Bare Necessities (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Bare Necessities is the name of the top-rated BBC2 television survival show that started the whole genre of 'survival reality' shows in 2001. The show ran for two series, and can still be seen on the golden oldies repeat channels.
, two teams of three were deposited somewhere dire for a week, to survive, eat nasty food and perform demanding tasks, being judged daily by Hugh for the vital points that decided which team proceeded to the five star hotel holiday, and which remained in self-induced squalor.
The teams were job oriented, pitted appropriately: the worthy Nurses slogged it out in the Mexican jungle with the devious and anarchic Estate Agents; the persevering Taxi Drivers met the ebuliance and over-confidence of the Hospital Doctors on a remote Crete
beach; the bland Bank Managers were out-classed by vegetarian, camel-head-eating Students with body piercings in the Sahara
, the Models were screen-tested by die-hard Lawyers on a Phuket
desert island; the Builders made collapsing shelters from Azores eucalytus trees while two warring IT Specialists were kept in line by a call centre manager. And so on.
The programmes were rich with useful survival tips from Hugh, plus plenty of examples of how not to do it - and the accompanying suffering. Ed's ability to emphasise the incongruity of the various events - and the often shockingly revolting food remains legendary, and spawned many similar presenters in this genre.
" saw its format turned into an outdoors reality telly arena for wannabes. Commissioning editors don't seem to understand that people actually enjoy programming that is a mix of interest, fun, humour, catharsis and even education. Bare Necessities provided all these things without the need to demean its subjects or offer enormous fees or prizes. It was good clean fun for all the family and it's passing is greatly mourned.
Show Premise
Co-hosted by crew-cut lad's-lad Ed Hall and former commando survival expert Hugh McMannersHugh McManners
Joseph Hugh McManners is a British author, television producer and presenter, journalist, and musician, and songwriter.He was born into an academic family in Oxford, the son of historian The Rev. Professor John McManners, and was brought up in Australia...
, two teams of three were deposited somewhere dire for a week, to survive, eat nasty food and perform demanding tasks, being judged daily by Hugh for the vital points that decided which team proceeded to the five star hotel holiday, and which remained in self-induced squalor.
The teams were job oriented, pitted appropriately: the worthy Nurses slogged it out in the Mexican jungle with the devious and anarchic Estate Agents; the persevering Taxi Drivers met the ebuliance and over-confidence of the Hospital Doctors on a remote Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
beach; the bland Bank Managers were out-classed by vegetarian, camel-head-eating Students with body piercings in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, the Models were screen-tested by die-hard Lawyers on a Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
desert island; the Builders made collapsing shelters from Azores eucalytus trees while two warring IT Specialists were kept in line by a call centre manager. And so on.
The programmes were rich with useful survival tips from Hugh, plus plenty of examples of how not to do it - and the accompanying suffering. Ed's ability to emphasise the incongruity of the various events - and the often shockingly revolting food remains legendary, and spawned many similar presenters in this genre.
Cancellation
But in being the trail blazer concept, Bare Necessities succumbed to televisions' appetite for more extreme versions of the same. It lost its budget to an ill-advised attempt to reproduce the British army's SAS selection using civilians, then with "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here is a reality television game show series in which 8 to 15 celebrities live together in a jungle environment for a few weeks. They have no luxuries, and compete to win a cash prize...
" saw its format turned into an outdoors reality telly arena for wannabes. Commissioning editors don't seem to understand that people actually enjoy programming that is a mix of interest, fun, humour, catharsis and even education. Bare Necessities provided all these things without the need to demean its subjects or offer enormous fees or prizes. It was good clean fun for all the family and it's passing is greatly mourned.