I Shouldn't Be Alive

Surviving a shark feeding frenzy is nearly impossible with dementia-plagued shipmates sacrificially chumming up the Atlantic, but the remaining castaways chronicled in I Shouldn't Be Alive have little choice. And that is only one of the many disasters in this exciting new series in which living through adventures gone awry is the goal. Survivors rehash events that brought their lives to the brink of death, tested their endurance, and, in some cases, forced them to watch while others kicked it. Dramatically reenacted and assisted by CGI, Alive doesn't skimp on the details, even if they drudge up painful memories of the deceased. The determination to live doubles as an inspiration to a group of viewers who could use a motivational kick in the ass (it's Friday night, for fuck's sake), and these self-preservationists get to share their heroism with other non-fictional champions like firemen and G.I. Joe. Still, like other Discovery Channel programming, there's a distinct feeling that you're being tricked into learning. But if that lesson involves how to fend off a jaguar attack, then you can add it to our class schedule.