The Island

Bear Grylls drops fourteen ordinary American men on a deserted tropical island. They are given limited supplies. There are no crew as the men themselves do the filming. There is no prize money. There is no voting. The first problem and probably the most compelling danger is the shortage of drinkable water. Some may laugh at the guys losing the water they're given but people make idiotic mistakes all the time. On an island surrounded by sea water, the lack of drinkable water is the most immediate danger.

Most of these guys are out of their elements. They make all kinds of easy mistakes. They caught a pig that looks suspiciously domesticated although they also got a caiman which is impressive. A few of the men are obvious camera people from previous TV productions like this. After the early dangers, there are some minor conflicts of personalities which don't interest me that much. Without a task, a couple of the guys ended up waiting out the 28 days. It seems like others are pushing the conflict agenda simply to spice up the entertainment. It's six episodes and first couple are quite compelling as they struggle to find water. The rest of the show isn't as compelling. It's a short six episodes but even that is too long. I don't see this show continuing unless Bear can come up with some tasks for the contestants.

Bear Grylls has let the producers select a cast of WHIMPS that know nothing about how to live without a supermarket or their mommy's. (please spare us the politically correct "diverse" group.. and next time use competent and capable REAL MEN or Women).

Honestly, anyone that has gone through BoyScouts or camped out more than once could easily survive longer than these "new age" pampered millennials. Most have never seen the outdoors other than on vacation or from a postcard in a city store.

After each episode 1,2,3.. they have crying or complaining men that need to be removed from the island. Please, spare us of feminine or unfit men trying to survive on an island with no food or water.

I'm so disappointed, since his past shows had always drawn us into actual survival by someone that is TRAINED or mentally competent to solve the life or death problems that arise.

This show is a WASTE of time.. don't bother unless you like watching new-era dysfunctional city people off the street starving and crying on an island.

"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.

I feel like I have to come to the defense of this show, simply because the type of people who are initially drawn to it expect a certain type of presentation of survival. I will tell you now, there are no Ray Mears or Les Stroud types on this show. There will be no instructional how-to's on building a friction fire or how to set traps to catch food. This is a show about 14 normal modern American men attempting to survive on a Pacific deserted island.

The show is shot entirely by the marooned islanders themselves, but don't expect the worst camera work, 4 of them are trained cameramen. The rest of the islanders are a mix of white and blue collar professionals between the ages of 25 and 60+, with a few veterans sprinkled here and there. In general, most of these people seem very genuine, and not hand picked by producers to provide the most tension and conflict. The show is of course about cooperative survival, not a competition.

Without giving anything away, we watch these men struggle with finding fresh water, starting a fire, and of course some internal struggle. These are of course problems that will continue to arise, and no doubt there will be many others that they will have to face, but that's what this show is all about. We are watching these men struggle and overcome the adversities of survival.

If you're looking for a show like Survivorman or any of the series hosted by Ray Mears, you're probably going to be a little disappointed. If you're looking to laugh and cry with the struggles of these men however, I'd give The Island a try.

I found all four seasons to simply not be appealing. What you will see is the customary people not getting along drama, very little in survival information and at some points you'll think the entire show has been scripted to the narration.

The biggest disappointment is the lack of relevant footage of survival. It is an endless montage of starving dehydrated people waiting out the 6 weeks.

Considering that the whole thing is filmed with the same people starving and dehydrated you should expect much and the don't disappoint.

Sadly it was a stupid idea thinking that you would get good film or scenes with the same people suffering what they are recording.