Josh Harper Survivorman is the grandfather to almost all other survival programs, and certainly all shown on Discovery or the Science channel. I watched this show as much as I could when I was a teenager, and even now years later it's still just as enjoyable. The thing that really separates this show from others is the true reality of it. There are no scripted interactions (Dual Survival), no setups with things left for the host (Man Vs Wild), and brilliant camera work for the entire program (Ed Stafford). Les Stroud gives an air of "if i can do it, so can you", compared to most other survival programs (the 3 I named above, for example) being hosted by former military men. Stroud is in his 40's, and only has survival techniques which anyone can do if properly instructed. Stroud has a safety net usually about 5 hour's walk away, which is helpful if he's mobile, but if he's attacked but a wild animal then it's game over. Compare that to Bear Grylls and his film crew of 2/3 people watching him do back-flips over waterfalls. Les Stroud does twice the work shown on camera because of his DIY film technique.

carolo-966-796364 I love this show..he's the real deal..much better than that Bear Grillis..he's too fake..at least survivor man is on his own when he films and nothing looks faked..he is very believable..it's now 2014 and. I'm watching the Second part of the Bigfoot show..he really should do more of these..if anyone can get to the truth and hopefully get proof I bet you he can.. Keep up the good work...more of these please until u get the proof..this is the best Bigfoot expedition I've seen yet and I've watched them all and read every book on them as early as the 1800's It would be great if they found an area where the Bigfoot actually lived and somehow try to set cameras to be able to observe them..try to learn more about their habits...don't keep us hanging ...go get em ..thanks for listening..

grizzledgeezer "Survivorman" appears to be unique among outdoor-survival shows. Les Stroud is presented as being truly alone, with no one to assist him. If he makes it to the time limit (currently 10 days), he'll be automatically picked up. But he can't summon help -- and he could very well die.I normally don't like such things. It smacks of trapeze artists working without a net, pandering to the audience's desire to see someone be killed, live. But people do find themselves in extreme situations not always of their own making. Such programming is potentially helpful -- and it serves to remind us how easy our lives are.I just saw the Tierra del Fuego episode, arguably the "low point" of the series (emotionally as well as geographically). I hope Stroud was paid a great deal for this particular "adventure", as no one in their right mind would want to spend more than a few minutes in that place.This is one of a few "reality" programs worth watching.PS: After submitting this review, I more-carefully read the Wikipedia article. It seems Mr Stroud carries a satellite radio, and can get in touch with his crew at any time. This has /never/ been mentioned in any episode; the audience is left believing he is totally alone. I certainly don't want to see Mr Stroud die -- and he /is/ in rather more danger than he would be if cameramen were present -- but his lying-by-omission obliges me to change my rating from 9 to 7.

Richard Rothenberg Les Stroud is an extraordinary man of 45 highly experienced years as of this writing. His life's journey so far has taken him deep into the world of music for which his "blues harp" talents and compositional skills have established a solid reputation in a realm that both coexists and sublimely contrasts with his unique brand of outdoor adventures which are as informative as they are uniformly grueling.Les circumnavigates the globe at the behest of his own production team, always seeking new and disparate locations from which to both tackle and parlay his survivalist experiences to those of us willing or wanting to watch him endure his self-inflicted ordeals. It appears that as far as Les is concerned, sometimes his greatest trial is in having to be his own expert cinematographer on site...and the technical hardware doesn't always tolerate the elements as well as Survivorman. In fact, Mr. Stroud, aside from his incredible courage and skill, is a funny and amusing teacher of how to sensibly spend a week in an unpredictable and often non-sensible (for humans) environment. The viewer is oft awarded a brief respite in the form of comic relief. To that end, and to the Survivorman's considerable credit, Les is willing to lapse into good natured self-deprecation if he becomes frustrated by having mishandled a task or judgment call. Conversely, he's not shy to cheer himself on camera for scoring small successes. The end result of his edited filming is always as full of momentary surprises as it is with the kind of awe-inspiring beauty over which nature reigns supreme, for better or for worse.As folks from New England are prone to say, if you don't like the weather, then wait a little...and so it is with Les, who's circumstances change as quickly as Mt. Washington's (New Hampshire) atmospheric conditions. And weather can be just one of a plethora of unpleasantries to contend with. Ultimately, Les Stroud is a master of extreme teaching. He perhaps goes to conventionally unreasonable lengths to film himself in all manner of temporarily glorious moments which are usually just the other side of an impending predicament...and he's fully aware of that aspect too. Mr. Stroud is not a daredevil, nor a thrill-seeker for its own sake, but rather a dedicated outdoors-man and supremely accomplished survivalist among his other complimentary talents. With his production crew often stationed somewhere in the general vicinity, Les does his own thing, alone, with his trusty multi-tool and harmonica for comfort wherever there might be none otherwise. As we quietly slip into his journey, Les enriches our knowledge and entertains our senses. It's a photographic treat to follow his intrepid endeavors from the safety of our personal viewing zone. In the spotty world of reality television, "Survivorman" is as flawless as it is fascinating.