The Island -Bear Grylls
Discussion
I like the programme, but it is engineered to create a storyline. You watch them talking about a subject and they go from full beard to clean shaven and back again! I think most of it is natural (I'm not sure if some of these animals are thrown at them to give them a hand) but its just not in the order that we are watching it.
[quote=kev1974]They all seem remarkably clean and well kept in terms of beard growth, underarm hair etc, and plenty of changes of clothes (except when it's raining it seems). And none of them are showing any sign of being short of food? So I take it there is a hair and makeup trailer round the back of the trees set this time, next door to the one where the producers release the drugged turkeys and iguanas from?
Why are none of them building any sorts of traps, or sewing together some sort of net that they could leave in the sea?[/quote
The continuity has been laughable in every series of this show. If you saw this week's show, you'll realise that they are showing signs of starvation - bones are beginning to appear where once there was fat.
Their lack of ingenuity is indeed outstanding, but I suppose we have to take into account the lethargy caused by hunger and humidity. You can't make a fishing net if the materials aren't there, but they haven't made any attempt AFAIK to walk round the island (it's only about a couple of kilometres wide) on a beachcombing exercise. They had a short walk this week and found the olive oil (planted there??) and you'd think that would awaken them to the idea of a broader search.
Last year's show produced a large fishing net (which was wasted) but why not see what's out there?
Why are none of them building any sorts of traps, or sewing together some sort of net that they could leave in the sea?[/quote
The continuity has been laughable in every series of this show. If you saw this week's show, you'll realise that they are showing signs of starvation - bones are beginning to appear where once there was fat.
Their lack of ingenuity is indeed outstanding, but I suppose we have to take into account the lethargy caused by hunger and humidity. You can't make a fishing net if the materials aren't there, but they haven't made any attempt AFAIK to walk round the island (it's only about a couple of kilometres wide) on a beachcombing exercise. They had a short walk this week and found the olive oil (planted there??) and you'd think that would awaken them to the idea of a broader search.
Last year's show produced a large fishing net (which was wasted) but why not see what's out there?
RB Will said:
Thought it was a bit rich of Kags? To have voted the cameraman off for getting his knob out, conveniently forgetting her and her mates had been frolicking around with their flaps out the previous week.
To be fair, that was just the reason she gave when pressed to say why she voted him off. Like most of the others who voted 'off', she probably just got wound up by him. And let's face it, Phil did come across as a particularly egregious knobhead in a group with an extraordinarily high proportion of total knobheads and attention seekers.The person who actually organised the vote was that ex-policewoman who really seemed to have it in for the guy (the one who wanted to get around the fire when it was raining). She spent a while building up support and then sprung a vote once she figured she had enough people on her side. A pretty nasty piece of work, IMO. She also seems to have an even nastier henchwoman who comes across as someone with real anger issues .. there was a clip in the preview for the next show where she seems to storm off from the group over something or other.
This bunch are really winding me up more than any previous set of participants. There are a few decent people but a lot of utter knobbers and slackers. If the teasers that they show for future weeks are accurate, looks like they can't cut it but I'm sure there will be some sort of fantastic bit of happenstance or some 'random salvage' washed up that will change everything and allow them to have a successful finish to their stay and redeem themselves, as is the way with this show.
Chicken Chaser said:
I like the programme, but it is engineered to create a storyline. You watch them talking about a subject and they go from full beard to clean shaven and back again! I think most of it is natural (I'm not sure if some of these animals are thrown at them to give them a hand) but its just not in the order that we are watching it.
There's clearly a huge amount of 'creative' editing put in to shape the footage into whatever narrative the producers have decided to come up with. I'm not even sure that they maintain chronological order for the bits they stitch together into each episode, let alone have the episodes in any sort of chronological order.The problem is that thanks to the judicious editing, it's very hard to get an idea of what actually went on. Just as they create narratives, I'm sure the producers also pick people within the group to fit character roles (hero, villain, slacker, hard worker etc.) and then go all out to mould the viewers impressions of them.
On top of that, they clearly introduce situations like the cooking oil container 'washing up' on the beach or animals 'wandering into camp'. In previous years they've introduced fishing nets as 'washed up salvage' and put an obviously drugged pig in the woods for the participants to 'find'.
Bit disappointed they didn't support the young kid and that the ex-detective didn't stand her ground over keeping the phenomenally irritating cameraman - that could have been a defining moment for the programme.
Mind you, they seem to have gone so overboard supporting this particular year that voting sometime off a desert island doesn't affect its credibility that much. I fear they've lost all sight of the premise of the show.
I suppose there isn't enough money in the world to pay Ed Stafford to do it for real with the bunch of pricks this group has.
Mind you, they seem to have gone so overboard supporting this particular year that voting sometime off a desert island doesn't affect its credibility that much. I fear they've lost all sight of the premise of the show.
I suppose there isn't enough money in the world to pay Ed Stafford to do it for real with the bunch of pricks this group has.
Yeah, Phil was guest villain of the week, they have only so many minutes to show everyone. Glad he got his comeuppance though, justice wins again!
edit
The veneer of civilisation makes the vote, I think in a 'real' situation, Phil would have got a battering quite possibly, and that would have fixed the issue maybe.
edit
The veneer of civilisation makes the vote, I think in a 'real' situation, Phil would have got a battering quite possibly, and that would have fixed the issue maybe.
Edited by Halb on Wednesday 3rd May 11:00
te". I must try and memorise it to use myself.Isnt part of the application process to find out if youve got any sense of survival and find those that dont?
Ive watched videos on fb of people starting fires with a bag of water, glasses lenses, boiling a pot of sea water and catching the steam for clean water etc. Or giving a try at smoking meat (not sure if its easy or not but a quick google beforehand would help)
Ive watched videos on fb of people starting fires with a bag of water, glasses lenses, boiling a pot of sea water and catching the steam for clean water etc. Or giving a try at smoking meat (not sure if its easy or not but a quick google beforehand would help)
Agree with the above.
The pair of ~50 year old women really weren't doing themselves any favours, nor the older bloke (John?). Clearly the storm was horrendous and the rescue boat couldn't come out to get them. Clearly they should have built themselves a proper shelter from day one with elevated beds etc. Clearly they should spend less time with their thumbs up their backsides and try, even if the results are marginal, to contribute something to the group.
It beggars belief when I watch this programme each year that people do not sort the basics out first. Whilst this is arguably a question of editing, it always appears that the group are on the edge of survival and when the going gets tough, they shirk responsibility and lack the necessary guile.
Grow a bloody pair*.
The pair of ~50 year old women really weren't doing themselves any favours, nor the older bloke (John?). Clearly the storm was horrendous and the rescue boat couldn't come out to get them. Clearly they should have built themselves a proper shelter from day one with elevated beds etc. Clearly they should spend less time with their thumbs up their backsides and try, even if the results are marginal, to contribute something to the group.
It beggars belief when I watch this programme each year that people do not sort the basics out first. Whilst this is arguably a question of editing, it always appears that the group are on the edge of survival and when the going gets tough, they shirk responsibility and lack the necessary guile.
Grow a bloody pair*.
- I've never been in this situation so clearly my opinion is worth nout.
e21Mark said:
I've applied for the past 4 years but never heard anything after an initial acknowledgement email. I'm sure it's not easy but surely these people have seen previous series to get an idea of what to expect?
They have seen previous series, that's why they're not doing anything constructive, because they know that eventually the drugged pig / turkey will be dropped in their laps or a passing fishing boat call in to say hi 
e21Mark said:
I've applied for the past 4 years but never heard anything after an initial acknowledgement email. I'm sure it's not easy but surely these people have seen previous series to get an idea of what to expect?
I've watched every series, and every time they build a camp on the beach. I acknowledge that this makes life easier, because they're nearer the food source (fish and shellfish) and the highway (the beach) which gets them to the water source. Lasst night's storm was the worst I've seen so far, but even so the participants must have been warned that equatorial weather can be feisty. It doesn't take much nous to realise that a camp further inland would give them the height to cope with a deluge of running water.Gassing Station | TV, Film, Video Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff