Despite having advanced past the time of our primitive cave-dwelling existence, as a society we are still obsessed with the act of survival. Watching man (and woman) take on nature is one of our favorite TV-viewing pastimes.
The reason might be due to our fascination with those rare individuals who can survive in extreme conditions. Or perhaps our morbid curiosity drives us to watch people take on the wild unsure if they will make it out the winner, or even alive. Whatever the reason, survival reality television has become a staple in today’s culture.
In addition to it being entertaining, there is also the added bonus of learning how to survive if caught in a life-or-death situation. Win-Win. So, with all of that in mind, we have curated the top 10 survival reality television shows not only guaranteed to entertain but to also potentially get you through the next zombie apocalypse scenario unscathed. Check them out.
10. Race To Survive: Alaska
It’s a race to the end, with the prize being survival, oh and $500,000. In this NBC network series, eight teams of the world’s most elite athletes race across the untamed Alaska wilderness. They are provided nothing in advance, no food, no shelter, and no comfort. The race spans 46 days and over 300 miles of frozen wilderness that pushes each athlete to their breaking point – and beyond! Yet the race not only pits man (and woman) against wild but also against fellow teams and even other teammates.
While the physical challenges of this race are extreme, they are almost nothing compared to the mental game these survivors have to bring with them. Check out Race To Survive: Alaska on NBC’s streaming service Peacock and on Hulu Premium.
9. Dude, You’re Screwed
With friends like these who needs enemies? The survivalists of Dude, You’re Screwed are kidnapped by their friends and dumped in the middle of nowhere. They then have 100 hours to find their way out of whatever hopeless-looking situation they find themselves in. They are dumped exactly as they are meaning they are on their own for food, clothing, shelter, and navigation. They also have the time limit to worry about so the pressure is on for them to find their way back to civilization.
The cast features former Navy SEALs, Air Force sergeants, and survival experts who are put to the test to see just how adept they are at using their skills. They are left in various locations including thick jungles, deserts, and even a volcano! Some of these survival tricks you will just have to see to believe. Check out this Discovery network series on Discovery Plus, and HBO Max.
8. The Colony
The Colony brings all of our post-apocalyptic nightmares to life as it follows a group of 10 volunteers who, for three months, must engage in a controlled experiment. The purpose is to test out the concept of rebuilding civilization after a catastrophic disaster. They must tend to all aspects of sustainable living, including water, electricity, security, and food, while also being presented with staged events such as being attacked by brutal raiders. Each volunteer is from a different background with a variety of expertise and represents a cross-section of modern society. The show also has input from experts on psychology, security, and technology.
While the simulation is fake the emotions are real as is the ever-present feeling that the world as we know it could end at any moment. Trust us, it’s a terrifying premise. Check it out if you dare on Discovery Plus.
7. Dual Survival
Meet military-trained Dave Canterbury and naturalist Cody Lundin, two survival experts with vastly different methods of surviving in the wild. Together, they are dropped into scenarios that could happen to anyone: marooned at sea, lost while hiking, stranded while scaling a mountain, etc. Equipped with minimal gear, they must draw on their combined survival experience to devise ways to stay alive in a life-or-death situation.
The show is especially entertaining, with Canterbury and Lundin butting heads all along the way. It almost gives us Daniel Radcliffe in The Jungle vibes. Watch these two explore, laugh, and bicker over how to survive. See it for yourself on Apple TV Plus.
6. Alone
In this series, 10 survival experts are dropped in the middle of nowhere in an attempt to survive alone in the wilderness. The prize is bragging rights and $500,000. They can bring only what fits in a backpack, and alone in the harsh, unforgiving terrain, they must hunt, build shelters, and deter predators. All while documenting the experience, mind you. They are isolated from each other and all other humans and the mental stress seems to amplify the physical ones. The seasons have been filmed across various remote locations, including Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Mongolia.
This is often considered one of the most extreme of the survival reality shows, with no frills but tons of thrills. Check out this hard-hitting survival series on the History network, Netflix and Prime Video.
5. Man, Woman, Wild
Husband and wife duo Myke, a former U.S. Army Special Forces survival expert, and Ruth, a television journalist, travel to different places on Earth to demonstrate how to survive in the harshest conditions. The series focuses on Myke teaching Ruth various survival skills such as starting a fire, locating water sources, and eating non-traditional foods such as insects and wild plants. As Myke teaches Ruth, he also teaches the viewer who is along for the ride of Ruth’s learning experience.
The show puts both the individual and their relationship to the test. Watch the match made in wilderness Heaven duo as they struggle to survive the wild, and each other. The show is a Discovery Network original so it is available on Discovery Plus.
4. Outlast
The Alaskan wilderness calls and these survivalists answered. These 16 outdoorsmen (and women) must work together and apart towards survival and a piece of the million-dollar cash prize. They face frozen tundra, aggressive wildlife and the difficulty of working together in harsh conditions.
The teams, alliances and loyalties all shift throughout the competition as they face conditions that make you wonder if the million dollar prize is even worth it. Yet somehow they find their way through survival back towards civilization. Check out this gripping new series on Netflix.
3. Naked and Afraid XL
12 amateur survivalists are tested when they must survive in the wild for 40 days and nights with nothing but primitive tools at their disposal. Each contestant is only allowed to bring two items of their choosing, which does not include clothing, as the name of the show would imply. They must hunt and gather what they need to survive all while in the buff.
The show is a big hit as it adds an additional exotic component to the basic survivalist series formula. To see just how naked and afraid these survivalists get, check out the series on Discovery Plus.
2. Survivorman
With no food, water, shelter or help, survivalist expert Les Stroud must survive alone in the wild for seven days. He places himself in unique situations and, in each challenge, demonstrates how one can find ways to survive in almost any climate until being rescued. Not only must he stay for a week, but he must do so while filming everything himself and dragging around an extra 50 pounds of camera gear. Survivorman is one of the original survivalist series as it originally came out in 2005, paving the way for the future shows and survival movies in the genre to come.
With helpful tips and wry humor, Stroud documents his struggles to overcome obstacles in a variety of climates such as the Coast Rican rainforest, Georgia swampland, and Arctic ice floes. See his struggle for survival on Pluto and Discovery Plus.
1. Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge
Probably the best-known survival reality television series, Man vs. Wild followed British survival expert Bear Grylls as he traveled around the world demonstrating how to survive in the most hopeless of scenarios. He goes to the most dangerous tourist locations and environments to demonstrate what to do if you happen to find yourself in one.
His latest show Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, is an extension of this concept, yet he takes it up a notch. Grylls invites fellow celebrities on the show to put their skills and his own, to the test. He teaches them the skills they will need in order to survive then has them demonstrate everything they’ve learned. With guests such as Rita Ora, Florence Pugh and Benedict Cumberbatch an extra element of entertainment is included. Also be sure to check out the scandal around the Gina Carano episode. See the series on Disney Plus and Hulu.
Survival series and shows take us to the heart of existence – man (and woman) vs. wild. Can we overcome both the external challenges of nature and the nature within? The mental games meet the physical ones in these survival scenarios that bring the contestants to the edge of their sanity and us to the edge of our seats. Would you survive these post apocalyptic conditions? With these 10 shows, you might just improve your chances. Tune in to find out!