but i am really enthralled by this show. Its great entertainment, in the calibre of the Steve Irwin shows but with more end product he does not just fight the animals he eats them to survive.

Bear himself is a charming individual with little references to his past exploits in the SAS and his many expeditions.

This show is great viewing more so if your a man, you can call me daft if you don't find this show interesting. Visually great landscapes especially the episode were Bear goes board rafting down one of the wildest rivers in Africa now that is not staged managed no matter what other people have commented on how the show looses its edge because of the camera crew coming along for the ride.

I would have give it 10/10 but the only show which deserves that is

I,m Alan Partridge.

Best Survival Show On TV

[martinbogner · 10/10 · 17 January 2011]

This is the first time I have ever written a review. I would like to say that I rate Man vs Wild 10/10 ,and after reading some of the negative reviews I simply shook my head and started laughing out loud ... at such brainless comments , I suggest if you don't like the show 'Don't Watch It'!!! and leave it to people that enjoy it. The facts are ... that Bear Grylls is a highly trained British 21st SAS Soldier and a Survival Master in his own right, I salute the Man! This show is a must for anyone with an Adventures spirit and wants to learn fallible information on survival techniques. I hope this show continues for many more seasons for all the fans of Bear Grylls marvelous adventures in Man vs. Wild.

Great show

[ehs_baseball_player10 · 22 October 2007]

"Man vs Wild" is an excellent show, unlike "Survivorman" Bear brings in charisma that isn't matched by Les Stroud. Sure there is controversy about Bear being a fake, but the Bear's adventures take him to locations that are relevant to people rather than going to Africa most of the time. Bear gives the opportunity to teach survival tips in instances when they can actually be used. Not everybody is keen to stay in the city where they are in cell phone range and near people. It's nice to get away and be secluded with just yourself and the wilderness for awhile, and if anything happens, maybe, just maybe you can remember a tip you saw Bear give that can help you. I know Les Stroud hasn't done a show involving avalanches when skiing hiking or snowmachining. Bear's show has more relevance to more people because his shows aren't in the most remote locations that are not as popular as Alaska, Sierra Nevada, Scotland, the Alps, etc.

Precious tips and informative TV show about survival.

[AvionPrince16 · 8/10 · 6 December 2021]

I enjoyed all the episodes in this Tv show because it have some interesting tips and tricks and how to survive in difficult conditions. Its very instructive and we learn from bear grylls and his experience. I really enjoyed it.

Wonderful show

[mamathashivakumar · 10/10 · 6 June 2021]

Extreme stunts and mind blowing information. Practical explaination and shows how to stay alive in extreme and dangerous conditions.

High entertainment value...

[grenier-alex · 7/10 · 13 December 2007]

As mush as i find this show entertaining... i feel kinda riped off when watching it. the show is based around one man Bear Grylls surviving various places in the world. As original as this sounds i find it was a blatant ripoff of Survivorman.

But as Survivorman has the host actually surviving and doing his own camera work, Bears is fallowed by his own camera crew and has admitted to staying in a hotel for a night and not staying outside...also during one episode, he is building a shelter then says that he is happy he is not staying in the shelter that he is building for the night. But watching the show alone one would never know... it creates a good fakes atmosphere of danger around the host.

As fake as the show is, we cannot take away the entertainment value it has, Bear is a excellent host. Armed with his charisma he makes getting lost interesting and fun. Also seeing his make stunts, one example from the show is him climbing a 50 meters cliff to get out of a gorges with no climbing gear, is thrilling.

Lastly as mush as the entertaining... it has main purpose is too teach survival techniques... and this is were is fails the most cause he either uses tools no one would have if they were stranded or fails by doing some stunt instead.

In conclusion this is a fine show if you think of it as a travel/show stunt.. but fails in comparison to other shows wish have mastered what this show tries to be.

Go watch Surviverman is you want real survival tips/ not faked survival or watch this is you want entertainment.

With Azerbaijani dubbing on Lider TV in Azerbaijan

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 8/10 · 9 August 2021]

Sometimes there were nasty scenes, but I enjoyed watching it with Azerbaijani dubbing on Lider TV in Azerbaijan. But later on, I heard that some of them were fake :(

Entertaining and ludicrous in equal measure

[gut-6 · 7/10 · 3 May 2010]

I very much enjoy this pseudo wilderness survival show, even though the situations that Bear puts himself in and the means he uses to survive them are completely absurd. With very little modification, the whole thing could have been filmed as a hilarious, Leo Wankeresque send-up of legitimate wilderness survival experts such as "The Bush Tucker Man", It is really a stunt and gross-out show in the guise of survival advice.

Bear gets sent "all alone" into the most remote and inhospitable places where no-one would ever need or want to go, surrounded by what seems to be a zillion cameramen and crew. There he uses over-complicated, energy-wasting and risky survival techniques for little marginal benefit, pretending to be roughing it in the wilderness, before retiring for the night to his luxury hotel. The premise is that he is equipped only with a knife, but when required always manages to have a suitable bit of equipment that can be tendentiously improvised in the style of the "A Team" or "MacGyver" into a survival tool. Nearly every episode shows him munching on some nauseating plant or bug or other animal, usually after introducing it as a local delicacy, then struggling to avoid vomiting. All the while he dispenses his over-complicated and obscure survival advice as if it is sincere and useful, when in actual fact you could only even attempt to use it if you were trapped in the wilderness with a DVD of the show and a laptop to play it.

While perhaps not the intent of the show, it really serves to corroborate my loathing of wilderness areas. Mother Nature is a truly loathsome, vindictive harpy that wants to kill you slowly and painfully after feeding you inedible food for your last supper. Watching this show makes me want to bulldoze every wilderness area on the planet and put up an air-conditioned shopping mall in its place. It really helps you understand why environmentalists generally prefer to live in the most densely populated areas of the world's largest and most developed cities.

If you're searching for a genuine survival show, keep looking.

[geoffmw · 5/10 · 10 December 2007]

When watching this show, one must immediately question whether or not Bear Grylls actually knows any survival skills. After watching a few episodes, I've come to the conclusion that he does, but he sure isn't using them.

Unfortunately for Bear's reputation, almost all survival techniques that could be employed are being thrown out the window in the name of entertainment. Bear scrambles around like a speed freak, trying to jam as much "danger" into the show as he can. But in a true survival situation, it's quite clear he would be behaving in a completely different manner. For instance, I haven't seen a single episode in which Bear does not voluntarily get soaked with water, a definite survival no-no. He also is generally well equipped, which makes sense in certain situations (such as camping,) but which is unlikely in a true life or death survival situation. The presence of a very well equipped crew, with helicopters and the like, also detracts from the show's attempt to fit in the survival genre.

At least for me, these aspects, and more like them, made it hard to enjoy the show. I tuned in expecting a true survival show, but found something completely different. The show is often entertaining thanks to Bear's stories and often crazy antics, but it reminds me more of a Crocodile Hunter type show that one meant to focus on survival techniques. Not recommended for survival enthusiasts, but still a fun watch on occasion.