Newscoma

So “Man Vs. Wild” is coming back on this week and Alan Sepinwall has a really good write-up on it in The Star Ledger.

Discovery’s “Man Vs. Wild” trades on believability more than most unscripted series. The basic premise – ex-British special forces soldier Bear Grylls is deposited in a harsh environment with minimal supplies and forced to survive on his wits and nerve – depends on the notion that Grylls is really doing all of this on his own. Otherwise, it’s a cheap action movie without any fight scenes.

So when news reports were published earlier this year claiming that Grylls occasionally dined and slept with the camera crew, and that the crew sometimes helped him out – say, by helping to build a shelter or a raft – it was a lot more damaging than it is whenever the latest “Bachelor” couple breaks up two days after the finale airs. It seemed a rare scandal that might actually bring down a reality show.

Here’s my thing. I love this crap and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a lot of “Man Vs. Wild” is staged, staged, staged. (Incidentally, I refuse to watch any reality television that involves dating although I did watch that Mystery guy give bad advice to geeks on “The Pick-up Artist” but I had to drink mass quantities before hand to balance the whole experience out.I must say WTF, to that whole train wreck.)

Now that they’ve reedited “Man Vs. Wild”, it makes me laugh even more. Bear took some hits and although I much prefer “Survivorman” or “Deadliest Catch” it still makes me howl.

Why? Because 20 years ago, imagine people sitting in the world of Reagan, yuppies and Bag Phones talking this out in a brainstorming meeting in Hollywood. It wouldn’t have happened.

“See, there is this cute former British Army guy” said Executive # One with a Comb-Over. “And, get this, he drinks his own pee and throws sticks at tame rabbits.”

“Get out of here,” Executive #2 with the Armani Suit replied. “That’s stupid.”

“Yeah,” Comb-Over admits sheepishly. “Who’d watch that? Just an idea.”

“Hey, let’s blow up Pam Ewing on Dallas,” Comb-Over said. “And, I’m really thinking that cartoon with the bald guy on the Tracey Ullman show needs to go.”

Armani looked thoughtful. “Should we give Mr. Belvedere another go?”

“Naa,” Comb-Over said.

Armani added, “Let’s keep the Homer guy for awhile and Victoria Principal needs to die on the show.”

And then it was decided and everyone went to a private showing of 3 Men and a Baby and thought Steve Guttenberg would be the next Hollywood superstar.

So, I’ll watch Bear if I think about it. Wonder what body substance he’ll gnaw on this season. And long live “Deadliest Catch”. Mike Rowe is the best narrator ever.