The Island with Bear Grylls

The Island with Bear Grylls

On Channel 4

2014–5 seasons38 episodes45 min5.8 / 10

A reality competition that strips modern Britons of comfort and forces them to survive together on remote islands, balancing genuine hardship against the reassurance of a structured, repeating format.

Generations have wondered if they could survive being stranded on a desert island. But how would people cope if they had to do it, for real, and with only themselves to rely on? It's a role reversal for Bear Grylls in this adventure series. Instead of himself attempting to survive harsh conditions in a remote location, Grylls abandons groups of British men and women on remote, uninhabited Pacific islands for a month and more. They will be completely alone, filming themselves, and with only the clothes they're wearing and some basic tools. The island may look like paradise but behind the beaches it can be hell on earth. When stripped of all the luxuries and conveniences of 21st-century living, does modern British man still have the spirit and resources to survive?

Questions people ask

  • Is The Island with Bear Grylls violent? Barely. Less violent than 75% of series.

  • Is The Island with Bear Grylls scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 59% of series.

  • Is The Island with Bear Grylls easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is The Island with Bear Grylls sad? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Does The Island with Bear Grylls leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

58/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity75

How unlike any other series this one feels

Surprise54

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love45

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Island with Bear Grylls

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Island with Bear Grylls

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Island with Bear Grylls, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Island with Bear Grylls, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Island with Bear Grylls, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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