With a name like “The Discovery Channel”, viewers probably expect to learn and discover people, places, and things. Ideally, whatever or whomever they learn about are factually based and empirically tested, as opposed to random opinions, ideas, myths, or legends.
In some ways, the Discovery Channel has abided by these rules and provided content that is interesting, entertaining, and educational. Other times, however, it has fallen short of these expectations in pursuit of higher ratings. Follow the money, right? Like TLC used to be “The Learning Channel” (ha!), Discovery has made a few missteps here and there by presenting carefully constructed narratives and casts as “reality TV”. Taking a look at Discovery shows of the past and the present, we found 10 that are the fakest and 10 that are the real deal.
20 FAKE: Gold Rush
If reality TV had been a thing in the 1800s, perhaps Gold Rush would’ve had a dose of realness. As it was, however, the show premiered in 2010 and followed a group of guys who lost everything in the 2008 recession.
According to former cast member Jimmy Dorsey, he was fed lines from producers to create drama, and the Alaskan government said laws were broken for the sake of ratings!
19 REAL DEAL: American Chopper
Aside from being some great meme material, American Chopper is in fact, the “real” of “reality TV”! In addition to building some impressive choppers, the family drama between Paul Teutul Sr. and his son was real – Junior was fired and Teutul did forcibly buy his son’s ownership.
The legal issues are actually what led to the show’s cancellation.
18 FAKE: Man Vs. Wild
Yeah, Bear Grylls has a reputation for being a total boss when it comes to surviving the great outdoors, but it’s not all based on fact. While he may eat scorpions and jump off cliffs, he’s still accompanied by a full crew and rests up in a hotel every night. There have also been accusations that Grylls has faked things (like bear attacks) for the sake of ratings.
17 REAL DEAL: Dirty Jobs
With a name like Dirty Jobs, there’s not really much need to fake it for the camera. Host Mike Rowe does actually get down and dirty with some of the grossest and most dangerous jobs that other people do on a daily basis! The only major editing that goes on, according to Rowe, is when production removes parts deemed too gross for viewers!
16 FAKE: Alaskan Bush People
Well, the first indicator that Alaskan Bush People isn’t about real Alaskan bush people is that the cast is actually primarily from Texas. The show has also been accused of manipulating relationships and “hiring” girlfriends for the boys on the show for the sake of maintaining audience interest, which is more than a little icky.
15 REAL DEAL: Storm Chasers
Intense and scarily accurate, Storm Chasers (which ended in 2012) didn’t rely on CGI or any special effects to create the terrifying cyclones that a rotating cast chased after. While the people involved knew what they were doing and only maybe hammed it up a little for the audience, the danger was real: cast member Tim Samaras died while chasing a storm a year after the show was cancelled.
14 FAKE: Naked And Afraid
You know how to get people to pay attention to yet another survivalist program? Make the contestants get naked! That’s the premise of Naked and Afraid, and, while the nudity might be real, the actual show rarely is. While contestants are expected to survive on their own, they are frequently taken off-camera and given medical treatment and even access to modern necessities.
13 REAL DEAL: How It’s Made
Another show that relies on its name to tell audiences exactly what it’s about with no extra frills, How It’s Made is the kind of show you can have on in the background to learn a little more about the things around us. They show how modern-day stuff is made, like hearing aids and bowling balls, and how older stuff is made, like horse-drawn carriages.
12 FAKE: Street Outlaws
With the success of the Fast and the Furious franchise, we get the appeal for Discovery to have a drag-racing “reality” show of its own. The thing is, Street Outlaws isn’t a reality show. If street racing is so illegal, why are these people allowing their names and faces to be seen?
In actuality, production works with local police departments to ensure that the “illegal racing” is done safely.
11 REAL DEAL: Mythbusters
With a name like “Mythbusters”, you’d better believe that what you see is what you get! One of the most beloved shows on the Discovery Channel, Mythbusters has been used by fans for years to buffet the “well, actually…” parts of their arguments. Showing their success as well as their failures, the show is hilarious, entertaining, and accurate.
