"Reality" TV

Now, I'm not a fan of 'traditional' reality shows, but I've been sucked in by some of what Discovery and the History Channel have been producing, where it's not about the interpersonal drama, but rather people interacting with their environment. My ex hated the show, but Dirty Jobs is super fun, and host Mike Rowe rocks. He's remarkably tough for an ex-opera singer, with this poop-centric show, and mostly stomach-turning tasks to do. Survivorman and Man vs. Wild are mildly educational, should I find myself in the Amazon rainforest or the Arctic with only some hand sanitizer and a pocketknife.

Survivorman is an interesting example, as survivalist Les Stroud goes out not only without supplies (like his competitor Bear Grylls), but without a camera crew, too. He shoots it all himself, sometimes in inclement weather, and on little to no food. As fascinating as it is to see him survive environment after environment, I think the best episode thus far from my standpoint was the 'making of' installment. Showed how he goes into the 'wild' with six Mini-DV cameras and tripods, shooting activities from every angle.

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel (lookout for reruns). Whatever may be said about boxers, Ultimate Fighters, Survivorman, or their ilk, these dudes are badass.

Deadliest Catch follows a number of independent fishing boats in search of King crab in the Arctic Circle. It's the sort of place where if you fall into the water, and aren't fished out within sixty seconds, you're dead. And it's easy to go overboard. It's brutal, with the physical labor and the bitterly cold conditions, but the possibility for immense profit is huge for these guys, some of whom are born into the gig, and some who have nothing else they could do. Dirty Jobs' Rowe does the voiceover narration. Season 4 starts in April 2008.

http://blogs.discovery.com/deadliest_catch/