"Alone" - History Channel series - anyone else watching?

[RAE]

I'm not much of a TV person, but this "Alone" survivor show on the History Channel has me hooked. For those that haven't watched it, 10 guys are dropped off on a remote part of Vancouver Island, with a limited amount of gear (they get to choose 10 items, I believe). The one that stays the longest wins $500,000. Six guys were eliminated relatively quickly (you just call on a satellite phone to be rescued when you have decided you've had enough), but the remaining 4 all seem to have pretty good surivival skills, and are hanging in there after about 40 days or so. Interesting (to me, anyway) to see how they are able to acquire food, construct shelters, and also how they are dealing with the psychological aspects of being alone for that long, in a harsh environment (these guys all have families back home, some with young kids). Also, none of them know how many other guys are left, so they have no idea how long they are going to need to stay out there to win it. The producers give each guy a camera and recording device, so that they can record their daily thoughts and adventures (which forms the basis of the show), but there are no camera crews or other people with them after they are dropped off.

I've never been a big fan of the other "survivor" shows, for various reasons, but I find this one pretty interesting.

 

[MRG]

I haven't, just set the recording up now. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[tulak]

"Alone" - History Channel series - anyone else watching?

It's been a fun show to watch, especially the first few episodes. We found that the last couple of episodes are kind of dragging, since the guys left are much better equipped to deal with the environment. Even though it's still a lot of fun to watch their creativity come through. And at times these guys are pretty damn amazing.

We came across this show by chance when we were on vacation at the end of June, when we saw a repeat of the 1st episode followed by the 2nd episode. We would have never seen it at home since we don't have cable. We all agree that these guys are nuts to give this a shot, definitely not worth the 500k - at least not for us. But then again, that's what makes it entertaining.

We took a break from the show for a few weeks (busy summer), but we binged on the last three episodes the other day. We're all curious who's going to win and the general consensus from us is Alan. Hopefully the pace of the last few episodes picks up a bit.

I'll also add that we don't have cable, but you can access the episodes through the History Channel app on the Apple TV. It's possible that Roku/Amazon have the same app and it's been a great way to watch. As a plus, we found there are a lot less commercial breaks on the Apple TV.

 

[RAE]

We're all curious who's going to win and the general consensus from us is Alan. TV.

Yeah, the consensus in our house is that Alan is going to win, also. He seems to be the one best prepared to handle the psychological aspects of doing something like this, which is turning out to be very important.

It does take a different kind of person to want to put themselves through something like this. The $500,000 is certainly a nice prize, but I actually get the impression from some of these guys that they want/need to do something like this to prove to themselves that they are up to the challenge.

 

[omni550]

This is the first I've heard of it.

For anyone who might be interested, it appears as though the previous episodes are available here, along with casting tapes, short clips, etc.

Watch Alone Full Episodes & Videos Online - HISTORY.com


omni

 

[islandcyclone]

I completely binged on about 6 episodes today. I think the guy in the yurt is going to get it.

 

[John Galt III]

..... As a plus, we found there are a lot less commercial breaks on the Apple TV.

Interesting about the fewer commercials on Apple TV. The commercials are what make me not want to watch a show. Just way too many. I wait until it comes out on DVD so I can avoid the commercials. They're just out of control.

 

[ikonomore]

Yeah, the consensus in our house is that Alan is going to win, also. He seems to be the one best prepared to handle the psychological aspects of doing something like this, which is turning out to be very important.

He's reading "The Raven" out loud. How could he not win? He's also doing a great job with the food.

The guy in the yurt is losing it. His yurt also doesn't seem to be as efficient.

I was also wondering why they didn't edit it so one guy an episode doesn't leave.

 

[tulak]

"Alone" - History Channel series - anyone else watching?

He's reading "The Raven" out loud. How could he not win? He's also doing a great job with the food.



The guy in the yurt is losing it. His yurt also doesn't seem to be as efficient.



I was also wondering why they didn't edit it so one guy an episode doesn't leave.

Lucas is the one with the yurt. He's our 2nd choice, and our favorite for creativity, but we agree that he seems to be losing it.

We were expecting one guy to drop off per episode, but that's a lot easier when you have a guy dropping out every day or so. The last four have been there for weeks, so I think that would be a lot harder to edit and still maintain a timeline in the show.

That's also what makes it a duller in the last few episodes. After you've weeded out the ones that wouldn't last, you're left with the guys that could probably be there indefinitely and it's only semi-interesting to see how they are getting by. Definitely not enough for a 40-50 min show.

We also observed that the creators of the show must have realized this could drag out with only a few guys left. That's why it was probably intentional to have them there right before winter. Once the weather gets colder that's bound to push at least one or two of them out.

 

[RAE]

Lucas is the one with the yurt. He's our 2nd choice, and our favorite for creativity, but we agree that he seems to be losing it.

My guess is that the young guy (Sam?) will be leaving next, and probably very soon. He is definitely losing it psychologically, and he's trying to feed himself by catching mice, which isn't gonna work!

Maybe I'm just weird, but I didn't find the last few episodes to be dull at all. Sure, they are all in more of a routine now, but I still find it interesting to see what choices they make (to try and acquire food), how they deal with the rotten weather, and everything else that transpires.

 

[tulak]

My guess is that the young guy (Sam?) will be leaving next, and probably very soon. He is definitely losing it psychologically, and he's trying to feed himself by catching mice, which isn't gonna work!

Maybe I'm just weird, but I didn't find the last few episodes to be dull at all. Sure, they are all in more of a routine now, but I still find it interesting to see what choices they make (to try and acquire food), how they deal with the rotten weather, and everything else that transpires.

Saying it's dull is probably too harsh. The episodes are still entertaining, there's just a lot more repetition. They could probably cut off 10-15 minutes without any loss of content. But I'm just being nitpicky.

And I agree about Sam. Mice? Seriously? I think he's lost it.

 

[RAE]

OK, the big finale is tonight. Any guesses on who will win? I'm still sticking with Alan......

 

[MRG]

OK, the big finale is tonight. Any guesses on who will win? I'm still sticking with Alan......

+1

 

[Spudd]

+2 for Alan.

I love this show, I've been hooked from the first episode.

 

[Sarah in SC]

DO NOT TELL ME THE ENDING! I don't have cable and have to wait until I can watch it on their Apple TV app. Which hopefully will be tomorrow.

Having said that, I suspect it is going to be Sam, though I absolutely love Alan.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Ok, finally watched the finale last night.
How awesome was that? So compelling.

 

[Totoro]

Best reality TV I've ever seen, and best TV in general I've seen in a long time.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[RAE]

Yeah, that was the best TV show I've watched in a long, long time also. I was completely hooked on it, and I don't even watch much TV. Did you hear Alan say that he was prepared to stay until spring if necessary?? His determination and mental toughness was very impressive, to say the least. One thing I read, though, is that Alan lost 60 lbs., and Sam lost 80 lbs (!!!)......which means they were both headed for malnutrition eventually. I guess limpets and seaweed (and an occasional fish or mouse) is not enough to sustain you over a long period of time.

The History Channel has renewed the show for another season, which is good news (for me, anyway).

Here is an interview with Alan Kay that I found interesting:

History’s ‘Alone’ 500K winner could be Blairsville’s Alan Kay | Radio and TV Talk