I've watched the first couple of episodes and it's been interesting to see how the Brits have coped with the unfamiliar surroundings, not least the predators. I don't believe that the series has been staged in anyway, nor do I believe that any of the previous series have been staged or influenced by the production team. It's a genuinely fascinating reality series and that's not something that I'll say about any other reality series on telly!
There is one thing that gave me cause for concern though and that's the skillset of the current crop of competitors.
Previous series have brought together contestants who are proficient when it comes to bushcraft/hunting/survival and have a very good knowledge base. Indeed you could happily argue that many of the previous contestants (Clay Hayes, Theresa Emmerich, Roland Welker - to name a few) were very much at the top of their game. I felt like that really brought something to the series, seeing learned folk putting their skills to task.
Unfortunately, it looks like the same can't be said of this series. There's one or two who seem to have a bit of knowledge, but for the most part, it looks like many of them are quite inexperienced and seem to have struggled with the more basic elements of campcraft. It's a shame because I do think that there's quite a few folk in our community who could have a good crack at this.
That's just my view though and I guess the production team have gone for a different approach this time, bringing in a group with an altogether different background. This different approach is evident every time you see the names pop up with their job title underneath! It's also noteworthy that the prize pot has shrunk for this series with £100k on offer (compared to $500k previously). In any case I doff my cap to the contestants for putting themselves out there, that in itself is no mean feat and I look forward to watching the next episodes.