Survivor, Life Below Zero, and Survivorman are the best TV shows similar to Alone, the 2015 TV series that depicts survival in the wild in absolute isolation. Alone is a reality TV documentary with 92 episodes that has ten participants going out into the wild, each competing on their own to survive for a reward of $500,000 in cash. Equipped with only a backpack of supplies, food and shelter must be acquired while filming self and fighting off predators.
The survival tactics necessary combining with the harsh living conditions seem to exert participants beyond their limits. As the expedition continues, the toll of isolation is evident in the participant’s emotional and mental well-being. The top cast includes Nicole Apelian, David, and Desmond, all acting like themselves, and Dan, the Survival Instructor.
Survivor
The 2000 TV series takes 16 Americans into a remotely located area. They are set out with minimal supplies. What starts as a joint quest to survive turns into an individualistic competition of who can survive the longest and take home the prize money of 1 million dollars.
In between, there are physically straining challenges where winners get access to little luxuries like a phone call home or immunity, meaning they cannot be voted off the island that week. The survival aspect and prize money concept make the reality show similar to Alone.
Survivor was created by Charlie Parsons and features Jeff Probst – the Host, Rob Mariano – the Mentor, Parvati Shallow—Rarotonga Tribe, Rupert Boneham—Heroes Tribe, and Jerri Manthey—Villains Tribe, plus others. The series sees different Directors for a couple of episodes, with 31 episodes directed by Michael Simon. It has a total of 600 episodes. It has won 7 Primetime Emmys, 43 other awards, and 127 nominations.
Life Below Zero
The 2013 TV series is a story of survival struggles experienced in the freezing temperatures of Alaska where the slightest mistake could be putting your life at risk. The harsh circumstances under which one must survive draws its similarity to Alone.
The reality TV documentary is narrated by James Franzo and top cast members, with over 100 episodes under their sleeves, are Sue Aikens (134 episodes), Agnes Hailstone (133 episodes), and Chip Hailstone (129 episodes). Life Below Zero has a total of 178 episodes and has won 5 Primetime Emmys, 5 other awards, and 6 nominations.
Survivorman
Lack of resources and a life of solitude makes the 2005 TV series featuring Les Stroud similar to Alone. He has no freshwater, food, or shelter and must fend for himself to survive on his own in the wilderness and through diverse climates for ten consecutive days. He places himself in unique situations that will undoubtedly require some advanced skills to get out alive. All the while, he has to film himself.
Survivorman is created by Les Stroud and has 57 episodes in total, aired in 5 seasons. The documentary has won 1 award and 8 nominations. Other key cast members include Todd Standing – the Bigfoot Expert, Sam Omik – the Inuit Hunter, and Logan Stroud. It is listed on The Greatest TV Shows of All Time—ranking #734 of 2079. It ranks #1 of 51 on The Best Survival TV Shows and ranks at #36 of 66 on The Best Educational Television Shows.
Out of the Wild: Venezuela
The 2008 reality TV series brings nine regular Americans together to combine efforts, divide limited supplies, and travel sixty miles over the brutal wilderness together. The group has minimal survival experience and is flown to a remote point of the southern frontier and abandoned there. While there is no prize money and one is not alone, the wilderness and harsh survival conditions bear similarity with Alone.
Out of the Wild: Venezuela is narrated by Mocean Melvin and Produced by Craig Piligian, Edward Barbini, Adam Briles, and Tim Pastore. The show has a total of 16 episodes, released in 2 seasons.
Win the Wilderness
The 2020 survival series takes 6 British couples to the Alaskan wilderness to compete against each other for the prize—inheriting a breath-taking three-story house remotely located, guest cabin, greenhouse, and airstrip. The current property owners, Duane and Rena Ores are in their 70’s and no longer capable of maintaining the place, hence their decision to bequeath it to the most deserving winners. The series is similar to Alone in that it involves a competition of survival and has a reward for the winner.
Win the Wilderness has 6 episodes in total and is narrated by Nicholas Tennant. The music is by Christopher White and the Producers vary, mostly cover six episodes each. These include Daniel Adamson, Chris Atteshlis, Adrian Bell, and Warren Atkins, plus a few others. Additionally, directors cover six episodes each and these include Ben Archard, James Callum, Greg Lander Williams, and Mark Challender, among a few others.
You vs. Wild
The 2019 reality Tv adventure series is interactive and lets you decide what happens to Bear Grylls, helping him complete his mission and ensuring his survival despite some of the harshest environments. You achieve this with a click of a button on your television remote, allowing you to pick one of two options. The show’s theme of survival in isolation resembles those in Alone.
You vs. Wild is created by Robert Buchta, Bear Grylls, and Delbert Shoopman, and has 9 episodes. The series has been nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy and 2 other nominations.
Survive This
The 2009 adventure series is a reality TV show filled with action. We experience 8 teenagers in the wilderness trying to survive. We see them go through the woods and river scenarios and engage in search and rescue missions. This opens up many opportunities for the teens with new discoveries. Some realize they have potential they had never tapped. It is similar to Alone in its setting in the wilderness. Another similarity is the need to possess survival skills.
Survive This is created by Les Stroud and has 26 episodes. Cast members include Holden Adams, Adam Deganis, Becca Mehaffey, Becky Tran, and a few others. It is listed on The Best Survival TV Shows – ranking #17 of 51.
Dual Survival
The 2010 TV series is a story of two trained survival experts with varying skills, finding their way out of what could be real-life scenarios with minimal gear that one would realistically find themselves with. Cody Lundin is a naturalist and Dave Canterbury is military-trained. Together, they must combine their skills to stay alive in challenging surroundings, a similarity witnessed in Alone.
Dual Survival has 90 episodes and is narrated by Paul Christie. Other cast members include Joe Teti, Grady Powell, Matt Graham, and Bill McConnell, all of who feature in at least 10 episodes or more. Executive Producers are Charlie Corwin, Tim Pastore, and Jay Peterson. It is listed on The Best Survival TV Shows and ranks #4 of 51.
Naked and Afraid
The 2013 reality television series is a show involving two strangers of the opposite sex, meeting for the first time, stark naked, with no supplies or clothes. The couples are expected to go beyond their varying egos, personalities, and individualistic opinions to learn how to survive some of the most perilous environments, fight off preying wildlife, and find food. This series and Alone are similar in the harsh environments that they provide participants, the world’s dangers, and necessary survival.
Naked and Afraid has 162 episodes and was nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys and 6 other nominations. The series is narrated by Michael Brown, Among the top cast members are survivalists Amanda Kaye, Laura Zerra, E.J. Snyder, and Matt Wright. Mathilde Bittner was the Executive Producer for 6 episodes and David Story produced 5 episodes. Among the Directors of the series are Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir. It is listed on The Best Reality TV Shows Ever – ranking at #87 of 294.
Mountain Men
The 2012 reality TV series shows us the lives of three men Tom Oar, Marty Meierotto, and Eustace Conway, who have opted to live a life of solitude in the wilderness away from modern civilization.
They embrace everything nature has to throw at them; from ravaging weather, mudslides, unforgiving terrain, hungry animals, and falling trees to obtain food to eat and get supplies to keep them warm during the brutal winter in the rugged mountains. The series similarity to Alone is the living in the wilderness, living a frugal life, and the survival techniques that are required.
Mountain Men has won 3 awards and has 140 episodes. D.B. Sweeney narrates the series. Other cast members, the Mountain Men, include Rich Lewis, Morgan Beasley, Jason Hawk, Kyle Bell, and Charlie Tucker. The series has had several Directors including, David Arabia, Mason Gertz, and Randy Wimberg.
The Island
Life on an uninhabited Pacific Island depicts the true definition of remotely located. Bear Grylls takes a group of British participants to this island, where they have to survive with next to no tools, no change of clothing, and only cameras to film themselves. They have to survive for the next six weeks. The 2014 story of survival draws similarity to Alone.
The Island has 44 episodes which are broken down into 6 seasons over a 6-year timespan. The series, directed by Rupert Smith, Matt Bennett, and Dan Etheridge has won 2 awards. Additional cast members include Belinda Fenty, Georgina Burrell, Ross Blair, Beth Brown, Sam Brown, and Dam Campion. Delbert Shoopman and Bear Grylls are the Executive Producers.
Ultimate Survival Alaska
The 2013 reality television series is a grizzly experience of some of the toughest terrains and circumstances in the midst of the Alaskan wilderness. Competition participants are extreme survivalists, including military veterans, woodsmen, endurance athletes, and mountaineers. Like Alone, the prize is survival after having to fight off antagonistic predators, glaciated river valleys, barren ridge-lines, changing hazardous weather, battling with hunger, and embracing high mountain peaks.
Ultimate Survival Alaska has 38 episodes. Among its cast members are Grady Powell, Tyler Johnson, Marty Raney, and Sean Burch. Pat Duke is the series narrator, Robert Palumbo the Executive Producer, and Aaron Walton the Line Producer. Adventure Directors include Michael Overcast, Sean Janes, Michael Welch, and Sebastian Pot.
Frontier House
The 2002 mini television series is a reality television show based on the olden times, 1883. It brings three modern families together to battle the challenges of natural calamities, like forest fires, blizzards, the scorching sun, hunger pangs, and yes, even neighbors.
The series takes us on a journey through the American Frontier as each family gathers survival skills while combining their knowledge and expertise to survive. The harsh living conditions and challenges experienced in this series bear many similarities to Alone.
Frontier House only has 1 season with 6 episodes. The series was nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy and 2 other nominations. It features a cast that includes the Brooks Family – Rudy, Nate, and Kristen, the Clune Family – Adrienne, Aine, Conor, Justin, Gordon, and Tracy, the Glenn’s – Mark and Karen, and the Patton’s – Logan and Erinn. Kathryne Walker is the Narrator, with Maro Chermayeff and Nicolas Brown as Directors.
Face the Wild
The 2018 TV series featuring Bear Grylls takes us on a journey into the wilderness with ten of his fans. These select few were chosen out of more than 500,000 submissions in an open video call application process. Grylls pushes participants out of their comfort zones as they share their experiences on this adventure in the wild. Discovering one’s limits bears similarity to the skills seen in Alone.
Face the Wild has 10 episodes and features Jonathon Blank and Paige Beeman alongside Grylls. The show is listed on The Best Shows on Facebook Watch –ranking #28 out of 38, The Most Exciting Reality Shows Ever Made – ranking #36 of 74, and The Best Reality TV Shows Ever – ranking #133 out of 294.
Mission Survive
The 2015 reality television series features Bear Grylls. Here, he takes eight participants into the most compelling rainforests in Central America. The participants are well-known celebrities and the target is to complete a 12-day survival undertaking. This includes eating naturally found food, building shelters, navigating through tough terrain, making fires, and doing anything it takes to survive, making the series similar to Alone.
Mission Survive was created by Delbert Shopman and features Survival Expert Megan Hine alongside Grylls. Other cast members include Jamelia, Kelly Holmes, and Vogue Williams. Sheridan Smith is the series’ Narrator together with Elizabeth Carling. The series was directed by Tom Hutchings, Louisa Gray, and Robin Trump. It received 1 nomination and has 12 episodes in total.
Running Wild
British adventurer Bear Grylls takes top-notch celebrities on wild, exhilarating outdoor adventures. The reality television series has seen celebrities like Kate Winslet and Roger Federer pushed out of their comfort zones to explore new limits of survival in the wild. Like Alone, this series similarly offers challenging living conditions and the pursuit of survival.
Running Wild has 51 episodes depicted in 6 seasons. Delbert Shoopman is the Creator and Executive Producer behind the series, which features Channing Tatum, Tom Arnold, Bobby Bones and Zac Efron. It is directed by Ben Simms.