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I must admit that I've really enjoyed this series. If nothing else, the strong mutual respect, and extreme personal differences, between Cody Lundeen and Dave Canterbury have been most instructive. (There's a LOT of personal experience behind this observation, which is the topic of another long thread...)
I grew up in an environment like Dave's (birth through 1987), and have lived in an environment lke Cody's (1988 to present). From my personal viewpoint, it doesn't take much to adapt what they've demonstrated to a long-term survival and living strategy in quite a lot of environmental conditions.
I enjoy the show even more now more than I did at the beginning. When it first came out, I thought the show had promise, I liked it, but wasn't real sure how I thought it compared to the other similar shows.
At the beginning, I was a bit worried that the show was going to be a 'one-season-wonder,' but am glad to see they are keeping the locations reasonably diverse. At some point they might have to start going to more exotic locations, after they have expended a lot of the local geographic locations, so as to not get too repetitive. An Australian bush episode might be a good future possibility.
The dynamic between two individuals with different ways of doing things, I thought was a pretty good formula for the show, from the beginning. I've never really seen a show with this kind of formula, and so wondered if it would start to get "old" (and repetitive) after a few episodes, and I'm glad that for the most part it has not. It still gets a little repetitive, but I like it anyway. Dave wants to do one thing, Cody another... one of them gives the "oh geez, why can't we just do it my way. I clearly have the better plan" kind of head shake; the other gives a very subtle eye roll sort of response about having to do it the other fellas way.... but to a large extent, I guess that is reality. It's a bit of give-and-take.
A minor annoyance I'd like to air: Dual Survival seems to do the same thing they do with "Gold Rush" (and other similar shows) that kind of grates on my nerves a bit, but this seems to be a problem with many of DISCOVERY's "reality" shows. I don't know if it is the production company that does it, or if DISCOVERY does the final editing of all the shows, but the "drama formula" and especially the cheesy drama music (e.g. where they interject an eery, nerve grating sound at a "crucial" moment to 'force' a build-up of anticipation....), I just find annoying. They seriously need to stop doing it. That formula needs to die, and never be resurrected. American television and production values are definitely the best in the world, and I think people in most other countries even realize this..... but we're starting to jump the shark lately into "cheesy" land with some of the forced drama. I think Americans are growing accustomed to it, and don't realize how stupid it probably seems.
Last edited by FreedomThroughAnarchism; 06-28-2011 at 02:24 PM..
I love the show. I've got a few episodes on my DVR that I've yet to watch. They have very different ways of going about things with one being a hippie naturalist type and the other a gruff Army vet. It's good to see opposing views sometimes. There's always more than one way to skin a cat (or rabbit, or squirell, or whatever). But they appear to be genuine freinds (as opposed to just two guys who were cast together) so there is humor in the way they disagree about things. They sound like an old married couple sometimes. More than anything, they show how important teamwork is. It's a good dynamic.
I like this series. One thing I appreciate is that they do not make survival look easy. One example; making a fire without any matches or fire starting tools is extremely difficult and it's reflected during the show. They don't take anything for granted and they don't try to make it look easy. I like the counter philosophies and differences in their methods.
Les Hiddins, "The Bush Tucker Man," is another show I have only recently come across and have been enjoying immensely. Can't believe I never stumbled onto that one before in all my years looking for this kind of content on YouTube... don't know how I missed it.
As one can probably tell by the name of the show, it involves Australia. Bush tucker being food that one can find it the 'bush.'
The show seems to be modeled very closely to Ray Mears show, minus the diverse locations that Rays show has, because Australia doesn't seem to have that broad a diversity (even though he constantly talks about how much diversity there is in that country *shrugs*). You have dry season, and then you have 'the wet.' Doesn't seem the be a whole lot of in-between. He even did a whole joint episode with Ray Mears (Ray Mears Goes Walkabout - on YouTube in 4 parts).
Been watching it for a few days now, so I guess he did a lot of episodes. If you are bored and are looking for something new to watch, check it out. The formula for the show is more like Ray Mears program than the American survival programs. Les (Bush Tucker Man) doesn't get dropped off in the middle of nowhere on quests to try to survive, but simply takes you to different locations in each episode, he camps, walks around, shows random objects that can be used for food. He seems to have a better grasp of plant life than the other well known survival guys, from my observation. I'd say that's really his specialty, more so than doing things like starting fires. His "bushcraft" skills are still pretty decent, though. He's made water-worthy canoes from bark in fairly short order.
Les also talks quite a bit about the nature in the bush, and the different seasons. I find the episodes about the rainy seasons absolutely fascinating. Australia is really weird. It has to be one of the only countries where the land can 'magically' terraform from a virtual desert like we have in the southwest U.S. during the dry season, and then turns into an immensely lush rainforest with water flooded everywhere several feet high, in just a matter of moths during the wet season, etc...
I saw a preview with Jake Gyllenhaal on Man vs. Wild. I never saw Brokeback Mountain, but Jake and Bear Grylls look like they could be sweethearts. Maybe there's a sequel in the making.
Dual Survival is about the best of whats left of the survival shows.
Les Stroud with "Survivorman" was the original and the best, until he got into the "vanishing aboriginie" kick.
Man Woman Wild was boarderline, usually focused on making the Mrs. uncomfortable, information was usually sound, not always.
Man Vs Wild was a "let's gross out the audience" play for attention, and most of what Bear Grills did would be fatal for anyone that didn't have a full crew with evac helicopters and EMTs following him around.
Dave Canterbury has several survival videos out and has usually pretty good information. He is much more the military mind that takes risks that an individual in a survival situation should never take, but work fine with a platoon or squad of men backing your play.
The hippy guy caused me to laugh so hard I couldn't see the tv when he went trapsing across the Montana Prairies in his shorts and socks, then when he tied on that buffalo robe, (who has those today in your line shack????), I couldn't hold it in anymore. When they pulled the straw bale they found apart to sleep in, made me wonder if they were in a sheltered area as most of that country they were in I am intimately familier with, and loose straw blows away across the prairie in a hurry, no more warm bed
The bush hippys tender sensabilities also are a source of amusement. in one episode he was eating nuts he pulled from a pile of elephant excrament, but then was squemish about drinking flowing water..
They do have some decent information, pretty good survival skills that transfer where-ever they are, not place specific, but some of the stuff they worry about is way over the top. I don't like the "green-warrior" message the hippy puts out, but Dave counters most of it with a hearty "time to hike up your skirts and deal with it"
Dave has a lot more patience, (or the paycheck to make it worthwhile) putting up with that guy's bare feet and peccidellos than I would.
The contrast between the two is a good dynamic for the show, keeps it interesting, and they do go to some very cool places.
It isn't one of my favorite shows, but is about the best there is on that time slot, so I watch it.
Totally un-aware. Who carries it? ABC, CBS NBC sorta thing, knowing that and when might get me a fighting chance.
:| DISCOVERY Channel. It's on a few times (the prior weeks episode and then the new episode which they rerun a few times) on Friday night (2000 or 2100 hrs) and Saturday morning.
Roger..... I'l check it out. I get that station, just don't watch it much.
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