When Falls the Coliseum » Reality tv that you’re not watching

Reality tv that you’re not watching — and should be

Posted on June 9th, 2009 by Nancy DeGregorio

Now that Lost is on hiatus until 2010, I need a reason to watch television. A show that will pique my interest and really pull me in. Let’s see…how about The Bachelorette? Will Jillian find true love? Probably, at least until she changes her mind on After the Final Rose. Maybe Jon and Kate plus 8? Are they getting a divorce? What about those kids? Would my hair look good in “the Kate”? I could give I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! a try. Is Speidi being tortured in the Costa Rican jungle? Let’s hope so. Let’s be real — these shows are completely mind-numbing. They may be cute, but they just aren’t enough. Recently, though, I found two new reality-like shows that I’m not sure people are watching. And they might be worth a look.

The first is the Discovery Channel’s Out of the Wild: the Alaska Experiment. Nine regular people, mostly inexperienced in survival skills, are placed in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, with the goal of making it back to civilization. Each day they must cover miles of terrain, stopping occasionally at shelters, until they make it back to the middle of somewhere, Alaska. Although I suspect the producers are helping them in some capacity, it does appear that they are largely on their own. They do look hungry, exhausted and just plain worn out. However, they have learned how to start a fire, cross a river safely and forage for food. Their ability to hunt and fish needs some work (their first catch was a mouse — appetizing) but it has improved. Although the cameras may take away some of that true survival element, the show reveals how quickly a person can reach his physical and mental breaking point when forced to survive in a cold, harsh and unforgiving environment.

The second show I’ve discovered is Expedition Africa on the History Channel. This show includes four “explorers” — a wildlife expert, a survivalist, a navigator and a journalist. Their goal is to recreate the trip of Sir Henry Morton Stanley, who was commissioned by the New York Herald in 1871 to find David Livingstone. Livingstone, a pioneer, had gone missing somewhere within Africa and hadn’t been heard from in six years. The four explorers trek deep into Tanzania with the help of porters, who carry their food and gear. The show is all about survival. The explorers make an error in judgement and promptly become desperate for drinking water. A nearby cobra spells trouble as it spits out venom. They must cross a river full of crocodiles using tiny, poorly-made canoes. One thing is certain — Africa can be dangerous. And if they aren’t smart about anticipating danger, they won’t make it.

Alaska and Africa. Reality television giving us (somewhat) real stories of survival. Will these two groups make it to their final destinations in one piece? Tune in to find out. Hey, it’s better than watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey. We already know what happens there. Nobody makes it out of Jersey alive.