Out of the Wild is a Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...

 reality television series. The first and second seasons followed volunteers from urbanized backgrounds as they try to endure life in the back-country of Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

 during the fall

Autumn

Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....

 and winter

Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...

. The third season saw a relocation of the series to the South American country of Venezuela, while keeping the same general format of season 2. The series was produced by Ricochet

Ricochet (TV Production Company)

Ricochet, part of the Shed Media Group, is an independent television production company that produces factual and entertainment programmes for broadcast by networks in both the UK and US.Ricochet joined the Shed Media Group in 2005.-Current Productions:...

 in the first season, and by Pilgrim Films in seasons 2 and 3.

Season 1: "The Alaska Experiment"

In the first season of the series, 4 teams of ten urban professionals are dropped off in the Alaskan back-country with directions to shelters they would spend the next few weeks in. The series follows these groups through the weeks as they struggle to live off the land at their shelters.

Season 2: "Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment"

In the second season, the series was retooled and renamed, with nine volunteers working together as one team traveling across the wilderness rather than staying in one place. Due to the greater difficulty for survival of large and inexperienced groups backpacking so remotely, each participant had an emergency GPS unit that could summon a rescue team to evacuate them from the experiment. After the first few days, almost half the participants leave the show via these GPS units.

The filming for this season began September 2008 and was aired on April 14, 2009.

Season 3: “Out of the Wild: Venezuela”

The third season premiered on the Discovery Channel on February 17th, 2011

The format is very similar to the second season with nine volunteers being dropped off in a remote location in the remote wilderness of Venezuela. The volunteers are given a map and compass and tasked with finding civilization without any other outside assistance. Along the way they are directed to designated shelters that are indicated on the map. Just as in the second season, each volunteer can activate a GPS beacon that will summon a rescue team via helicopter to remove them from the experience.
Casting took place in July 2010, and the series was filmed in the fall of 2010.

External links

• The Alaska Experiment at Ricochet
• Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment at Pilgrim Films
• Season 3 Casting