Survivorman
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It has been suggested that Stranded (television program) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
| Survivorman | |
|---|---|
 Survivorman logo |
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| Genre | Reality (wilderness survival) |
| Created by | Les Stroud |
| Starring | Les Stroud |
| Country of origin |  Canada |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 44 minutes (not including commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Canada: OLN USA: The Discovery Channel, The Science Channel |
| Original airing | November 24(?), 2004 - Present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Survivorman is a Canadian-produced television program, broadcast in Canada on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), and in the United States and internationally on The Discovery Channel and The Science Channel. The show has aired two seasons to date, in 2004 and in 2007.
The "Survivorman" is Canadian survival expert Les Stroud, who must use his survival skills to manage for seven days by himself in various remote locales with little or no food, water, or equipment.
Unlike the similar Discovery Channel series Man vs. Wild, Stroud is completely alone (he is not accompanied by a camera crew and he operates the cameras himself). He is equipped with only his clothes, his camera equipment, his "trusty" harmonica, and a Leatherman multi-tool. Often, the show begins with a specific scenario in which one might find oneself stranded (such as a car breakdown in the desert; or stranded on a deserted island after a storm). To add to the realism of the "scenario", he is sometimes permitted to have some 'everyday items' that a stranded person in such a situation might possess. He also carries a satellite phone for use only in an emergency.[1]
Survivorman can be considered to be a sequel or spinoff to Stroud's earlier project, Stranded, a 2001 five-part series that was shown on the Canadian Discovery Channel.
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[edit] Survival situations
In each episode Stroud places himself in a unique survival situation. The show is meant to demonstrate how one might survive alone in a remote location with minimal supplies until being rescued. Finding food, water, and materials to make fire and shelter pose the main challenges of each episode.
Part of the tension of Survivorman is in watching Stroud deal with the aftermath of unsuccessful or inappropriate survival techniques and decisions. The reasons for these errors can include time limitations, being unfamiliar with a technique, or misjudging weather conditions, all frequently encountered by people in survival situations. Stroud allows these predicaments to occur for the benefit of the TV audience, rather than simply sitting and waiting to be rescued. While acknowledging the errors and the negative effect on his emotional state that they can create, Stroud remains calm throughout, providing a model of behaviour vital to successful survival.
In addition to the physical challenges posed by each survival situation, Stroud confronts the psychological effects of isolation, physical injury, and exhaustion. Stroud is never without his harmonica, even in the episode where he honed his harmonica to eight sharp points on the hard rocks in an unsuccessful attempt to create a flounder catching device. Stroud's harmonica playing creates an atmosphere in strong contrast to the often dismal nature of the survival experience, and has a noticeable positive effect on the host. Stroud also narrates to the camera, commenting on his physical and psychological state, providing survival tips, or making jokes (such as his parody of an iconic scene in The Blair Witch Project), effectively employing the future television audience as a companion. Stroud also often dismantles available equipment (e.g. bike, snowmobile, airplane) and puts it to another practical use.
Prior to each episode, Les relies heavily on local experts to brief him on key survival techniques unique to that particular location. This knowledge of the unique flora and fauna of each location is perhaps his most basic yet powerful skill. In every episode he shows the audience how to find viable sources of nourishment, avoid dangerous or unhealthy ones, and utilize them appropriately and efficiently. Stroud frequently explains that gathering food in this manner should be reserved for true survival situations in order to preserve the environment.
Stroud's survival situations are reported to have helped real people who find themselves stranded in the elements to survive. Most recently, in April 2008, it was reported that a Manitoba man separated from his friends while snowmobiling used lessons learned from Stroud to survive and be rescued.[2]
[edit] Filming
Except for footage of him arriving at his new setting, and being retrieved at the end of the week, the content of each episode is taped entirely by Stroud himself using several DV video cameras that he must carry with him everywhere that he goes. (He has lately switched to a number of HDV cameras.) The burden of having to carry, place, and retrieve the camera equipment for each shot adds to the challenge and difficulty of each survival situation. His camera and audio gear typically weigh about 50 pounds (22.7 kg) in total. During the "Behind the Scenes" episode, Stroud explains that "setting up or tearing down all of my camera gear takes about 65% of my time," making survival more challenging. The episode also explains that Stroud and his team extensively scout their locations ahead of time and consult with survivalists and natives to the area. The goal is both to ensure Stroud's safety and to sketch out interesting scenarios and techniques that can be illustrated on the show. He later records a voice-over commentary in the studio, where he explains his decision-making process and details of how he accomplished various tasks.
On July 16, 2007, Stroud and a support crew of four in the safety camp were cited by the United States National Park Service for commercial filming without a permit at Taroka Arm, a seldom-visited area at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. Investigators found a driftwood shelter surrounded by multiple cameras on the beach. The support crew was camped near a sensitive archaeological site. Stroud paid the required application, location and monitoring fees, totaling approximately $2,800 USD.[3]
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Season 1
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Canadian Boreal Forest" | November 1, 2004 |
| After a canoeing accident, Les becomes lost in a Northern Ontario forest. | ||
| 02 | "Arizona Desert" | November 2, 2004 |
| A broken down dirt bike provides the scenario for surviving in the Sonoran Desert. | ||
| 03 | "Costa Rica" | November 3, 2004 |
| Marooned on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, Les must survive on a tropical beach and in dense jungle. | ||
| 04 | "Georgia Swamp" | November 4, 2004 |
| Lost in the swamplands of Georgia's Altamaha River Basin. | ||
| 05 | "Canadian Arctic" | November 5, 2004 |
| A broken down snowmobile in the Canadian arctic, near Pond Inlet. | ||
| 06 | "Mountain" | November 6, 2004 |
| Hiking gone wrong leads to a week in the Canadian Rockies. | ||
| 07 | "Canyonlands" | November 7, 2004 |
| A broken bicycle in the Utah canyons. | ||
| 08 | "Plane Crash" | November 8, 2004 |
| Plane crash survivor in Temagami, Ontario in the winter. | ||
| 09 | "Lost at Sea" | November 9, 2004 |
| On a raft in the middle of the ocean near Belize for several days in temperatures of 102 °F (39 °C), then washing ashore on an uninhabited island. | ||
| 10 | "Behind the Scenes" | November 10, 2004 |
| Clips and outtakes from the previous nine survival episodes. | ||
[edit] Season 2
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | "Kalahari" | August 10, 2007 |
| Les' 4x4 runs out of gas, leaving him to survive extreme heat in the Kalahari Desert. He builds a solar still to obtain clean, safe water from his own urine. Stroud cut his stay short due to dehydration | ||
| 12 | "Amazon" | August 17, 2007 |
| Stroud pays a visit to one of the densest, deepest parts of the Amazon rainforest. | ||
| 13 | "Labrador" | August 24, 2007 |
| Stroud is paired with a team of sled dogs (who have their own food not meant for Les), then eventually loses the dogs (intentionally) and is left on his own. He was given a rifle for protection and a slab of seal meat for food. | ||
| 14 | "African Plains" | August 31, 2007 |
| Les lands his hot air balloon in the Northern part of South Africa. | ||
| 15 | "Alaska" | September 7, 2007 |
| Stuck in an Alaskan bay, Les utilizes a kayak to fish and travel to the various local shores to scavenge. Les is also on the alert for black bears and larger grizzly bears. | ||
| 16 | "South Pacific" | September 14, 2007 |
| Les is shipwrecked in the Cook Islands, and makes the ultimate sacrifice (his harmonica). | ||
| 17 | "Behind the Scenes" | September 21, 2007 |
| A behind the scenes look of each episode of season 2. Les goes in-depth with his preparation for each locale. Also featured are local people who taught Les certain techniques beforehand. | ||
[edit] Season 3
Currently, season three is under production. Northern Canada, Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Papua New Guinea, Madagascar are some of the confirmed locations. According to Survivorman newsletter, the Sierra Nevada episode is completed with filming as of May 17, 2008. Les wrote in his web log that Sierra Nevada episode is based upon a backpackers scenario, having to survive with only the few basic tools a backpacker presumably would carry; a tent, sleepingbag and a flashlight.
[edit] DVD
| Cover Art | DVD Name | No# of episodes | Region 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Season 1 | 10 | 2006 |
[edit] References
- ^ Ask Survivorman. The Science Channel.
- ^ Lee-Anne Goodman. "Canada's 'Survivorman' humbled to hear Manitoba man used his tips to survive", Prince George Citizen, 2008-04-04. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ The Morning Report for Monday, July 23, 2007. National Park Service (2007-07-23). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ TV.com episode guide.. TV.com (2007-11-23). Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
