This is an updated post on Prepper TV Shows. Our first post was published several years ago and we will continue to update as new survival shows are produced and to keep this article accurate with where you can stream and watch them.
As a general rule of thumb, preppers do not watch much TV. When we do, we like to make it count. Television does not have to be a mindless drain turning you into a couch potato- you can actually learn plenty of things from TV if you are selective with what you watch. That is where this list of prepper TV shows comes in.
After a long day of work or knocking out projects, you can unwind in front of the TV but still learn. There are plenty of entertaining and educational survival shows that are easily available thanks to Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube. Kicking back, relaxing, and watching some people struggle through survival situations or explaining their bunker strategy can be a great family activity.
Take a spin through our comprehensive list and let us know your favorites in the comments.
1. Doomsday Preppers
Doomsday Preppers ran from 2012 to 2014 on National Geographic and introduced most of America to prepping culture. One of the more interesting takeaways I had from this show is the wide range of SHTF scenarios the featured preppers were preparing for. From natural disasters to nuclear winters, the ‘doomsday preppers’ are thorough in their preparedness, if lacking in their risk analysis.
The show also brings in a group of practical preppers to assign arbitrary ‘scores’ to the preppers so that their survival readiness can be compared. If you have not seen the show, it is worth watching simply due to the impact it has had on how preppers are viewed.
Is Doomsday Preppers available on Netflix?
No, Doomsday Preppers is not available on Netflix.
Is Doomsday Preppers available on Amazon?
Yes, Doomsday Preppers is available streaming on Amazon Prime.
Is Doomsday Preppers available on YouTube?
Yes, most episodes can be found on YouTube.
2. Survivorman
Les Stroud may be Canadian, but he is tough as nails. When other shows were filming segments with film crews, costumes, and gimmicks, Les grabbed a camera and went to remote areas on his own for a week. The show spanned a decade, from 2004 to 2015 on OLN, Discovery, and the Science Channel.
Les understood the mental stamina that a camera crew would provide in a survival situation. Removing this ‘crutch’ made for some compelling TV and set the stage for a slew of other shows that would follow suit over a decade later.
Is Survivorman available on Netflix?
No, Survivorman is unavailable on Netflix.
Is Survivorman available on Amazon?
Yes, Survivorman is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Is Survivorman available on YouTube?
Yes, Les Stroud himself has uploaded a few Survivorman episodes on YouTube.
3. Dual Survival
Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundin are an odd pair. They join forces on Dual Survival to demonstrate how there are many different approaches to survival. The show ran from 2010 to 2016 on the Discovery Channel.
The divisiveness in America today makes me reflect on this show fondly. Two guys, in the middle of nowhere, often having to work out their differences to get $&%# done. Unfortunately, the showrunners had their share of drama, with some misunderstanding about Dave Canterbury’s background. Hosts were replaced often after season 3 and the show suffered for it.
Dave Canterbury still runs his YouTube channel though and wrote the NYT bestseller Bushcraft 101.
Is Dual Survival available on Netflix?
No, Dual Survival is not available on Netflix.
Is Dual Survival available on Amazon?
Yes, Dual Survival is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Dual Survival available on YouTube?
Yes, a few episodes of Dual Survival can be found on YouTube.
4. Naked and Afraid
A phenomenon since 2013, Naked and Afraid is a reality-type show that typically puts a male and a female contestant together in a remote area with only a few select tools. Oh, and no clothes. How might someone lose their clothes before a survival situation? It does not matter- it is just a test of skill with plenty of blurring effects in post-production.
Episodes are still airing on the Discover Channel, and the show is entertaining, to say the least. The tools that the survivalists pick are sometimes questionable and their strategies can be too. One gripe is that they stay at the location for 21 days, so some contestants opt to just ‘endure’ rather than ‘survive’. Watching someone lay around for 21 days to conserve calories makes for some of the more boring episodes.
A few survival YouTube creators have gone on the show to test their chops, but there have been plenty of contestants with a total of 16 seasons and 142 episodes. Plus, there are many spinoffs. We used to list them out but since they are now up to 20 spinoffs including foreign versions, we’ll just keep the original on our list.
Is Naked and Afraid available on Netflix?
No, Naked and Afraid is not available on Netflix.
Is Naked and Afraid available on Amazon?
Yes, Naked and Afraid is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Naked and Afraid available on YouTube?
Yes, some episodes of Naked and Afraid (and spinoffs) are available on YouTube.
5. Alone
Alone is another reality show that is similar to Survivorman in that the contestants record themselves alone, without a film crew. The History Channel offers up half a million dollars to the winner, which has drawn out some skilled survivalists. The survivalists attempt to out-survive each other to collect the giant check.
The contestants that try to conserve calories often have a rough go of it, since the competitions go well past 27 days (unlike Naked and Afraid). The Alone contestants get to bring only 10 survival tools from a predetermined list, which can allow for different approaches.
This is my (Rusty’s) personal favorite on this list, and I’m glad that it’s widely available and was picked up by Netflix. Many contestants go on to be in other shows or make a name for themselves on wilderness survival YouTube channels.
Is Alone available on Netflix?
Yes, Alone is available on Netflix.
Is Alone available on Amazon?
Yes, Alone is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Alone available on YouTube?
No, Alone is not available on YouTube.
We’ve also picked apart the gear selections on this show and analyzed the top 10 picks from the Alone gear list.
6. Man vs. Wild
Bear Grylls is one of the most widely recognized names in survival and this show made him a household name. Man vs. Wild aired from 2006 to 2011 on Discovery Channel and frames survival as an adventure, filled with bug eating, action stunts, and re-enactments.
Man vs. Wild is one of the earlier and most popular of Bear Grylls’ shows. Like most of Bear’s shows, it gets mixed reviews from the survivalist community. No one can deny, however, the exposure that Man vs. Wild has given survivalism.
Is Man vs. Wild available on Netflix?
Yes, Man vs. Wild is on Netflix (With Sunny Leone hosting).
Is Man vs. Wild available on Amazon?
Yes, Man vs. Wild is available to stream on Amazon Prime
Is Man vs. Wild available on YouTube?
No, Man vs. Wild is not available on YouTube.
7. Marooned
Ed Stafford was the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River, so they gave him a TV show. Marooned is known for Ed going without his clothes to demonstrate his survival skills. Since the show started showing in 2013 on Discovery Channel, he has chosen to put on some clothes while filming to make it less of a ‘shock factor’ and more of an educational show.
Ed attempts to survive 60 days in remote locations with very little equipment. This highlights his resourcefulness pretty well.
Is Marooned available on Netflix?
No, Marooned is not available on Netflix.
Is Marooned available on Amazon?
Yes, Marooned is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Marooned available on YouTube?
No, Marooned is not available on YouTube.
8. Man, Woman, Wild
Mykel Hawke Pierce may not be a household name, but he is well known in the survival community. His pairing with Ruth England, his wife, is pretty good and provides some quality entertainment without as much drama as you might expect. The show aired from 2010 to 2012 on Discovery Channel.
Mykel is former Special Forces with the US Army and it shows in his approach to survival. They chose to end the show because they claimed it was too hard on them and their family.
Is Man, Woman, Wild available on Netflix?
No, Man, Woman, Wild is not available on Netflix.
Is Man, Woman, Wild available on Amazon?
Yes, Man, Woman, Wild is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Man, Woman, Wild available on YouTube?
No, Man, Woman, Wild is not available on YouTube.
9. Ray Mears’ Bushcraft
Ray Mears is another mainstay in the survivalist community and specializes in bushcraft. The aptly named show only lasted from 2004-2005 on BBC and Discovery Channel but allowed Ray to show off many of his skills.
Ray has had many shows over the years, and Bushcraft was not the first. IMDb credits him with 32 appearances since 1997, so he is no stranger to the limelight.
Is Ray Mears’ Bushcraft available on Netflix?
No, Ray Mears’ Bushcraft is not available on Netflix.
Is Ray Mears’ Bushcraft available on Amazon?
No, Ray Mears’ Bushcraft is not available on Amazon Prime.
Is Ray Mears’ Bushcraft available on YouTube?
Yes, Ray Mears’ Bushcraft can be found on YouTube.
10. Dude, You’re Screwed
Take a group of five Special Forces and survivalist guys, and have them play a game where one gets kidnapped by the others and dropped in an unknown remote location. The ‘screwed dude’ has 100 hours to get out or they lose the game while the other four provide commentary. Call the series “Dude, You’re Screwed” and you have an entertaining show.
The show has been airing on the Discovery Channel since 2013 and provides a good blend of entertainment and information.
Is Dude, You’re Screwed available on Netflix?
No, Dude, You’re Screwed is not available on Netflix.
Is Dude, You’re Screwed available on Amazon?
Yes, Dude, You’re Screwed is available streaming on Amazon Prime.
Is Dude, You’re Screwed available on YouTube?
No, Dude, You’re Screwed is not available on YouTube.
11. Primal Survivor
Hazen Audel takes on some treacherous challenges in this show. He uniquely pairs his survival skills with the local’s knowledge to navigate the Artic Circle, survive jungle treks, and cross crocodile-infested water. Since 2016 he has been traveling the world followed by National Geographic film crews. He has learned from natives in Indonesia, Panama, Nepal, and Tanzania to name a few.
Is Primal Survivor available on Netflix?
No, Primal Survivor is not available on Netflix.
Is Primal Survivor available on Amazon?
Yes, Primal Survivor is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Primal Survivor available on YouTube?
Yes, most episodes can be found on YouTube.
12. Lost Survivors
Mykel and Ruth join forces again with pretty much the same format as Man, Woman, Wild. They are a little older and accustomed to the cameras in this series. The main twist is that they are somehow not clued into what locations they are being dropped off in. It has been shown on the Travel Channel since 2013.
Is Lost Survivors available on Netflix?
No, Lost Survivors is not available on Netflix.
Is Lost Survivors available on Amazon?
No, Lost Survivors is not available on Amazon Prime.
Is Lost Survivors available on YouTube?
Yes, some episodes are available on YouTube.
13. Outlast
Outlast is very much a different show than Alone. Without any rules in place, contestants resort to dirty tricks and sabotage to try to win the prize money. It garnered a negative reaction because most viewers expected a traditional survival show.
I thought it was interesting how people chose to behave, and think that it did an excellent job exploring beyond just survival skills- human motivation, greed, and betrayal.
Is Outlast available on Netflix?
Yes, Outlast is available on Netflix.
Is Outlast available on Amazon?
No, Outlast is not available on Amazon Prime.
Is Outlast available on YouTube?
No, Outlast is not available on YouTube.
14. Fat Guys in the Woods
Creek Stewart puts his survival skills on display in my backyard, the Appalachian Mountains. The show spanned from 2014 to 2015. Lucky groups are brought in by Creek to be taught primitive survival skills for an entire week. The teacher-student aspect of this show makes it very educational and great for picking up tips or new skills.
Is Fat Guys in the Woods available on Netflix?
No, Fat Guys in the Woods is not available on Netflix.
Is Fat Guys in the Woods available on Amazon?
No, Fat Guys in the Woods is not available on Amazon Prime.
Is Fat Guys in the Woods available on YouTube?
Yes, most episodes of Fat Guys in the Woods can be found on YouTube.
15. The Island with Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls returns to the list for his second and final time. He stars as a host and the series follows a group of British survivalists that are dropped in remote areas with minimal gear. The show still airs on Channel 4 and was launched in 2014.
Is The Island with Bear Grylls available on Netflix?
No, The Island with Bear Grylls is not available on Netflix.
Is The Island with Bear Grylls available on Amazon?
Yes, The Island with Bear Grylls is available streaming on Amazon.
Is The Island with Bear Grylls available on YouTube?
Yes, most episodes of The Island with Bear Grylls are available on YouTube.
16. Extreme Survival
Ray Mears makes it back on the list with one of his earlier shows. Ray goes to Costa Rica, Morocco, Belarus, and New Zealand (among other places) to demonstrate his survival skills. The show aired from 1999 through 2002 on BBC and the Discovery Channel.
Is Extreme Survival available on Netflix?
No, Extreme Survival is not available on Netflix.
Is Extreme Survival available on Amazon?
No, Extreme Survival is not available on Amazon Prime.
Is Extreme Survival available on YouTube?
Yes, most Extreme Survival episodes can be found on YouTube.
17. The Colony
The Colony was an experimental show where ‘colonist’ contestants are dropped off in abandoned areas to rebuild a small society. The show is great at showing group dynamics after an SHTF event, but the production does seem heavy-handed.
Producers introduce traders, marauders, and other post-apocalyptic interventions throughout the series that make the show seem less convincing. Even still, the show is worth watching to see how ingenuity, great survival skills, and resourcefulness can easily be compromised in a group setting.
Is The Colony available on Netflix?
No, The Colony is not available on Netflix.
Is The Colony available on Amazon?
Yes, The Colony is available streaming on Amazon.
Is The Colony available on YouTube?
No, The Colony is not available on YouTube.
18. Out of the Wild
In 2008, Discovery Channel thought it would be a good idea to drop four groups of ordinary people in the Alaskan wilderness to see if they could survive for three months. The volunteers were easily out of their element but seemed eager to learn.
Is Out of the Wild available on Netflix?
No, Out of the Wild is not available on Netflix.
Is Out of the Wild available on Amazon?
Yes, Out of the Wild is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Out of the Wild available on YouTube?
No, Out of the Wild is not available on YouTube.
19. Doomsday Castle
What is better than a medieval castle to survive the apocalypse? Not much, according to this North Carolina family that let National Geographic document their preparations for an EMP.
The castle itself is a labor of love by the patriarch of the family and a project for almost two decades. He enlists the help of his five grown kids where, naturally, infighting and power struggles affect their progress.
Is Doomsday Castle available on Netflix?
No, Doomsday Castle is not available on Netflix
Is Doomsday Castle available on Amazon?
Yes, Doomsday Castle is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Doomsday Castle available on YouTube?
No, Doomsday Castles is not available on YouTube.
20. You vs. Wild
Bear Grylls is at it again, but instead of guiding and coaching celebrities in survival situations, this show leverages the Netflix ‘Choose Your Adventure’ feature where the viewer picks what happens.
This originally was used in a Black Mirror episode but has since found its way into more Netflix shows. It’s a bit cheesy but I have to admit it is entertaining, especially if you are watching it and making decisions with other people.
Is You vs. Wild available on Netflix?
Yes, You vs. Wild is available on Netflix.
Is You vs. Wild available on Amazon?
No, You vs. Wild is not available on Amazon.
Is You vs. Wild available on YouTube?
No, You vs. Wild is not available on YouTube.
21. Bushcraft Build-Off
A seven-day challenge where bushcrafters compete against each other in a different challenge in each episode. There was only one season in 2017 with six total episodes, so the build-off was short-lived but easy to binge-watch.
Is Bushcraft Build-Off available on Netflix?
No, Bushcraft Build-Off is not available on Netflix.
Is Bushcraft Build-Off available on Amazon?
Yes, Bushcraft Build-Off is available to stream on Amazon.
Is Bushcraft Build-Off available on YouTube?
No, Bushcraft Build-Off is not available on YouTube.
22. Southern Survival
Southern Survival is a show featuring the crew from Battlbox testing out all sorts of survival and outdoor gear. Battlbox is the top survival subscription box, so you may have already heard of it or heard of this show.
These characters make it interesting, since watching a whole season of gear reviews may seem monotonous. It was released in 2020 and has 8 episodes with about a 30-minute runtime each, so they are easy to queue up as you feel like watching.
Is Southern Survival available on Netflix?
Yes, Southern Survival is available on Netflix.
Is Southern Survival available on Amazon?
No, Southern Survival is not available on Amazon.
Is Southern Survival available on YouTube?
No, Southern Survival is not available on YouTube but here is the Netflix trailer:
Survival Shows on Netflix
A few years ago, Netflix had a wide selection of survival shows. Many of the shows listed above were once available on Netflix, but they don’t buy rights for the shows forever. They have let many of the popular survival and prepping shows lapse, so there is not a large library of survival shows available.
Instead, Netflix is focused on developing original content. You can find quite a few survival movies made on Netflix. Unfortunately, these are mostly fiction. There are some pretty entertaining options, but not as much to learn from these made-up scenarios.
In recent years, though, Netflix has picked up some powerhouses and made some original content TV, including:
The Final Word
Television does not have to be a drain on your brainpower. There are plenty of educational shows, especially with prepping and survival topics. You can learn a good deal on the couch, and as a matter of fact- we have listed out plenty of other things you can learn too! Check out 9 Survival Skills You Can Learn Sitting on Your Couch.
Do not let all the prepping TV shows keep you planted on the couch, though! Be sure to get out there and try new things you learn. Preparedness skills and survival gear are not worth a damn without some practice.
Here are some reads our subscribers have found helpful:
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
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