Evidence
From BearWiki
Below, you'll find an (incomplete) listing of evidence that the show's narrative doesn't match reality -- evidence of items used by Bear that he shouldn't have, techniques not working the way that they actually do, domesticated animals in a wild setting, the camera crew making his life easier, scene discontinuities, and so forth.
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Please use references wherever possible. For external references, use the standard [YourFullURLHere] format. If you yourself are a reference (for example, you live in a place where Bear has gone, have done the things he claims to do, have experience with animals he interacts with, or whatnot), great; please sign your edit with {{reference|your brief qualifications|~~~~}} so that we know who is making the claim. For your reference to have meaning, please also list your real name, full relevant qualifications, and (preferably) contact information on your user page. A link to an external page that verifies your credentials would additionally be useful.
To registered users: Do not post descriptions on this page; only links to pages in which the issue is discussed. Do not post dead wikilinks or links to external sites. Rather, wikilink to a page on the questionable issue (either a stub or a detailed analysis). If (and only if) there seems to be an honest, general consensus on a particular claim, place one or more of the following tags to the right of the wikilink:
- {{confirmed}}: The claim has been confirmed by a person with firsthand involvement in the production of the series.
- {{confirmedlocal}}: The claim has been confirmed by at least one local resident or expert about the region.
- {{disproven}}: It can be generally agreed upon that this claim does not hold water, but is made commonly enough that it deserves a mention.
- {{trivial}}: Whether or not it's true, it's a trivial issue.
- {{critical}}: Whether or not it's true, it's a critical issue.
Contents |
General
- Show was originally supposed to be a more educational, less dangerous program, but was dumbed down (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Extensive supporting crew (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- The show uses literal scripts that cover everything that will happen in a given episode (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Cleaned and shaved between scenes
- Impossible camera angles
- Storybook progression (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Learns his survival skills for each episode right before shooting (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- TV 'survival king' stayed in hotels (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Bought pizza in the middle of an ep (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Using Camera NIGHT MODE To Shoot Scenes in the Day
Season 1
Rocky Mountains (Pilot)
- Was hoisted into tree that "snagged" parachute, and wore a safety harness (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Hired man in a bear suit because they couldn't find a tame bear for the shoot (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Jumps off a cliff because of an approaching bear, but the camera crew is already on the other side (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Snake that Bear "kills" was found dead at the side of the road by the crew (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Dead badger actually steak inside badger skin (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Using a life jacket in the river (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- The friction fire scene of Bear using the hand drill was faked
- Bear was within easy reach of an established Forest Service road (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
Moab Desert
Costa Rican Rain Forest
- Climbing harness visible on the waterfall climb
- Climbed back up the waterfall after becoming ill
- Bear’s fire bow demonstration looks like he never did it before and was staged
Alaskan Mountain Range
- Coincidental boat sinking (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Didn't spend the night (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Fish was caught by one of the crew, not by Bear. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Final scene boat was sent to pick him up. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Safety rope used in waterfall climb. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Mount Kilauea
- No evidence of larvae in the honeycomb
- Visible, "deadly" volcanic gas actually from a smoke machine (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Faking it in Kilauea (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
- Terrain inconsistencies (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
- Faked boot burning (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
- More Kilauea inconsistencies and bad advice (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
- Climbing a tree to pick "ripe" avocados
- Bear lands in sight of final destination (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
Sierra Nevada
- Getting lost in a crowded part of the Sierras (Confirmed by a local resident or regional expert)
- Staged horses (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Domesticated rabbit (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Received help building raft. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Receives help building "wiki" camping structure and did not spend the night. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not cause the pine cone to fall to the ground. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
African Savanna
European Alps
- Crevase jump filmed from underneath (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Digs a hole in the ice with a pointed stick
- Commercial-style fishing hooks inexplicably 'made' offcamera
- Artificial handholds used to crawl out of frozen lake
- Didn't spend the night (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Crevase fall scene staged (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Rope bridge scene staged (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Dead deer scene staged (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not catch the trout (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Desert Island
- Visible manila rope tying together the raft (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- A team of people built the raft, not Bear, and it took a week and a half to build (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Saw-cut ends to the bamboo
- Raft tied to a boat, just offshore
- Diver pre-checking the water for sharks (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Getting lost a stone's throw from Oahu (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Getting lost on Oahu itself (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Season 2
Everglades
- Fake bear sign.
- Build the shelter with crew assistance (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Local rangers made the water safe for Bear to cross (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not catch the frog or the turtle (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Iceland
- Ptarmigan on a string (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Slept indoors (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Sheep donated by a local farmer (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Mexico
- Presenting the fire-saw fire starting method as far easier than it is
- A climbing rope was planted for Bear's use in the chimney climbing scene (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Trout placed downstream from Bear (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Rope made with crew assistance (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Kimberley, Australia
- Did not spend night outdoors. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not build shelter on own. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Uses rope for climb down tree. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- "Snake encounter" scene staged. (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Ecuador
- Fake bowstring-making
- Received help making the ladder (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Slept indoors (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
Scotland
- The deer skinning scene is implausible
- Did not sleep in deer skin shelter (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Redacted claim that the deer had fallen off a cliff (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not actually catch rabbit in snare (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not stay on second night, either (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Did not sleep in deer skin shelter (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
- Was close to civilization (Confirmed by a member of the production team)
