INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Is ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Too Fake For A Sixth Season?

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 02:50 PST, Aug 6, 2016

Alaskan Bush People wrapped up its fifth season a few short weeks ago, and yet there’s already speculation that the show was canceled. With very popular shows, fans are often told to expect new episodes before the old season has even ended. If Alaskan Bush People were as beloved by the network as we’ve been led to believe, surely that would mean we can anticipate future episodes, right?

Well, some observers, such as the Morning Ledger, remain skeptical; there’s no news at the moment promising we’ll see more of the Browns on our TVs. There are a few logical reasons why Alaskan Bush People might be canceled, including one that might surprise you.

It’s possible Alaskan Bush People has become too irredeemably fake to be anything other than an embarrassment to the Discovery Channel.

Let’s count the ways Alaskan Bush People was “exposed” in just Season 5.

  • Son Noah Brown’s “date” was revealed by Radar Online to be an actress.
  • Long lost daughter Twila had been in contact with father Billy for years.
  • The Browns and Alaskan Bush People seemingly fudged the truth about the fraud scandal.
  • Multiple news sources, including the Alaska Dispatch-News, claim the Browns routinely left their “isolated” home in the bush.

In addition to the above, the Inquisitr exclusively revealed the Alaskan Bush People cast visited Hawaii during the height of tourism season — something we’d been led to believe the Browns wouldn’t be able to afford due to their wilderness lifestyle and the thousands of dollars owed, per Alaska Dispatch-News, for their fraud conviction. Then there were rumors of a planned boating accident for manufactured suspense.

Unfortunately for Alaskan Bush People, the fifth season’s attempt to move beyond the “Wolf Pack’s” criminal case turned into weekly proof that hardly anything you see on the show is real. Although this is true for most reality TV shows — including the Alaskan ones — some fans desperately wanted Alaskan Bush People to be the exception to the rule.

Because Alaskan Bush People failed to be the exception, the show’s unique charm has unarguably faded. More so than ever, everything associated with the series feels calculated and unapologetically scripted. I don’t even believe the addition of the Mr. Cupcake happened without justifying a potential ratings boost. You can’t be a beloved All-American family without a dog, right?

With viewers skeptical of Alaskan Bush People, the ratings took a noticeable hit. Although viewership held steady for much of the season, the Inquisitr previously reported that those ratings were down from Season 4. Trends don’t support any hopes that peak ratings will ever be replicated. Sadly for Alaskan Bush People, there’s nowhere for the ratings to go but down.

But that doesn’t answer the proposed question: Is Alaskan Bush People suddenly too fake to justify a return in the future? I’m going to have to say no. Even if you hate Alaskan Bush People, it’s not the most scripted reality television show on the air.

Also, Alaskan Bush People is pretty solid entertainment for what it is: a show about a rag-tag group of loveable losers who are determined to live as close to the “pioneer days” as they can while working together to build their homestead in the middle of scenic nowhere. There’s no bad language, gratuitous violence, or pointless sex and nudity. A person of any age can theoretically watch and enjoy Alaskan Bush People.

So then, fakeness and off-camera drama will likely not be what gets Alaskan Bush People canceled. Redundancy and low ratings? Those are most likely to be what brings about the death knell. It doesn’t matter how fake a show like Alaskan Bush People is; if people lovingly tune in, the Discovery Channel will probably overlook just about anything.

Keep an eye on the ratings and I guarantee you, therein lies you answer regarding the future of this show.

But what do you think: Is Alaskan Bush People fake? Is it too fake to justify being brought back for a sixth season? Share your thoughts below!

[Image via the Discovery Channel]

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