Running Wild with Bear Grylls is back with another amazing and enthralling season. Showrunner Bob Butcha set aside some time to share his thoughts about this season’s adventures.
First off, congratulations on a fantastic season of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls”. As usual, there are a lot of memorable moments in the series. Can you pick two of your favorites and explain why?
Two favorite moments from this season:
Benedict Cumberbatch’s grandfather served as a British Royal Navy submarine commander in WW2. At the end of Benedict’s episode, Bear arranged for a British Royal Navy submarine to pick them up for extraction. This was a very powerful moment that brought tears to Benedict’s eyes.
Bradley Cooper showcased his skills acquired from his role in the movie “American Sniper.” He relied on his sniper training to fire a grappling hook launcher across a chasm during a snowstorm. Remarkably, he made the shot on his first try, demonstrating impressive precision and accuracy.
Besides the adventure, there’s a talk show in disguise hiding in there. The celebrities Bear takes under his wing are obviously just as important as the adventure aspect. What’s the process like when deciding who might be a good fit for the show?
It’s a very chaotic process, and every once in a while, we get lucky! Many celebrities want to appear on the show; it has become sort of a rite of passage in Hollywood. However, it often comes down to availability and time. When the stars align (pun intended), we hustle and make it happen!
Keeping on the talk show vibe, there isn’t a single talk show that can compete with “Running Wild” in terms of backdrop. How are locations chosen? Aesthetics over challenge or vice versa?
It’s a bit of both. We try to make sure each season has a variety of environments: snow, jungle, desert. The celebrities often have preferences too, and we try to accommodate them when we can. Benedict was adamant that we film with him in Scotland, even though it was in the dead of winter and very wet and cold because he loves Scotland.
Bear Grylls is very accommodating when it comes to food (sort of) and its always fun/informative watching him patch together a meal. This season features a couple of vegans and some rudimentary haggis making on -the-fly. Are meals decided beforehand or while shooting?
This is also a bit of both – for the vegan guests, we knew ahead of time, and this made finding adequate calories a challenge for Bear, but he’s very resourceful. The haggis was planned in advance to surprise Troy. Often, Bear will catch a critter or stumble across a carcass, and we’ll just roll with it!
I know it’s like choosing a favorite child, but if you had to pick a favorite episode from this season. Which would it be and why?
It is hard to choose, but I must say my favorite episode this season was Tatiana Maslany’s episode, which will be the season finale. She has an incredible childlike curiosity about her but was extremely out of her element! My favorite episodes are always when the guests are really “fish out of water.” She was also very open and emotional in her chats. Tatiana’s episode is so fun and surprising. It was a joy to edit, and it’s even more fun to watch!