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Fix The Show? Or It's Fine As It Is?

cooksdelight

By cooksdelight
in Alone

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holly4755

holly4755

as I recall, Mitch said his mother insisted that he do this show, he said he was reluctant to leave her.

As to out soldiers - well. from what I understand unless they are a prisoner and have no choice in anything or are involved in heavy action for long periods of time, they are allowed to skype with their families.. On the other hand it could make you miss your family more. I am not denigrating those in the military, it is just different than choosing to do something you could leave at any time and your mind can bring up that fact when you are your weakest. 

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Ina123

Ina123

On 6/29/2016 at 7:38 PM, LocimusPrime said:

This show needs major changes. Here are some suggestion 

  • Allow different types of people. Since 90% of this game is mental, have some applicants such as solitary confinement prisoners, homeless people, monks, just people who are used to being alone mixed in with the usual crowd. 
  • More action and less personal introspective junk. I'm tired of seeing them sit there complaining about being alone and missing their families ect. Duh that's what you signed up for. 
  • Make first place 1 million and second place 500 k. 
  • Allow them the ability/ right to kill any animal that they might encounter. 
  • Try to encorporate more physical encounters either with animals or natives ( obviously that would mean changing locations ) 
  • Allow for a second method of winning, you either outlast everyone or build some watercraft and make it to an location 300 miles off shore. No rescue team will be available. They will film you from helicopter. 
  • You have the option of receiving 50 lbs of food, but there will be no rescue team for you. You are truly alone. 
  • If the US producers will not allow the exclusion of rescue teams, change production to an overseas company where they are more lax. 
  • Finally if two survivors are left and no one seems like they are going to tap, they have the right to challenge each other to hand to hand combat.  Same rules as MMA but no octagon. 
  • Also you are allowed to travel as far as you want but not allowed to share resources or communicate with other competitors. However, you are allowed to destroy and loot another competitors camp. You would be allowed to set their stuff on fire ect, lead animals to their camps ect. 
  • Contestents should also be allowed to booby trap their campsites for protection against wildlife and other competitors. 
  • If you choose the food option in lieu of a rescue team and perish during the filming , all your worldly assets will automatically transfer to the winner of the games instead of your family. 

Now on that would be the best show in the world. 

Nope. That's a totally different show. I like it the way it is.

I would like to see them return to the original start time from season one closer to winter. These guys had too much "pretty" weather.

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LocimusPrime

LocimusPrime

On July 11, 2016 at 0:30 AM, cooksdelight said:

I didn't mean to cause an uproar, heavens no..... I am basing my thoughts on my formerly homeless friend who keeps telling me that people like him and others who were in the same situation could do this or that. It's why I love watching this show with him because he picks out all the stupid things the people do. He said he'd build a shelter first, but not expend as much energy as some of them since he knows he's not going to be there for a very long time. The fishing stuff Jose was trying, he said was just dumb. The crabs David was finding, he also said that he should have corralled some of them with a net and made a "farm" so they could multiply and have an endless supply of food. This coming from a guy who lived by a river and had no real fishing gear. He still managed to catch and eat trout. 

That's my real point, to find people who aren't trained survivalists as these people are, and see what happens.

I agree. I got an acquaintance who was a Pow and was beaten and starved for 12 years.  He thinks he would destroy these contestants. He has no family to come home too and had endure long periods of isolation. Tough cookie 

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Quilt Fairy

Quilt Fairy

I've been avoiding this thread because I really didn't think the show needed fixing and I thought y'all were just a bunch of whiners. It seemed like everything was pretty straight-forward: 10 people, 10 sites, 10 items, try and survive alone and for up to a year. But I have had it up to here with the "I proved what I set out to", "I miss my wife/kids" and the obviously meant-as-temporary shelters that the contestants set up. I'm beginning to wonder if it shouldn't be set up more like American Ninja Warrior: set a really ambitious goal, like actually staying alone and surviving for an entire year. If no one achieves that goal, no one gets any money, end of story. 

I would also like to see them moved to a location with better food resources. The show is called Alone, not Watch These Guys Starve To Death. I doubt anyone could have made it through the winter on VI. The top-level predators seem to have wiped out all the small and medium-size game. No rabbits, no squirrels, no deer. I hope things are different in Patagonia.

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Neurochick

Neurochick

(edited)
On June 29, 2016 at 7:38 PM, LocimusPrime said:
  • Allow different types of people. Since 90% of this game is mental, have some applicants such as solitary confinement prisoners, homeless people, monks, just people who are used to being alone mixed in with the usual crowd. 
  • More action and less personal introspective junk. I'm tired of seeing them sit there complaining about being alone and missing their families ect. Duh that's what you signed up for. 
  • Make first place 1 million and second place 500 k. 

I actually don't think these ideas are all that bad.  I wonder what would happen if there were more people who weren't married and didn't have children.  Jose and Larry kept talking about how much they missed their wives, and I thought, "but she does know you're doing this show, right?"  

I think it would be interesting to have a person who'd been homeless for a time, or someone who was a monk; people who don't have issues with being alone.   I wonder if they'd be out longer.

Edited by Neurochick
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ClareWalks

ClareWalks

Now that we've had another season I figured I'd boost up this thread for discussion. How to fix this show? It seems to need a bit of tweaking to keep the formula interesting. I would personally love to see them dropped in a temperate forest in late spring/early summer. Allow one of the possible survival items to bring to be a seed assortment of edible plants (fruits/veggies). It would be much more about highlighting the actual survival skills and homesteading than about just sheer loneliness and misery. I want to see these guys/gals make a garden, hunt and fish in decent weather, have time to make a proper shelter. I know they don't do it this way because the season would go long and be more expensive, but hell, even if they gave them a few months of decent weather and then it got cold, at least folks would have a build-up of food if they were smart about it. They could be plopped in northern Canada or something.

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motroro

motroro

Let's start by saying that this is my absolute favorite reality show of all time.  I've seen every episode of every season including the pre and post shows. It is beyond unique in it's format...there is no other show that comes close to it for pushing a human's ability to survive.

That said, i fully agree that it would be great to actually see them push to survive a year but there's simply no way that they could make money on a show that could be waiting months for the last one(s) to tap out.....and it might not be exactly riveting television either.

I think that if they stick with 10 participants, they should expand the season to 15+ episodes so we can see way more of how each person's first few days went.  How did they determine their location, shelter type, food sources, dealing with the weather, animals, etc....?

Either don't allow food stores to be one of the 10 items or give all of them just enough rations to last a couple of days.

Bottom line:  I just want MORE.  The idea that we don't see some contestants for 7-10 "game" days at a time makes me wonder what they did that whole time. 

I'd like to see the med visits to see how those go (other than at the very end). 

I'd like to see any of the immediate post tap footage.  What did they give them to eat first?  What medical treatment did they give them right away?  Did the contestants immediately regret their decision to tap out?

I think the limitation of 10 episodes and a cost conscious network will keep any of this from happening....

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ProfCrash

ProfCrash

13 hours ago, motroro said:

Let's start by saying that this is my absolute favorite reality show of all time.  I've seen every episode of every season including the pre and post shows. It is beyond unique in it's format...there is no other show that comes close to it for pushing a human's ability to survive.

That said, i fully agree that it would be great to actually see them push to survive a year but there's simply no way that they could make money on a show that could be waiting months for the last one(s) to tap out.....and it might not be exactly riveting television either.

I think that if they stick with 10 participants, they should expand the season to 15+ episodes so we can see way more of how each person's first few days went.  How did they determine their location, shelter type, food sources, dealing with the weather, animals, etc....?

Either don't allow food stores to be one of the 10 items or give all of them just enough rations to last a couple of days.

Bottom line:  I just want MORE.  The idea that we don't see some contestants for 7-10 "game" days at a time makes me wonder what they did that whole time. 

I'd like to see the med visits to see how those go (other than at the very end). 

I'd like to see any of the immediate post tap footage.  What did they give them to eat first?  What medical treatment did they give them right away?  Did the contestants immediately regret their decision to tap out?

I think the limitation of 10 episodes and a cost conscious network will keep any of this from happening....

I would actually say decrease the number of contestants. Only include people who you know, or as close to you can know, will last a month. Spend far more time on the beginning of the season and far less time on the end game. I had no problem with the 2-3 weeks in 15 minutes of the last episode in Mongolia. There is not much happening then, the dudes are starving. If you are going to show anything, show the snowball juggling and snowman building in the regular show instead of on the reunion show.

I don't care about the early tap outs. I know that this is difficult to do. I don't need to see the young hipster who thinks he is cool and taps a week in because he really didn't have what it took to live out there. I love the skills that Russell and Lucas and Brooke had but they did not have the mind set to stay past a month or so, so don't cast them. There are a good number of Fowlers and Carleighs and Alans out there. Cast them. Cast Mongolia Britt, not Patagonia Britt. If a contestant is saying his/her family does not support them being out there, that is a red flag. If the person talks about how important community is, that is a red flag. If the person has a family member ill with a life threatening illness, that is a red flag.

I would much rather see Fowler vs Carleigh vs Mongolia Britt then watch people tap in the first week or two or leave at the month point because they were lonely.

Do not cast people whose idea of surviving is to conserve energy and do little to nothing. It might be a viable strategy but it is boring.

I want to see people who want to be out there and doing things. I want to see what they are doing. I don't want to see them lying around, doing the minimum, and eating rations that they brought as their items instead of fishing and gathering.

Sam is a nice enough guy but he is boring TV.

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motroro

motroro

6 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

 If a contestant is saying his/her family does not support them being out there, that is a red flag. If the person talks about how important community is, that is a red flag. If the person has a family member ill with a life threatening illness, that is a red flag.

Do not cast people whose idea of surviving is to conserve energy and do little to nothing. It might be a viable strategy but it is boring.

 

Absolutely on the "red flags".  If they start with 20 possible contestants and wean them to the 10 that go, I'd hate to be #11 and watch someone tap out in the first week because they miss "xx".  Being "ALONE" is why this show is different than any other. 

Aside from that, the "first tappers" are usually interesting in that they planned and prepped and planned and prepped....and then quit.  If it was safety (like the teacher in either S2 or 3 who had bear visits at night) that's completely different than someone who got cold and tired and decided to quit. 

I agree that do-nothings are boring....but it's definitely a strategy to win (i.e. Sam).  What the show doesn't show is what they DO do to collect food or build their shelter or just pass the time.  Watching Sam in his first season sit in that crappy tent with the storm blowing every day WAS terrible tv....but his hunting for mice explained how he was able to last as long as he did.

Has anyone heard ANYTHING about Season 6?

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ClareWalks

ClareWalks

I'm not really in the "Sam = Boring" camp, but this show is very unique and being able to win this show is a VERY different skill set from "being entertaining to watch." Natural entertainers tend to be more extroverted and probably not interested in participating in this show in the first place. It's also important to remember that this show, like all reality shows, is edited to tell whatever story the producers want. They didn't show much of Sam, especially in the first half of the season, for a reason. I think it might be interesting for the show to have more bonus footage online, maybe even a "live feeds" kind of situation (although they might be delayed to coordinate with the air dates).

  • Love 6
qtpye

qtpye

On 9/5/2018 at 2:19 PM, ClareWalks said:

I'm not really in the "Sam = Boring" camp, but this show is very unique and being able to win this show is a VERY different skill set from "being entertaining to watch." Natural entertainers tend to be more extroverted and probably not interested in participating in this show in the first place. It's also important to remember that this show, like all reality shows, is edited to tell whatever story the producers want. They didn't show much of Sam, especially in the first half of the season, for a reason. I think it might be interesting for the show to have more bonus footage online, maybe even a "live feeds" kind of situation (although they might be delayed to coordinate with the air dates).

What's weird is some of the greatest entertainers of the last century, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Elvis, etc..were actually fairly introverted and quiet off stage. I guess if you are going for a naturally outgoing person who has charisma that type of personality would not do well. Randy and Lucas both had amazing survival skills but seem to need to be around people to some degree.

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writbest

writbest

On 6/27/2016 at 8:35 AM, cooksdelight said:

I'm seeing various comments about what you'd like to see happen on this show. Does it need tweaking?

I'd personally like to see them pick people who are not trained survivalists, but real people who need the money. Someone who's homeless or about to lose their home, someone who has bills out the wazoo for whatever reason. Myself, I think I could hunker down and wait it out as long as I had something (anything) to eat once a day. But then a friend who was actually homeless for a year and living on their own said that the lack of anyone to talk to almost drove him crazy.

I'd be interested in hearing other thoughts on what or who you'd like to see on this show.

these are about the least-trained people they can find. That's why they are chosen. They are to create some video that the wannabees can identify with, and then tap out before it costs the producers too much money.   The last guy they will pick for this show is a truly competent survivalist. I can look at their gear choices and tell that they will win only by being fat and lucky.

writbest

writbest

On 10/9/2018 at 8:47 PM, qtpye said:

What's weird is some of the greatest entertainers of the last century, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Elvis, etc..were actually fairly introverted and quiet off stage. I guess if you are going for a naturally outgoing person who has charisma that type of personality would not do well. Randy and Lucas both had amazing survival skills but seem to need to be around people to some degree.

Randy and Lucas know almost nothing, actually. They both lack the most essential thing, which is good judgement. Anyone can see that a heavy duty shelter is a waste of precious fishing time. They need instead to be making netting out of half of the 20x20 tarp and out of the 2 person cotton rope hammock, like this

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xcotton+rope+hammock.TRS0&_nkw=cotton+rope+hammock&_sacat=0

 

If they take an axe, saw, ferrorod, belt knife, rations,  you know that they know nothing that will truly help them . Instead, take the Cold Steel shovel, modified to have 8" of saw edge, be in Ketosis, and have the big roll of duct tape,  one of Chief Aj's slingbows, and  modified Crunch multi-tool. Before you leave, heavily rust the outside of your shovel. With rust as an accellerant, you can easily fire roll your first fire. With that fire, you can have  ashes, charred punkwood, kept in a dry bag made out of your gaiters and the tape. Also, you can just bank your coals and charcoal in ashes and dirt, and it will remain "live" for 8+ hours, if you know to have a low primitive  shelter over it, that is. Which none of the dummies so far have known to do. You also do NOT want a fire inside of your shelter. I'ts a threat to your lungs and your gear, and to your life, from CO poisoning while you sleep. If you know to use hot rocks under your raised wooden bed and hot water bottles in your sleeping gear and know to use the projected heat from a Siberian fire lay, the fire can stay outside of the shelter, a safe distance away from your synthetics, and still warm you just fine

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Crutch

Crutch

Ok so I’m not the kind of person to get upset or even go to the extent of finding a forum to vent but if I don’t do this I’m going to explode.

Contestants on Alone, can you please for the love of everything holly stop using your family and loved ones as a excuse to go home!! It  bothers me beyond belief that you entire a show knowing you could be gone for months at a time even a year to win the money and than turn around after days or a few months and use your family as a excuse!!! You went on this show to win money, to spend ungodly amounts of time by your self or with another person knowing full well your going to be away from your loved ones. Things get tuff, you get cold, emotionally drained, physically drained be honest with the viewers and admit you failed because things got tuff not that you need to go home to be with family, you miss your kids etc! That’s just a excuse and you know it! I respect the person who spends 1 week and fails or months and is honest with the viewers. I respect that they are upfront, “ well this place kicked my ass!”, “ I’m just to weak and hungry to go on”, “This is just to hard” etc.. You know what pisses me off? “ I just miss my family to much”, “ I missed my wife’s or sons birthday and I really just need to go home and be with them”,  “ I just choose my family over the money” etc. Are you actually thinking for 1 second people believe that garbage? Again you signed up for this show to win money and be away long enough to win! Did you actually think that people were going to drop out after a month or even 2 or 3? “ I just need to be away for a few months and I will win”????????? Now I know 90% of contestants use this as an excuse to hide the fact that they just shouldn’t have even been out there in the first place or that they are to hungry or tired, or weak mentally just be honest ! No one is going to make fun of you for lasting 6 days and leaving because you got your ass handed to you by nature but I sure AF will make fun of you for waiting the viewers time and using your family as an excuse to go home. If I hear one more person use there family as a crutch or an excuse to leave I’m going to lose it! If your weak mentality please do everyone a favor and don’t go on the show and give others who don’t mind being away from loved ones for a year to win money for family and give us a good show. I myself have been gone away from my family for 6-12 months at a time not even being able to call them for work that I do and F yea I miss them like crazy but I bring home the bacon and they know dam well I am doing it for them and I don’t even get a minuscule of what they stand to win !  

  • Love 3
qtpye

qtpye

On 4/4/2020 at 4:34 AM, Crutch said:

Ok so I’m not the kind of person to get upset or even go to the extent of finding a forum to vent but if I don’t do this I’m going to explode.

Contestants on Alone, can you please for the love of everything holly stop using your family and loved ones as a excuse to go home!! It  bothers me beyond belief that you entire a show knowing you could be gone for months at a time even a year to win the money and than turn around after days or a few months and use your family as a excuse!!! You went on this show to win money, to spend ungodly amounts of time by your self or with another person knowing full well your going to be away from your loved ones. Things get tuff, you get cold, emotionally drained, physically drained be honest with the viewers and admit you failed because things got tuff not that you need to go home to be with family, you miss your kids etc! That’s just a excuse and you know it! I respect the person who spends 1 week and fails or months and is honest with the viewers. I respect that they are upfront, “ well this place kicked my ass!”, “ I’m just to weak and hungry to go on”, “This is just to hard” etc.. You know what pisses me off? “ I just miss my family to much”, “ I missed my wife’s or sons birthday and I really just need to go home and be with them”,  “ I just choose my family over the money” etc. Are you actually thinking for 1 second people believe that garbage? Again you signed up for this show to win money and be away long enough to win! Did you actually think that people were going to drop out after a month or even 2 or 3? “ I just need to be away for a few months and I will win”????????? Now I know 90% of contestants use this as an excuse to hide the fact that they just shouldn’t have even been out there in the first place or that they are to hungry or tired, or weak mentally just be honest ! No one is going to make fun of you for lasting 6 days and leaving because you got your ass handed to you by nature but I sure AF will make fun of you for waiting the viewers time and using your family as an excuse to go home. If I hear one more person use there family as a crutch or an excuse to leave I’m going to lose it! If your weak mentality please do everyone a favor and don’t go on the show and give others who don’t mind being away from loved ones for a year to win money for family and give us a good show. I myself have been gone away from my family for 6-12 months at a time not even being able to call them for work that I do and F yea I miss them like crazy but I bring home the bacon and they know dam well I am doing it for them and I don’t even get a minuscule of what they stand to win !  

Amen to all of this.


Every time some starts on the bullshit of my family needs me and that’s what’s important,  I want to scream, your family could stand being without you a little longer if it meant getting a half million dollars tax free.

I appreciate people who say they are done and have nothing else left to give...at least they are honest.

Do not come in this show unless you can take at least 3 months in the wilderness by yourself. Do not use family love as an excuse for tapping out early and then pretend like you are doing something noble.

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