"Dual Survival" Gets Ratings, Grabs Guys' Interest

Most of the time, I'm completely fine living without cable TV. I generally only pine for cable when there's a good cable match - since I live in the United States, it's not like I can count on a typical sports bar!
But a new Discovery Channel show called Dual Survival has my curiosity piqued. The 10-episode show has created an odd couple of two expert survivalists with vastly different methods. Cody Lundin, who is known throughout Arizona as Abo Dude, employs "bush hippie logic" to surviving in virtually any situation or climate. He's infamous for going nearly everywhere barefoot, clad in shorts. On the other end is Dave Canterbury. His rigid military training doesn't quite square with Lundin's methods.

At this point, I can only wonder whether their opposing methods will create friction or lead them to a better understanding of each other. I vote for the latter. Lundin always stresses that cooperation leads to survival - and I suspect that Canterbury is a pragmatist who will adopt new methods if he sees that they work.

A few things appeal to me: First, I'm an unabashed "homer" who wants to see Lundin represent Arizona well. He is articulate and smart, unlike many of the voices gaining traction in Arizona at the moment. Second, Dual Survival seems to have a genuine educational element. It's set up not as a competition, but a way to show how preparation, awareness and creative thinking can get any outdoor lover out of a jam when things go awry.

According to The Discovery Channel, the show was ranked #1 among males 18-49 watching cable TV channels on June 25 during primetime. In the first episode, Lundin and Canterbury were "lost SCUBA divers who were fortunate enough to find air, but were deep inside the maze of caves in Belize. Together, equipped with only their dive gear, they had to find their way out of the caves, through the dense jungle and to safety." From my own caving adventures in Belize, I'm sure it was an awesome journey for them, but with an added layer of peril from what I experienced.

In episode two, Lundin and Canterbury were in Peru's Valley of Volcanoes when their car broke down. That puts them in the desert, which is always a precarious and gnarly survival situation.

For now, my lack of cable is costing me. But when Dual Survival comes out on DVD, I'll be waiting to throw down my dollars.