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OK, I'm hooked on another reality show. I used to love I Shouldn't be Alive, but now that's not airing anymore. I enjoyed the two seasons of Everest and am waiting for Season 3 (filmed in May) to come out.

Yesterday I stumbled onto a reality show called Mantracker though, and I have to admit I thought it was a pretty cool show.

Here's a little wiki summary that will give you the gist of it, in case you haven't seen it:

Mantracker is a Canadian reality television series that premiered in April 2006 on the Outdoor Life Network. In the United States, the program currently airs on the Science Channel.

The show's premise involves Terry Grant, an expert tracker known as "Mantracker," who pursues two individuals in the remote Canadian wilderness. The pursued must elude capture while attempting to reach a finish line within 36 hours. Mantracker never meets the team prior to the chase, nor does he know their destination. Traveling on horseback and aided by a local guide, Mantracker mostly relies on his well-honed tracking skills to trail them, although some equipment (such as regular and infrared binoculars) is also used. As stated by Grant in the show's introductory tagline, "Know your land. Know your prey."

Each episode features a two-person team, known as the "Prey", who usually, but not always, have a pre-existing relationship; the participants all have varying wilderness survival skills and differing physical fitness levels. A flare gun signals the chase's start, and the Prey take off into the bush armed with a map and a compass for navigation, as well as a head start. They carry their own gear and how they avoid capture is up to them. The Prey must reach the designated finish line some 35 - 40 kilometres away without getting caught by Mantracker and before time is up. There is no prize for making it to the finish, only the satisfaction of having outwitted and eluding Mantracker.

Grant is a 25-year-veteran of the Alberta Foothills Search and Rescue Team, and an expert in using clues such as footprints, probable path, and other signs of human presence to track prey.

You can see more on their website, www.mantracker.ca

Anybody else been watching these, or am I just a nut?!

I dont have the science channel but a buddy was telling me about it and said it was pretty cool... Sounded interesting!

Man, that sounds sweet. I don't have cable, though. Maybe it's somewhere on the internet...

I have seen this show. I saw one where he was in the badlands. Seems pretty real but sometimes you can tell its fake. For example 3 times in the show they have a camera set up in the perfect spot to have mantracker chase the victims right where he expected them.

oh, you can't think about those things! that just spoils the fun
yeah I know, I think the same types of things too, on a lot of these "reality" (note the quotes!) shows. ;)

dshillis wrote:oh, you can't think about those things! that just spoils the fun
yeah I know, I think the same types of things too, on a lot of these "reality" (note the quotes!) shows. ;)

Haha. Yeh rite.

i am also addicted to this show! i wish they had something like this in the states so i could try out for it!!!

gmanontheradio wrote: i wish they had something like this in the states so i could try out for it!!!

That would be very cool. Even cooler if they had one in Arizona.

Personally, the show is quite silly. A couple of grown men clad in camo playing hide and seek from a cowboy?

And exactly how is one suppossed to remain undetected from a trained professional such as mantracker with a camera crew, or at least a camera man following him? Just doesnt make much sense to me.

Lastly, with all reality shows, its mostly set up, and rehearesed. And mantracker knows the trail, lay of the land etc. Its just a bit too hoaky for me...

gmanontheradio wrote:i am also addicted to this show! i wish they had something like this in the states so i could try out for it!!!

They do, sign up with the US Boarder Patrol and you will get all the practice and thrills of the real thing.

Of course you might have to wear a bullet proof vest and maybe even be convicted of manslaughter if you have to defend yourself from one of the armed coyotes.

I've caught the show a couple of times, and it has it's good moments, but for the most part I think it's kinda boring, especially the ending. They're almost there, they're almost there, only one more mile... Ah hell. They caught them. Again.

These types of themes are better played out in the fiction world, especially movies, where you at least get to pretend that it's not all staged...