Man vs. Wild Accused of Being Tamer Than It Lets On

Man Vs. Wild host, Bear Grylls courtesy Discover Channel

Discovery Channel is looking into claims that Man vs. Wild doesn't rough it as much as viewers are led to believe. "Discovery Communications has learned that isolated elements of Man vs. Wild in some episodes were not natural to the environment and that for health and safety concerns the crew and host received some survival assistance," the cabler says in a statement cited by the Reporter.

An investigation by the U.K.'s Channel 4 found that Man vs. Wild host Bear Grylls retreated to a hotel room on at least two occasions when it was purported that he slept "in the wild." (To be fair, the lodging in question was a Motel 6, so... tomato, tom-ah-to.) Discovery maintains that "moving forward, the program will be 100-percent transparent, and all elements... will be explained to our viewers."

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Posted by

Matt Webb Mitovich

Jul 24, 2007 10:25 AM

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I started watching the show a few weeks back! It was fascinating. I worried how the crew could survive some of the conditions! Anyway, I would still watch it even the host and the crew do not always stay in the wild for the whole adventures.
Posted by john_c11 Jul 24, 2007 11:16 AM Report Abuse

This is why I have always liked Surviorman better than Man vs Wild. MvW has always looked staged and obvious that he had assistance unlike Surviorman who goes into those environments alone with just a camera and minimal supplies and uses his survival skills. for the above poster check out Survivorman.
Posted by rntnyc Jul 24, 2007 11:19 AM Report Abuse

How dare they! Next we will find out that he didn't really pee in his canteen and drink his own urine when in the Outback but was sipping on a nice homebrew instead.
Posted by chrisnine11 Jul 24, 2007 11:22 AM Report Abuse

Not sure what all the fuss is about. It is a TELEVISION show! There have been a number of times when Bear has said, "In a real life or death situation, this (animal) would make a fine meal. But it is protected, so tonight it will go free."

No one actually believes the guy lets his only meal RUN FREE and eats NOTHING do they? Heard of a granola bar, folks?

The program is meant to show how you COULD survive in a situation, doesn't mean the guy is cheating if he doesn't ACTUALLY drink his own pee.

*sheesh*

Posted by PJSander

Jul 24, 2007 11:36 AM

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rntnyc, thank! I found out the surviorman last week. I learnt that new season is coming on soon. I would watch it and see if I like it!
Posted by john_c11 Jul 24, 2007 11:37 AM Report Abuse

This guy has spent the night on the side of glaciers, in the middle of the Everglades and the African plains. We all know he can do it. So what if he took off for a couple nights because of life threatening situations? Doesn't change the fact that he knows what he is doing and his show is riveting television. My season pass will remain.
Posted by seany29 Jul 24, 2007 12:20 PM Report Abuse

Doesn't surprise me. I saw an episode where he made this make-shift ladder out of bamboo to cross over a cliff that was above a raging river and after the bamboo shattered and fell into the river, the next scene showed him already across. I guess he made wings out of leaves and flew over. Personally, I like watching Surviorman.
Posted by sforeman4 Jul 24, 2007 12:43 PM Report Abuse

Oh the Humanity! Bear Grylls still rules. He drank water from an elephant turd for crying out loud! I have always wondered how he put up with a camera crew following him around. I will still watch! He killed a rabbit with a hunk of wood, drank his own pee, jumped into a hole in the ice, ate a rotting deer, survived a shark attach on a homemade raft - do I need to go one here?
Posted by Ranger99 Jul 24, 2007 12:52 PM Report Abuse

i agree with most of you. who cares! he's showing you how to survive... i would not want him to really get hurt (or his crew), just for a TV show. i always wondered how his camera crew got around behind him. seems scary. i love him, and nothing would make me stop watching. he's awesome!
Posted by coldroses Jul 24, 2007 1:22 PM Report Abuse

It's fine for him to go sleep in a motel. It is not OK for him and/or the producers to pretend he didn't or make it seem that way.
Posted by achyfakey Jul 24, 2007 2:04 PM Report Abuse

True that achyfakey, and I think they're going to fix that from now on. But for the most part, I'm still in the majority who says who cares. We know he can do this, but he does have a wife and kid at home so I'd be angry if he did NOT take some precautions. He still rules and I will still enjoy the show the same.
Posted by unscrewed Jul 24, 2007 3:14 PM Report Abuse

come on...he walked up to a "wild" horse, no burrs in it's mane or tail. that is when i stopped watching it...you CAN'T walk up to wild animals unless you are in a disney movie.
Posted by jim2dew Jul 24, 2007 3:15 PM Report Abuse

I love the show and it doesn't affect my enjoyment to know that in dangerous situations Bear might get some help. The point of the show is to show how one could survive in extreme situations, which it amply demonstrates. (His getting help is just a reminder that sometimes situations are too dire to survive).

Disclosing what happened off camera seems fine. Bear is seriously hardcore as his past achievements and behavior on the show make clear. It's just TV though--it's not worth risking your life over. I'll keep watching!

Posted by ReneeDY

Jul 24, 2007 7:42 PM

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It is disappointing to learn everything was not fully disclosed. But Man vs. Wild is riveting and Bear is amazing. Like the Croc Hunter before him, this is finally a show that you can watch with your kids. The show is educational, gripping and has offered many hours of enjoyable TV. Face it, anyone who will drink the liquid from Elephant dung, jump into freezing glacier water and plunge neck-deep into Scottish mud and animal guts is plenty extreme. You can't fake that stuff and it makes for great TV and talk around to water cooler at work. Who cares if he didn't spend a night or two in the woods. Bear obviously has more skill than all of us put together. I'd rather have him play it safe and be able to watch him for years to come than have him unnecessarily put his life at risk and wind up like Steve Irwin (rest his soul - Steve was the best!) Next time though - full disclosure or even leaving some of the mock scenes out would be better than trying to pass off falsehoods as reality. Keep going Bear, you have the best show on TV!!!

Posted by bradem01

Jul 28, 2007 11:42 PM

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