Tom Alexander Having watched both the UK and now US versions of this show, I'm struggling to contain my irritation at some of the comments written here. The "reviews" slating Bear Grylls ' latest show, in which a motley crew of average Americans are marooned on a tiny tropical island for a month with the simple goal of trying to survive, completely miss the point. They complain about the "wussy" participants, who are plunged into the most inhospitable of environments, battling real thirst, starvation and all manner of injuries and ailments, lauding them for displaying highly understandable signs of stress and physical and mental fatigue. It's at times like this I wish I could magically pluck those keyboard warriors from their parents' basements and place them in that unforgiving environment, and see how long they last before they fall apart at the seams. Give this show a try - it's the closest I've seen to a genuine reality show (the participants are genuinely alone and film themselves) - and although some things have obviously been done to give the cast a helping hand (fresh water deposits, the odd farm pig conveniently found), the show doesn't hide the fact that they had to ensure survival was actually possible.

cassidyorme I'm really sad that the amazing Bear Grylls is hosting this show... these people are pathetic.. they talk more than they do.. two episodes in and two people are already gone.. two people couldn't make it two days hahaha its basically showing the world how pathetic the average American male is.. they are privileged worthless idiots.. they know they are going to be there for a month and maybe thats why they are so lackadaisical... seriously its obvious that none of these people have seen even one episode of man vs. wild, I haven't watched the show in years but if i was dropped on an island alone i would survive better than this group of utter morons.do us all a favor nbc and cancel the show..

atlasmb "The Island" is a new show by NBC, featuring Bear Grylls as the host, doing occasional commentary.Fourteen men are dropped on an isolated island with the intent of surviving thirty days using their wits and abilities. These are not survival specialists. Four of them are cameramen who will document the adventure.I guess the first question is why are they doing this? There is no million dollar prize at the end. It's not a contest, except in the sense that it's man against nature. From the beginning, it's clear that nature holds all the cards. These men have chosen to test their mettle. What better way to do that than "in the destructive element immerse" (from "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad).Due to posts about other related shows, I wondered how true this show would be. Or would there be numerous interferences from the producers to modify the narrative? After watching the first two episodes--with their medical emergencies and their real depictions of imminent death experiences--it is clear that the viewer is watching a true story unfold. Evacuations are necessary when dangerous health risks occur, but otherwise the men are on their own.This show is probably not for everyone. The participants undergo tremendous stresses, which cause breakdowns in personalities and the social niceties, revealing basic truths about human nature and the relationship between mind and body.

cypresstwist This is hands down the worst survival show I have started to watch. So you have these 14 guys that have absolutely no idea what they are doing. And you drop them onto this island where they bicker like teenagers until they run out of resources. Three of them struggle to kill a snake because they just have to prove to themselves that they are men. Three others try to start a fire by friction only to see a brighter one already made a fire by using his glasses. Then they decide they need to carry said fire to the beach, although they could just use the same glasses again. So they carry hot coals from the middle of the jungle when the real question was why start a fire in the forest. The scene in which they chop the snake using a machete although they have knives made me laugh. They hold the snake VERTICALLY and they hit it repeatedly with the short sword almost defacing the one that holds the dead reptile like a little girl would hold a dead umbilical cord. Then they eat it, although they HAVE enough food; they have been on the island for only a few hours, they are definitely NOT hungry and water is their main problem, not snake meat. And speaking of water, I drew great pleasure from seeing these 14 Americans mix ocean water with the last drinkable water they had, boil it and then spit it out screaming "THIS IS SALT WATER!" Three of them went to look for the beach, although all of them would have found it eventually. It took them 3-4 hours to get there, another 3-4 hours to get back into the middle of the jungle to tell the others they have found said beach, then GO BACK to the beach. Total wasted time: half a day. I face-palmed myself when the Army veteran drew a big "USA" in the sand and stood gloriously looking at the waves. No wonder the rest of the world hates the USA. The first episode concludes with the most annoying member of the group throwing up and violently convulsing at night. He must have drank the salt water or whatnot and they had to call for help and watch as he was thrown into a boat without fanfare and sailed off into the darkness. These men couldn't build a sand castle without setting it on fire and I'm pretty sure that's exactly why they have been chosen to go on that island.