Naked and Afraid

[Telarus]

Stranded on an island, no initial clothes or resources other than what you scavenge at hand.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/02/naked-and-afraid-is-the-craziest-show-on-tv-you-just-have-to-watch.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_%26_Afraid

[Telarus]

I hate the infotainment model these channels have gone towards. I caught one episode of this show and it was actually interesting, I'll see if it passes the 5-episode test.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's at the same time basically what I hoped for from "survivor" and also a sign that civilization has jumped the shark.

[Junkenstein]

I'm sure it will surprise no-one, but like all reality shows there does appear to be at least an element of staging:
(Highly dubious link, though reporting seems legit)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2348389/EXCLUSIVE--Naked-Afraid-FAKE-Survival-contestant-secretly-given-IV-drip-baby-food-getting-ill-eating-turtle--viewers-told.html

It was billed as the 'Everest of survival challenges' where contestants are stripped of even the clothes on their backs and dumped in a dangerous wilderness to fend for themselves with no help.
But a woman who appeared on Discovery's new hit series Naked and Afraid was allegedly given rather more help than you might expect without viewers being told, MailOnline can reveal.
Kim Shelton was fed some bread, rice and baby food when she got food poisoning after eating a turtle's liver during the show's premiere, a source close to the show has claimed.
The 22-year-old was apparently even hooked up to two IV drips - one in each arm - to rehydrate her while she was ill.
While no-one would argue with giving Miss Shelton the medical care she needed, many may raise an eyebrow as to why the four million who watched the show weren't told.

Obviously a shame as the ratings for letting a person die in the wild after signing a disclaimer would have been unreal.

Minor comment on (particularly US, UK not much better) TV in general, I have no idea how you can watch it. Between the constant ads and the repetition of what just happened (You forgot because ads) there's only about 5% actual content.

I gave "Gold Rush" an honest try, but after the 5th time of hearing how the entire fucking wash-plant works, I really couldn't have given two shits if they had found a hole proving the hollow earth theory correct.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'm sure it will surprise no-one, but like all reality shows there does appear to be at least an element of staging:
(Highly dubious link, though reporting seems legit)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2348389/EXCLUSIVE--Naked-Afraid-FAKE-Survival-contestant-secretly-given-IV-drip-baby-food-getting-ill-eating-turtle--viewers-told.html

It was billed as the 'Everest of survival challenges' where contestants are stripped of even the clothes on their backs and dumped in a dangerous wilderness to fend for themselves with no help.
But a woman who appeared on Discovery's new hit series Naked and Afraid was allegedly given rather more help than you might expect without viewers being told, MailOnline can reveal.
Kim Shelton was fed some bread, rice and baby food when she got food poisoning after eating a turtle's liver during the show's premiere, a source close to the show has claimed.
The 22-year-old was apparently even hooked up to two IV drips - one in each arm - to rehydrate her while she was ill.
While no-one would argue with giving Miss Shelton the medical care she needed, many may raise an eyebrow as to why the four million who watched the show weren't told.

Obviously a shame as the ratings for letting a person die in the wild after signing a disclaimer would have been unreal.

Minor comment on (particularly US, UK not much better) TV in general, I have no idea how you can watch it. Between the constant ads and the repetition of what just happened (You forgot because ads) there's only about 5% actual content.

I gave "Gold Rush" an honest try, but after the 5th time of hearing how the entire fucking wash-plant works, I really couldn't have given two shits if they had found a hole proving the hollow earth theory correct.

They talked about that in the article Telarus posted.

[Junkenstein]

Ah shit, Once again I have suffered from the curse of 2 dozen open tabs and not reading the article actually in question.

I'm trying to stop this shit, I really am.

[Junkenstein]

Also, putting my bet on an "Urban" version of this show within 3 years.

[MMIX]

Also, putting my bet on an "Urban" version of this show within 3 years.

Yeah, and they should just call it "The Running Man" and be done with it.

[Junkenstein]

Also, putting my bet on an "Urban" version of this show within 3 years.

Yeah, and they should just call it "The Running Man" and be done with it.

YES
YES
YEEEEESSSSS
        /

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Also, putting my bet on an "Urban" version of this show within 3 years.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Also, putting my bet on an "Urban" version of this show within 3 years.

Yeah, and they should just call it "The Running Man" and be done with it.

[Doktor Howl]

Are the contestants actually allowed to starve to death if they fail?

[Telarus]

No. 

I did get to see this huffy marine...

...get the worst sunburn of his life and be down for 5 days, then deliriously dig a well (in the Maldives, where the water table touches the salt), then get food poisoning from the well water, all while bitching that he had to take orders from the hawaiian surfer girl (also above), who refused to drink the well water and who was keeping him alive with her coconut skills and herbal knowledge.

Then, he busted his foot up bad on the coral tidepools (while wearing both mismatched flipflops she found), so she had to grab the hatchet and kill the damn eel she spotted herself. Crazy shit. He would have died 100% had they not skipped 8 days of medical attention.

[Doktor Howl]

Then that sucks.  If they aren't eating each other by week 2, I'm not wasting my time.

[Reginald Ret]

Minor comment on (particularly US, UK not much better) TV in general, I have no idea how you can watch it. Between the constant ads and the repetition of what just happened (You forgot because ads) there's only about 5% actual content.

I gave "Gold Rush" an honest try, but after the 5th time of hearing how the entire fucking wash-plant works, I really couldn't have given two shits if they had found a hole proving the hollow earth theory correct.

This! A million times this!
Gah, fukken TV. Worst waste of time.