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Anyone else watching this , fantastic opportunity for someone .
Yep, watching this and other Alaskan progs featuring off-gridders who hunt, shoot and fish to survive. Amazing place, amazing scenery, amazing mountains, amazing wildlife.
Not really convinced that any of the original couples had what it takes, even less so the remaining couples. Would you care to speculate?
I had thought the retired copper and his wife stood a good chance .
I thought the opposite. Pretty much all of them could probably do it. That does make for less interesting TV compared to the usual "reality" stuff where most of them are idiots and some clearly aren't up to the challenges. Some of the younger ones aren't ready for it yet, though. Need to go and live a bit and see the world. It feels like they would do this for a year or two then move on.
I watched the last episode on sunday round at my mums (she's been watching/talking about it as my aunt has a remote cabin in fairbanks) and i thought it was a bit contrived, the three folk they dumped in the wilderness for a few days to see if they could cope on their own was obviously tainted by the fact that they had a camera crew with them and more than likely a health/safety advisor plus whomever else to ensure they didn't hurt themselves - amusing tv but not to be taken as anything other than a manufactured reality show.
They all seem nice enough folk but not exactly "wilderness types", as a blow smoke up arse example i was brought up in darkest Argyll throughout the 80's, as teenagers (13 to 16+) we used to take off for days/weeks at a time on our bikes (pushbikes/moto x bikes to explore the area and live totally self supported catching fish/shooting/trapping rabbits/building huts/shelters etc.
If you want to see "the real thing" then currently Tuesday nights on DMAX starting at 9.00 pm is "Life Below Zero". This is my second favourite with some indigeneous individuals/families/Iditarod (dog sled race) competitor carrying on traditions. Fascinating to watch the trapping and shooting followed by the gutting, making a smokehouse etc. Favourite is "Edge of Alaska" set in a small hamlet which used to be a mining community complete with some real wackos.
They all seem nice enough folk but not exactly “wilderness types”
Exactly, even the non-meat eating, fish-eating off-grid bloggers looked out of their comfort zone.
off-grid bloggers
I didn't know they lived off-grid.......oh actually I did as they never stop mentioning it
haha you're so right!
Dunno who 'won' but some if the younger ones would never cut it, they were looking for travelling adventures, not some rural place you're static for months at a time.
I did think the farm guy and his good lady would cut it.
Yes, agree with you Nobeer and I think most would struggle with the remoteness and isolation. Did feel though that the farmer and his amazing partner should have been upfront at the beginning re her diagnosis. They could cut it but for how long.
I didn't watch past episode 2 CG, I Take it she had a health issue then?.
She's had MS for many years.
Surely an off grid blogger is a tautology?
The show was originally pitched to a Californian production company and at one point there were 700 US applicants but it fell through, but was picked up by a UK production company.
I think it gives an interesting insight into the Oses’ lifestyle and I’m glad there isn’t too much of the manufactured jeopardy that a lot of programs try to create. According to production staff, they felt the burden of finding candidates that might be up to the Oses’ legacy, so perhaps why any of them could do it – the question is long term would they want to? I think it’s telling that Duanes children from his first marriage are unable (unwilling) to take it on, it’s probably as much as a burden as a privilege.
The candidates are told they need an income to make it work, while it’s off-grid it isn’t a free lifestyle. There’s still need for manufactured goods, solar, ATVs, fuel, travel, flights, internet… Duane has had a disability income since the 80s, after his previous wife shot him at point blank while drunk, blinding him in one eye! I’m guessing hasn’t worked since except to build his life in the wilderness. As a homesteader he didn’t buy the plot either. He claims to be the last homesteader in America - maybe the last to apply but not last to receive title deeds.
Can somebody else make the location work? It’s not like there’s a big population to sell goods and services to. Duane has also written a few books on Alaska though more to keep himself busy than for a living. One is a non-fiction account of his encounter with aliens who just love to travel the universe to visit remote American homesteaders. What isolation can do to a man.
Without the show I’m pretty sure the site would become derelict now that the Oses’ have left (and living in Redwood Falls) I’d like to see a follow up show in maybe a year or two to see how the successful candidates get on.
Fooman , thanks for the info .
A follow up show would be interesting .
I'm enjoying it. Disappointed the young couple didnt get chucked out this week. To me its clear they wont want to stick it out for long. A few months blogging andcthen they will be off
Not really convinced that any of the original couples had what it takes, even less so the remaining couples. Would you care to speculate?
Carefully selected so they all had something to bring but also a weakness. Its almost like the producers knew what they were doing! They are milking it a bit with the number of episodes though. None of them felt like they would really be there forever, e.g.:
I had thought the retired copper and his wife stood a good chance .
I think they'd have lasted 5 yrs, maybe a bit more. She looked genuinely relieved to be told no. She seemed relatively social, has a grown up family probably about to produce grandkids... if they really wanted to test themselves she should have gone to the wilderness camp in the last episode. I don't understand why they say this was their only chance - surely with their pensions they could upsticks to rural wales, england, scotland (or even alaska) if that was the lifestyle they really wanted.
Surely an off grid blogger is a tautology?
An oxymoron no? Although many "off gridders" are not really off-grid any more than most of you actually ride bikes up mountains!
She’s had MS for many years.
I don't think it was necessarily wrong not to flaunt that bit of information. Its a heck of a jump to leave the NHS to live in Alaska without having the back up of a damn good employers health insurance to rely on (which obviously they won't) if you have a complex chronic health condition. All the more if you are in the middle of nowhere.
It was quite interesting how much emphasis was put on relationships rather than wilderness skills. Actually that is what will make or brake them isnt it? If you can work together youll find a way to solve the issue, but if you bicker, or are too clingy etc - it could ruin it and a marriage quite easily.
Without the show I’m pretty sure the site would become derelict
that surprises me; you don't need a show to find someone to hand it on to - you could put an ad in a paper or an online forum. The way it could become derelict is if it was sold to someone - because someone with some cash and a romantic idea easily finds it a PITA after a season.
One of the couple's are The Indie Projects on YouTube. Interesting watching their last few videos as to how heavily edited the program is, and that they were told it was a BBC documentary which turned out to be a reality entertainment program. I watched the first episode but it didn't live up to expectations.
Apparently the Oses have been trying to sell this format/program for a while and for some reason the US and Canadian networks were not interested.
Mrs FD worked in Alaska for a little while. In her opinion although a stunning place, no way would you want to live there.
Most people are alcoholics apparently
If you haven't already seen it "into the wild" is a great film about a young guy trying out the isolation a few decades ago before "tech"
If you haven’t already seen it “into the wild” is a really, really dull film about a young guy trying out the isolation a few decades ago before “tech” - FTFY
Thanks @fooman for filling us in. It seems that there's good money paid for skins from bears, lynx etc meaning for some it pays for having to regularly fill up the snowmobile, chainsaw etc. plus some left over. Winter lasting 8 months of the year and for some of that there's only a couple of hours of daylight, that must be so tough. You have to hunt otherwise you'll starve, you have to chop firewood otherwise you'll freeze. Your life is dictated by the seasons except that the weather is unpredictable.
Last night's "Life Below Zero" included the Iditarod chap, him and his 18 dogs headed off to compete in a race that he's won for the last 4 years. His attitude was very much that you have to learn and improve yourself each and every day otherwise you may as well be dead.
I watched some of the vlogger stuff on YouTube, months worth of supplies flown in and a large underground fridge make life a lot easier than having to hunt and forage all the time .
Well well.
Indeed.
How does permanent residency work in Alaska? Presumably they'll have to come back to the UK every 6 months (which could be handy for the Mrs). Glad they won out of the 2 couples.
Apparently the Oses have been trying to sell this format/program for a while and for some reason the US and Canadian networks were not interested.
Watching it I'm not really surprised, the Ose's home video's were the best thing about it, a documentary series about them would have been good to see.
Struggled to warm to any of the couples TBH.
Pleased for the couple who won, the female was some fighter. Do hope there's a follow-up and that it works out for them.
Watching it I’m not really surprised, the Ose’s home video’s were the best thing about it, a documentary series about them would have been good to see.
Very much this.
Bit moany
Bit moany
Aye. In the first 5 mins they talk about how they were told it was a documentary (5:18). How could you think that taking part in a TV programme where the prize is a property would be a documentary?
Does anybody actually spend 57 minutes of their time listening to those two????
no way would you want to live there
Depends on what you want from life. It's certainly an interesting place to visit
He he. A bit out of touch, me.
Was about to post a topic about this - luckily did a search first....
Wilderness and Shed Pron: Netflix Reality TV
Holy thread resurrection.
Enjoyed episode one.