# Survivorman (2005)

> Les Stroud strips survival down to a camera, his clothes and sheer endurance as he tries to outlast some of the harshest environments on Earth.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4218

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 54
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, reality
- Created by: Les Stroud
- Network: OLN, T+E
- Cast: Les Stroud, Logan Stroud
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770659/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: harrowing, intimate, raw, tense, austere

## What critics say

Audiences broadly acclaim Survivorman for its raw, unvarnished survival footage and Les Stroud's solo commitment to hardship.

## Synopsis

Survivorman (2005-2016) is a Canadian survival reality documentary series created by Les Stroud and broadcast on OLN and T+E. Across eight seasons and fifty-four episodes of roughly forty-two minutes each, host Les Stroud travels to remote, far-flung locales carrying little more than the clothes on his back and about fifty pounds of camera equipment. Stroud is the only person on screen and the only crew member, so he sets up his own shots, films his own struggle, and records his own decisions as he tries to find shelter, water, and food while battling insanely harsh conditions. The engine of each episode is simple and physical: the environment pushes back, resources run thin, and the host must keep both his body and his equipment working. The format is a self-contained case of survival per episode rather than a continuing plot, so viewers can enter at any point. The tone is harrowing and intimate, with long stretches of quiet struggle punctuated by the raw sounds of weather and wildlife. Fans of Man vs. Wild, Alone and Planet Earth will find a similar appetite for real-world wilderness peril, documentary immersion and human endurance.

## Shows like Survivorman

- [Frozen Planet (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/8082)
- [You vs. Wild (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/74477)
- [Earthstorm (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/133229)
- [Running Wild with Bear Grylls (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54511)
- [Welcome to Earth (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/105758)
- [Human Planet (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/29516)
- [Life Below Zero (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/54342)
- [Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/47464)
- [The Wild Ones (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/148749)
- [Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/56273)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt