My old roommate got me watching this show, and I have to say that it's one of the few good things to come out of reality television. It originally aired in Canada, but was picked up by the Science Channel. The first season episodes were only a half hour, but they expanded it to a full hour from the second season onward.
The basic premise follows a pair of contestants as they try to trek 40 kilometers through various terrains. The titular "man tracker" (real name Terry Grant), assisted by another local expert who knows the area, rides on horseback and tries to follow their path before they cross the finish line. The "prey" has 36 hours to make it to their destination.
It's like a non-lethal version of The Most Dangerous Game. Most of the episodes contain a certain degree of suspense as the contestants face various threats and endure different trials as they try to elude the ever persistent man tracker.
What's interesting is that there is no prize for winning. The only stake involved is bragging rights about whether or not you managed to go the distance. There is no million or even ten thousand dollar jackpot waiting for you at the end of the trek. One episode had bottles of champagne waiting for the contestants, but beyond that the motivation goes past money and into pride.
One way I think the show can improve is by giving man tracker a more definite way of "catching" his "prey". As it is, he has to block their path. More often than not, the contestants will dive into thick bushes and hide. Even though he's only ten feet away, he either has to wait or go ahead and try to cut them off. I say, give him a paintball gun and once you're hit, that's it. This would also eliminate the people who actually think that they can outrun a horse and try to engage in a race that they are doomed to lose. It would also enhance the hunting aspect, adding to the literary undertones that I alluded to earlier.
The show is entertaining. They do a good job of picking people who would make for compelling episodes. Either the pair sync up perfectly, or there's a complete dichotomy and one will prove useful and the other useless. There are some, however, who take it a bit too seriously. There's one episode where the contestant, after being caught, kept running around even after being caught and started screaming about how she hates him. I get that there's an adrenaline rush, but it's just a game, calm down.
Even if you're not a fan of reality television, I recommend checking this show out. I don't know if it lends itself to marathons, but it's definitely an hour well spent.
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