Bassich is a horrible person, mean, ugly and rude to the women. No one should be allowed to profit from being so rude. No excuse for it!
116 Reviews
Get rid of Andy Bassich!
cassespinoza25 February 2020
Except for arrogant Sue my wife and I both enjoy
newsmandied17 December 2017
I always fast forward past the always-arrogant Sue as she climbs on the roof and says she's food for the grizzlies. What a bunch of made up drama. The others are very enjoyable....especially Agnes and her husband and kids.
If you don't like the show don't watch it.
smithpie28 April 2017
I am not a hunter and live in suburbia like most of us. This show allows me a glimpse into the lives of people that have chosen a different life and I enjoy this a lot. I am disappointed by some of the other reviews that (mostly) incorrectly portray information as factual this more opinion based. The use of profanity, I think, is understandable when failure of equipment or to complete a task has potentially catastrophic side-effects. It's very different for us if the vacuum cleaner stops working. Much more of an inconvenience - no real harm done.
If you enjoy looking at wonderful arctic/sub-arctic scenery, are open to the choices and transitions of others and can put up with the repetitive editing style, then this is a show you should thoroughly enjoy.
If you enjoy looking at wonderful arctic/sub-arctic scenery, are open to the choices and transitions of others and can put up with the repetitive editing style, then this is a show you should thoroughly enjoy.
Editing is tough to watch , Chip and Agnes rock!
nickatnights200222 October 2015
I agree with the person who earlier wrote about the editing of the show. It would be better if they didn't recap every time they cut back to a camp or a family. The fact that this is a reality show should be enough. Some of the editing of the hunting sequences where they don't even try to make it look more real ie they show Sue with an AR hunting and then the next scene she has a bolt action rifle or a shotgun same thing with the other families. If they would try a little harder it would allow us to have more footage, which we know they have, of the people's lives and less of recaps and silly mistakes made by the editors like the type of trap they're setting one time is a Conibear the next scene in the same set it's a jaw trap come on folks.This show is so very interesting and informative. The Halestones are such a refreshing sight to see ,a Mother and Father teaching skills passed down over the years to their kids at the same time dealing with the reality of the modern electronic age. Sue is so great dealing with her fears and set backs and always moving forward. Eric I have no problem with. He is just earning a living while helping with the conservation of the land by harvesting fur legally in such a manner as to control populations of fur bearing critters. the show Would be a 10 if not for the producers and Editors mucking it up at times. Oh and 1 more thing,Chandler being naked every time possible is so funny.God bless the cast and the crews shooting them.
Give me a freaking break
yfi-3168024 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I love the show and will probably watch it forever,but give me a freaking break.please don't take bits and pieces of other episodes, put them together,call the episode a new name and add a new date to it.with as much footage as you producers have,you should have enough to make a new episode.don't be jerks.don't get me wrong.I love the show.
Love of the show, the people and Alaska
mark-ncpilot19 August 2013
I love the whole show and admire these people. Sue Aikens is tough and a very good philosopher. It takes a special person to live like Sue and Erik. Andy and Kate and the Hailstones are separate teams. All are to be admired. I have been to Alaska twice, but never in these places or conditions. I love Alaska. I like to think I could also survive as these and many others who live there, but my age is against me now. I would still like to give it a try though. I used to think that if I had the money to get started, I would do it anyway, but my wife's health would not tolerate the conditions. This type of show is what should be on television instead of all the stupid pointless comedy and drama shows that promote violence and unrealistic life.
Great show but ...
racheyroxrs2 July 2017
I am addicted to this show but I have to take breaks. Not because of the cast, but the close ups between scenes coupled with the music almost seems like the director and editors are trying to portray these incredible, brave and admirable people as demented cooks. Why all of the creepy sound effects and music???? It almost ruins it for me. I love the Hailstones. Every cast member is individually awesome but something about the native point of view and them being a family with children is so intriguing to watch.
Good reality show
wsv-2903622 August 2020
Am I the only one who can't stand listening to Andy being so impatient with his wife? My goodness... she puts up with a lot from him. He talks about life in the suburbs as though it's beneath him and that "one can't truly know themselves until they live out in the bush". My guess... Andy isn't very good with other people and he cannot function in society. Anyway, the rest of the show is pretty good, looks realistic and it's really about a lifestyle choice. Living in the city versus out in the bush isn't about one being better than the other, it's about what each of us wants out of life. I suspect a couple of the other people on this show are living so far from society is that like Andy, they find that type of life too stressful as well.
Possibly interesting, but so badly edited
sami-279503 October 2020
The show continuously spends time showing maps and distances. It keeps showing people saying things they've said over and over. It keeps showing same scenes over and over from previous seasons.
One would think they'd have enough material for a season if they push them out two per year(?), but clearly not. There's Sue pouring bleach on buildings, a scene we saw one or two seasons before. There's a guy putting poles into the ground for dogs, for the third time. All the time recycling the exact scenes they've already shown.
So you'll never know what year anything was filmed, if they have any relation to the next scene etc.
And we know where they are. We don't care about exact locations every single time. If we are watching this and it's seventh episode of the season, not to mention the 11th season, we might already know where they are.
So just show new content. Show the map as a small thing in the corner. And don't show the same silly babbles every time.
One would think they'd have enough material for a season if they push them out two per year(?), but clearly not. There's Sue pouring bleach on buildings, a scene we saw one or two seasons before. There's a guy putting poles into the ground for dogs, for the third time. All the time recycling the exact scenes they've already shown.
So you'll never know what year anything was filmed, if they have any relation to the next scene etc.
And we know where they are. We don't care about exact locations every single time. If we are watching this and it's seventh episode of the season, not to mention the 11th season, we might already know where they are.
So just show new content. Show the map as a small thing in the corner. And don't show the same silly babbles every time.
My Favorite out of 3
treeguy71021 November 2013
I really look forward every week for this show, among my other dramas and comedies and such. But Life Below Zero, is one of my top 5 of the week. I compare it to two other shows which both happen to end with "Men", and this is BY FAR my favorite. out of 3. I am always rewinding and sometimes it takes me 2 hours to watch an episode. Please keep this show on. Thank you. 10 out of 10!!! This is one those shows that can take you away from what is going on in your life as of now. So some one could label it a fantasy-reality documentary-drama. When I sit back and dream of getting away from it all, this all, I see myself going and living a life like the Bassich couple, a lot of work but that is what keeps them, & everyone, warm. Remember it's life below zero.
Not self sufficient
davidzana12 October 2021
Im so tired of Sue pretending how dangerous her living is, and how self sufficient she is. She lives on a treeless prairie. A wolverine is not a predator to humans. Lone wolves do not attack humans. She has 90 percent of her food delivered. 100 percent of her heat and electricity are deliered by fuel planes. I live in suburbia. I chop wood for use in a woodburner, and have a large garden as well as hunt deer. Im more self sufficient than her. Lol. She doesnt even walk anywhere..even to hunt. She rides her ATV everywhere. Where i come from, ATVs are not permitted to hunt, and the geography is mountainous and heavily wooded. She rides up and shoots a caribou and paintsca door, and repeats what a hard life it is. Hilarious.
Mixed feelings
wildersteele25 December 2019
First the cast... I'm a huge fan of Agnes and Chip and their family. I could just watch a show about them. Love skills respect and Enthusiasm... love them! Andy has a lot of knowledge and impressive skills but he's like a little kid with a temper when things don't go well and that gets old fast. His x-wife seemed lazy and uninterested. You'd think being out there for a while she'd have some skills to share too but she really didn't. Andy wasn't nice to her but pressure and stress of having all the major stuff on your shoulders can make you a jerk. No excuse for how snappy he was but she really walked around like a kid waiting for instructions. I like Sue a lot - she's certainly a character that can be funny and enjoyable but she really creates her own drama and it feels sometimes like she's making it up as she goes. Again that gets old fast. I really didn't like Erik - there's something really off about him. I enjoy Glenn but man that guy talks and talks and talks for a person who's there for the quiet lol I feel like he's explaining things to young children. All in all I keep watching because I'm learning stuff here and there. One annoying thing... you're not north or south of the arctic circle - you're inside or below. A person lives 62 miles inside the attic circle not 62 miles north of the arctic circle. 🙄
ABUSE
mickeyray-433907 September 2018
My Dessert of tv shows!!!!
aj-7948113 November 2019
I never miss an episode of this show, it's survival of the fittest and all of the stars of this show are real survivors; I love them all. I learn so much from watching this show and the commitment each individual has for survival. This show is better watching than any so called Oscar winning movie!, it's real living, no acting a part!!!! I hope this series continues for life!!!!!
Chip and Agnes Show
joeblevins28 April 2020
Chip and Agnes are the only ones actually interesting as a family. All the others choose to be odd balls, but Chip and Agnes are doing this for their family. They are kind and respectful of each other. At no point do they belittle anyone.
Sue just needs to shake the fake!
mainleyadam23 December 2020
Sue Aikens relentlessly pretends like her survival depends on hunting fresh game and living off the bounty that the land provides. This is just absolutely laughable and insulting. Let me take a step back, I love this show and the major majority of the cast members. There are people like the Hailstones that utilize everything they harvest, repurpose ,consume, and make no exception to do otherwise. These people truely live a subsistence lifestyle. They have my utmost respect, not that it even really matters to them because they are leaps and bounds beyond me, but they do.
Now, we have Sue "Narcissist" Aikens. I've pretty much wore out the mute button on my remote when she starts flapping her tireless jaws. Unlike everyone else in the show she gets regular deliveries of fuel, food, and countless other items she may request via airplane. The most insulting episode was when sue had to empty the contents of i think three deep freezers into a river which looked to mainley consist of cryovac meat from costco and largely commercially acquired food stemming from a life threating collar bone accident.
And furthermore, sue put down your guns you dont need to hunt anyway and all you do is wound animals. Shooting off their antlers, tail, lips, hooves it's a joke and so is everything that comes out of your mouth. Quit pretending like you can even hold a candle to what everyone else can do in the show. I dont criticize many people as I am FAR from perfect but sue is something i really feel I need to comment on. 😁
Best Antidote to the Heat
mathmaniac15 June 2017
In the midst of a snowy winter, I like to kick back and watch 'Miami Vice' (the movie).
In the midst of a hot summer: I discovered "Life Below Zero.' It's just so cold in Alaska! These people work so hard in Alaska! Makes me want to lie down with a big fat pillow while I watch this series.
The stories from these people's lives have little plot. Really, if you love dogs, you don't have to watch much other than the segments about the dogs to love these stories.
So much time is spent gutting dead animals and fish. Eventually, the viewer must realize that the camera records this so much because there is a point to be made: these people living out in the Alaskan wilds are spending a lot of time of energy on gutting dead animals and fish. Imagine how satisfying that must be. Or boring. That is where the fans of the show are separated from those who turn away.
These people cook a lot. They kill a lot - they cook a lot. It does not take long to be engaged in thought about where YOUR meat comes from and who killed it. Then, how a food company processed it for your use. Simply putting some brains in some fat looks natural and healthy after you've seen the brains pulled out of an animal's skull.
You will see plenty of things pulled out of plenty of places. Reminiscent of some medical dramas!
The cinematography award won by this series at the Primetime Emmys was well-deserved. You will be under the ice - and never get wet. You will be faced with the rising river chock-full of ice floes. And never get wet.
This is an addictive series. Plan to watch many many hours.
In the midst of a hot summer: I discovered "Life Below Zero.' It's just so cold in Alaska! These people work so hard in Alaska! Makes me want to lie down with a big fat pillow while I watch this series.
The stories from these people's lives have little plot. Really, if you love dogs, you don't have to watch much other than the segments about the dogs to love these stories.
So much time is spent gutting dead animals and fish. Eventually, the viewer must realize that the camera records this so much because there is a point to be made: these people living out in the Alaskan wilds are spending a lot of time of energy on gutting dead animals and fish. Imagine how satisfying that must be. Or boring. That is where the fans of the show are separated from those who turn away.
These people cook a lot. They kill a lot - they cook a lot. It does not take long to be engaged in thought about where YOUR meat comes from and who killed it. Then, how a food company processed it for your use. Simply putting some brains in some fat looks natural and healthy after you've seen the brains pulled out of an animal's skull.
You will see plenty of things pulled out of plenty of places. Reminiscent of some medical dramas!
The cinematography award won by this series at the Primetime Emmys was well-deserved. You will be under the ice - and never get wet. You will be faced with the rising river chock-full of ice floes. And never get wet.
This is an addictive series. Plan to watch many many hours.
It Is What It Is
leafs_rule-916 February 2019
You can rate this either way up or way down. Fact is it isn't that bad. Annoying characters? Yeah. Some. But we deal with those in real life daily. Sometimes in the same home so it adds to the reality then doesn't it? Scenery is amazing. Truly. Editing can be considered rough but seems to be geared towards someone opening the episode without ever having seen the beginning. I watch this with my kids and there is a lot to be learned from watching these families and individuals deal with their lives. Considering how popular garbage surrounding the Kardashians is or even back with the Jersey Shore tools, this show is definitely a win. And I mean c'mon, how many people do you know with a pet fox? That's worth something.
Great concept, a few lousy subjects
randeeshields22 October 2017
This is a really entertaining show and my husband and I have binge watched the whole series in the last week. It's been great entertainment while we have a newborn at home. We love the concept and watching the real life goals for people living in the wilderness.
That being said, a few of the subjects are hard to watch.
Firstly, Andy is an abusive jerk. Laughing at Kate's pain after smashing her hands and blaming his stupid screw ups on her. It was disappointing to see him return to the show.
Sue Aikens is so dang annoying. She brags constantly and talks about herself in the most self-righteous tone and verbiage, it's so hard to watch her segments. She talks about every little thing as if it's life and death and then how strong she views herself for conquering it. She's the only person on the show that has consistent electricity, doesn't use firewood or fire of any kind, has food from the grocery store frequently, and yet she brags more than anyone else about her subsistence lifestyle. She's also a horrible shot. It may be the editing, but she also has her machinery break down all the time in ways that shouldn't happen if she is consistently maintaining them. She's vulgar, self-righteous, and incredibly annoying. Everything about her and her childish hats make us want to fast forward through her parts of the show. I CANNOT fathom why her face would be the face of the show.
Glenn is the most reliant on the land but frankly he's kind of creepy sometimes. His naked swimming trips don't help that.
Jessie was just a dirty slob that yanked his dogs around with complete disregard for them and fed them atrocious slop. Even Andy was better than him with his dogs.
The Hailstone's and the Salitan's were the best parts of the show and we thoroughly enjoyed their parts. They solidified our desire to travel to Alaska in the next few years.
That being said, a few of the subjects are hard to watch.
Firstly, Andy is an abusive jerk. Laughing at Kate's pain after smashing her hands and blaming his stupid screw ups on her. It was disappointing to see him return to the show.
Sue Aikens is so dang annoying. She brags constantly and talks about herself in the most self-righteous tone and verbiage, it's so hard to watch her segments. She talks about every little thing as if it's life and death and then how strong she views herself for conquering it. She's the only person on the show that has consistent electricity, doesn't use firewood or fire of any kind, has food from the grocery store frequently, and yet she brags more than anyone else about her subsistence lifestyle. She's also a horrible shot. It may be the editing, but she also has her machinery break down all the time in ways that shouldn't happen if she is consistently maintaining them. She's vulgar, self-righteous, and incredibly annoying. Everything about her and her childish hats make us want to fast forward through her parts of the show. I CANNOT fathom why her face would be the face of the show.
Glenn is the most reliant on the land but frankly he's kind of creepy sometimes. His naked swimming trips don't help that.
Jessie was just a dirty slob that yanked his dogs around with complete disregard for them and fed them atrocious slop. Even Andy was better than him with his dogs.
The Hailstone's and the Salitan's were the best parts of the show and we thoroughly enjoyed their parts. They solidified our desire to travel to Alaska in the next few years.
This Is The Life
JoelChamp8517 March 2021
I really want to like it, but much of it is SO contrived
mmdunha10 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The good: the Hailstone family. It has been fun watching them and their girls evolve over the years, and the seem, despite their off show issues, to be decent people.
Glenn was a weirdo, but fun.
The general real feel of the show seems authentic.
The bad: Sue. Del Griffith (John Candy's character in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles) in the flesh and blood. Annoying, self-absorbed, dramatic, completely self-unaware, and the queen of the anecdote, listener be damned. It's been a long time since I have seen a reality TV personaluty as unlikeable as Sue. She's not a survivalist. She's an actress, and a poor one. NatGeo found a middle aged, annoying, fat loudmouth to go live in Alaska and talk about how great she is for 11 years. They should make a show about how they did that. But there is no way she remained that fat and loud and annoying living by herself in Alaska for 11 years. Alaska would teach you to be humble, or at the very least skinny with all the labor and lack of junk food. Not Sue. Andy...wife beater scumbag. Shame, because he seems like he could be a good addition to the show. But I can't watch a scumbag like that. I FF past him and Sue, so I only watch half of the show.
The bad: Sue. Del Griffith (John Candy's character in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles) in the flesh and blood. Annoying, self-absorbed, dramatic, completely self-unaware, and the queen of the anecdote, listener be damned. It's been a long time since I have seen a reality TV personaluty as unlikeable as Sue. She's not a survivalist. She's an actress, and a poor one. NatGeo found a middle aged, annoying, fat loudmouth to go live in Alaska and talk about how great she is for 11 years. They should make a show about how they did that. But there is no way she remained that fat and loud and annoying living by herself in Alaska for 11 years. Alaska would teach you to be humble, or at the very least skinny with all the labor and lack of junk food. Not Sue. Andy...wife beater scumbag. Shame, because he seems like he could be a good addition to the show. But I can't watch a scumbag like that. I FF past him and Sue, so I only watch half of the show.
Beautiful show which gets killed by rated below zero editing
randymcbeast13 June 2015
I so want to like this show but they do everything in their power to make me dislike it. The editing is just awful. They zip around from homestead to homestead every five minutes and every time they do, they flash up how many miles the homestead is from the arctic circle, every time. Why do we need to see this every time? If they compressed the show down and took out the slow motion effects and introductions every time they switch homesteads, there would be about fifteen minutes of interesting footage. I literally get dizzy and frustrated every time they bounce around making it unwatchable.
It's a shame too because the scenery is beautiful and the lives of these people are so interesting to watch. The camera work is first rate as well so it just boils down to the moron editing all of this together. Hey Mr. Editor, you don't have to try that hard. It's reality TV so keep it real. If you do absolutely nothing with it, it would be so much better. Get over yourself, it's not about you and how creative you want to spin it.
It's a shame too because the scenery is beautiful and the lives of these people are so interesting to watch. The camera work is first rate as well so it just boils down to the moron editing all of this together. Hey Mr. Editor, you don't have to try that hard. It's reality TV so keep it real. If you do absolutely nothing with it, it would be so much better. Get over yourself, it's not about you and how creative you want to spin it.
Great show
cwiigglz20 February 2020
Ptarmigan
tdilley-6443820 March 2021
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