Last Man Standing, Tuesday 9pm, BBC3
Posted by Claudia Pattison
Preview rating:
Six intrepid athletes, eight ancient sporting festivals, one victor: this is Last Man Standing in a nutshell. Over the past few weeks we’ve seen the plucky contestants – three Brits and three Americans – try their hand at exotic forms of wrestling, endurance running, stick fighting and kickboxing. Tonight, they’re heading for the Trobiand Islands, near Papua New Guinea, to play cricket. Sounds simple enough – but, as ever in LMS, nothing is quite what it seems.
Originally introduced to the island by British Methodist ministers in the 1930s with the aim of preventing tribal warfare, the sport has been adapted by the locals to include a hefty dollop of magic and a level of intimidation that would make most Westerners run for the hills. Personally, we can’t wait for tonight’s show – especially if it gives likeable-but-puny cricket enthusiast Richard (Little Lord Fauntleroy meets Aled Jones) a chance to shine.
Instead of the testosterone-laden, sweat-soaked, sub-Gladiators gang-bang we were expecting, Last Man Standing has turned out to be a fascinating and thought-provoking documentary series – and its success is due in no small part to the charisma of the contestants. We’re particularly partial to kickboxing Brummie Mark, who’s desperate to make his late father proud, and fitness guru Rajko, who’s got a six-pack you could bounce two pence pieces off.
It sounds as if the contestants are going to have their work cut out in the Trobiand Islands tonight. Still, after last week’s outing to Mongolia, which saw our bravehearts gagging over a pre-contest delicacy of sheep’s testicle soup, extreme cricket’s going to seem like a walk in the park.
Filming for Series 2 is nearly finished and will start broadcasting later this year.
Posted by: genista | 29 May 2008 at 15:32
love this show so much. Rajko is amazing. He's the clear winner in everyone's eyes.
Please please please make a series 2!!!
Posted by: | 27 April 2008 at 15:09
love this show so much. Rajko is amazing. He's the clear winner in everyone's eyes.
Please please please make a series 2!!!
Posted by: | 27 April 2008 at 15:09
We want more! Series 2!
Posted by: Coxy | 21 April 2008 at 07:05
Does any one no if theres goin to be a series 2
Posted by: Sean | 04 March 2008 at 23:32
fantastic show mark was our favourite well done
Posted by: grace | 15 September 2007 at 20:46
fantastic show mark was our favourite well done
Posted by: grace | 15 September 2007 at 20:46
fantastic show mark was our favourite well done
Posted by: grace | 15 September 2007 at 20:45
Im so gutted that the show is over,it left me wanting more! I think all the lads did such a good job and i hope they are all proud of themselves because they deserve to be.xx
Posted by: sarah talbot | 28 August 2007 at 03:19
just like to say how handsome james is ! great body, looks and I love the posh accent.
come get me james !
simon xx
Posted by: si | 24 August 2007 at 11:32
Hey, Mark, wow, you were an inspiration and had me in tears when you mentioned about making your father proud. Im a passionate salsa dancer and would love to get in touch to find out about your experiences on the show and your life off the show. Puedo?
Posted by: Amanda | 22 August 2007 at 15:31
Totally like nothing I would ever watch but what a surprise. Fantastic show with great production and editing! The Brits sure did us proud, but so glad Jason won out in the end he so deserved it his attitude in the fial challenge really proved how far he had travelled.
Posted by: zomboy | 21 August 2007 at 16:10
A great series, much better than I expected. Although I found Jason pretty arrogant at the beginning, he proved that first impressions rarely last. Great that he won. English lads did us proud!
Posted by: Andy S | 15 August 2007 at 00:51
Just watched the final episode. Im so pleased for Jason he really deserved to win, I was rooting for Mark though so a bit gutted he didn't win!
Posted by: Lisa Smith | 14 August 2007 at 23:27
hey its mark here the brummie from last man standing cheers for all your support. It was really hard work making this series but a chance of a life time. Its nice to know that all the hard work has paid off and that you are all enjoying the series
Posted by: Mark Hoban | 06 August 2007 at 12:57
Love it!! Its great to be able to actually watch something with my 2 growing boys that we are both interested in. We love learning about the different cultures and i love feasting my eyes on the beautiful physical specemins of manhood!!! stuck between Raiko and Mark to win
Posted by: Jane | 06 August 2007 at 09:40
the show is brillaint!! jason to win! it was so funny when he had those beetle nuts
Posted by: holly | 05 August 2007 at 20:27
Last Man Standing is wicked i have watched it all the time BBC3 have a top show
Posted by: Jonn-Claude Cooper | 01 August 2007 at 02:26
yeh top show as said before sometimes mind over braun, Jason is an absolute nutter where as rajko and mark the brummie think to win,
Posted by: andy. b | 31 July 2007 at 23:22
i love last man standing but i am very biast as i know rajko and i hope he goes all the way although as long as jason doesnt win i don't mind.
Posted by: emma | 31 July 2007 at 22:42
Yeah a fantastic show that came in under the radar. At first i thought "ok, i can kill some time and watch some matcho rubish", but its great! Is a mental, pysical and spiritural journey for 'em, and i'm always rootin for them when it goes down. Roll on series 2!
Posted by: Ash | 31 July 2007 at 21:03
Agreed - a fascinating programme. It's alot about the mental toughness of athletes, not just physical attributes. Jason is particularly interesting - there's some deep psycho stuff going on there!
Posted by: Ian B | 31 July 2007 at 19:08