From the BBC News web site

Survival show faces 'fake' claim

Channel 4 calls Grylls "a cross between Ray Mears and Rambo"
Channel 4 is to investigate a claim that it misled viewers in a survival series, in the latest allegation of reality being manipulated on a TV show.
Born Survivor featured British adventurer Bear Grylls dealing with "perilous situations" in the wild.

But a crew member told the Sunday Times some nights were spent in hotels.

Channel 4 insisted Grylls was never billed as working entirely unaided, but promised to raise the matter with the production company that made the show.

American survival consultant Mark Weinert, who was recruited by Diverse Productions, told the paper Grylls claimed to be stranded on a desert island on one occasion.

He often directly addresses the production team, including the cameraman, making it clear he is receiving an element of back-up

Channel 4 statement
However, he was actually in Hawaii and spent some of his time there in a motel, Mr Weinert alleged.

Another time, he added, Grylls was filmed building a raft by himself, whereas the crew had actually put it together and dismantled it beforehand, to ensure that it worked.

And in a further episode, supposedly "wild" horses rounded up by Grylls had come from a local trekking facility, he claimed.

Further investigation

Channel 4 said in a statement that Born Survivor was "not an observational documentary series, but a 'how-to' guide to basic survival techniques in extreme environments".

"The programme explicitly does not claim that presenter Bear Grylls' experience is one of unaided solo survival.

"For example, he often directly addresses the production team, including the cameraman, making it clear he is receiving an element of back-up."

The broadcaster said Grylls carried out his own stunts and did place himself in perilous situations, "though he does so within clearly-observed health and safety guidelines required on productions of this kind".

"However, we take any allegations of misleading our audiences seriously and will be looking into this further with Diverse over the next few days."

The series was originally made for the Discovery Channel in the US and was acquired for UK transmission by Channel 4.

Diverse Productions declined to elaborate on Channel 4's statement, while Grylls's agent was unavailable for comment.

Gee, a scripted TV show, who wudda thunk it???

Personally I think you'd have to be pretty simple not to believe most 'reality' on tv is faked. Nothing dramatic ever happens off camera and everything comes together with perfect timing. No one ever says: "why is there a camera crew with you?" They barely try and conceal it.

Thank heaven at least we know wrestling is genuine!
simon

"The programme explicitly does not claim that presenter Bear Grylls' experience is one of unaided solo survival."

I don't think most who frequent this forum are shocked that the show is staged, but the intent of the producers is clearly to deceive the uneducated viewer. One of these days, 'ole Bear is going to get really hurt doing something stupid. Bet that never makes the show!

"One of these days, 'ole Bear is going to get really hurt doing something stupid."

One of these days, someone who watches the show and doesn't know better will mimic one of his actions and probably cripple or kill himself.

And then, like the National Inquirer, the producers will whine, "Well, everyone KNOWS it wasn't for real!"

Cynical Sue is back

It is true that Grylls occasionally says "watch your footing here, guys" when he's needlessly climbing down the steepest part of a cliff that he climbed for no good reason that I could ever figure out in the first place. The "guys" are clearly the camera and sound crew. So I guess they can argue there was no concealment and hence no intent to deceive.

IMO it's entertainment, not education. Move the show from the Discovery Channel to Fox, etc., and most of my gripes go away.


Frank2135

Hey everyone, before you watch bugs bunny please wear a helmet and full body armor.I mean, you may try to stick a finger into the barrel of a rifle to stop a bullet, after watching that. Oh and before you watch any superman movie, be sure to stack some empty cardboard boxes outside of your window. Because you may wanna try to "fly" outta your window after seeing it done on tv. And by all means, stay away from all anvils you come across, you may feel the urge to drop it on someones head after seeing it done on a roadrunner cartoon. And please don't get me started on those two crazies Tom & Jerry, someone needs to sue their pants off...if they wore any..those perverts!!!

Bear is my hero! He works alone... he even says interaction between him and his camera crew is strictly forbidden! He jumped into a bog in Scotland. Go Bear!

I rest my case.

Frank2135

In my opinion, the intent of the show is to deminstrate what CAN be done in a survival situation that MAY help you survive. It's not meant to be a documentary on Bear Grylls surviving in the wild. There is a little bit of good advice throughout his show but there is also a lot of unnecessary risk taking. If the average Joe off the street tried some of the stunts he pulls, I'd wage they would not likely live to see the end of the day.
When it's all said and done though, I would much rather watch his show than Big Brother 8 or any of the other nonsense that seems to dominate the boob-tube these days.

smitty