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The Island - hosted by Bear Grylls (US version)
Alex_B1
Posts: 403 Forum Member
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I don't know if anyone is interested in this NBC show here (broadcast on Monday), but thought I'd just start a thread anyway.
Since the show is a remake of a British one, initial thought on the difference between the US and UK version is that British and American men are really rather different people. Americans are:
More gung-ho
More earnest
More effective (made fire faster, already caught something to eat the first day)
More aggressive (arguments certainly started early)
More individualistic (splitting off and going their own way early)
The more negative impressions might be just due to one oddball person who wanted to do his own things, so we'll see what happens the next few weeks without him.
British humor is certainly another striking difference between American and British men.
Since the show is a remake of a British one, initial thought on the difference between the US and UK version is that British and American men are really rather different people. Americans are:
More gung-ho
More earnest
More effective (made fire faster, already caught something to eat the first day)
More aggressive (arguments certainly started early)
More individualistic (splitting off and going their own way early)
The more negative impressions might be just due to one oddball person who wanted to do his own things, so we'll see what happens the next few weeks without him.
British humor is certainly another striking difference between American and British men.
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Comments
They do seem more aggressive than the Brits, also more concerned about appearing weak (probably one and the same thing). Not sure why they would get someone who is weak from dehydration to walk to get some water vines when they can bring the water to him (that's what plastic bottles are there for).
Shame Mike left as I think he would have been an interesting character. Stay at home Dad is not coming across well and is quite whiny/negative. Interesting that some of the team don't want to show the negative bits on camera. I think Davion needs to be told that he is on a reality TV show and filming and cameras is part of the deal. Benji is coming across quite well.
Looking at the preview it does appear they are dropping like flies although I guess we'll see whether that's true next week.
I also think Americans are more concerned about their manliness, the aggressiveness and and not wanting to appear weak is part of that. Actually it was mentioned in the first episode that the men took 8 hrs to make the fire. Since this show didn't mention that it took a long time for the Americans to do it, I have no reason to doubt that it didn't take a long time.
They are also seem more methodical, splitting up into groups to cover more ground when looking for water. I suspect, like the one who left in the first episode, he tried too hard in the heat. The ones who are more careful would be the ones who can last to the end.
I thought both persons who left would have made great TV if they had stayed (the first one was just a bit crazy, he would certainly stir things up) .
The show is also a bit more squeamish, no shots of the pig at all when the killed it or indeed during the process of butchering {the pig just decorously stayed out of sight while they were doing it.}
Thought the whole turtle rescue was amazing as the edit made it look like it was a definite goner. I assume turtles don't play dead do they?
Also point to note, don't eat crab shells.
Not being harsh at all! ... I found it embarrassing to watch. At least be honest - everyone knows why you are leaving!
It's interesting to see that there are different kinds of food on the island at different time of year. They are lucky that they were there when the crabs decided to come on shore. Easy pickings for them.
They are almost as bad as the British girls.
I have no idea why some of these people decided to come on the show. Jim the policeman seems to think he is there just to sit on the beach with his newly acquired Man Friday. That was a really nice episode, someone should give the guy a medal for resuscitating the turtle. I would have demanded to be taken off the island straight away if something like that down below had happened to me. I wouldn't have tried to tough it out.
But seriously, have they never eaten crabs? Who eats crab shells? Except for soft-shell crabs (and they are very nice to eat), no one eats hard shells.
It's not about just staying to the end of the 4 weeks there, it's about what you do to get to the end of 4 weeks.
Not shown on UK, but given that there are US pace threads for TV shows here, it'll presumably be the usual way how people watched these shows. It's likely to be a mixture of downloads, streams, and some might even watch it live (there are ways of doing that even if you don't live in the US).
Agree with this and surprised that the people concerned just didn't get why the others might have been a bit annoyed at them.
So no shots of them returning to civilisation then? Seemed a bit flat compared to the UK version and given the ratings I'm not sure there will be another season but I guess that also depends on how cheap it is to make.
As for the potential for the next UK series I can see them doing a mixed male - female group although that will reduce the number of episodes which C4 might not like. Also a mixed nationality one as well would be interesting.
There are just a bit more viewers for the American show than the British ones. Amazingly enough the finale won its time slot in the 18/49 demo (it's the figure the broadcast networks are interested in, not the total viewer number.)
I think Bear said that there won't be a mixed group for a long time, but who knows, he may change his mind.
Huge number of people, 135,000, applied to be on the next series of The Island -
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jul/02/the-island-bear-grylls-135000-applicants-channel-4