Doomsday Preppers: Season 1

Worrying about the end of the world is not only a state of mind; for some it's a full-time occupation. This National Geographic series looks at world-doomsday "preppers," ordinary Americans and Canadians who try to stay alert and ready in order to survive under the radar, making provisions to support their family or community for as long as necessary. Their concerns are legion, including polar shifts, killer earthquakes, solar flares, food shortages, hyperinflation, and even the long dormant Yellowstone "super volcano." Popular activities include stockpiling food, running practice evacuation drills, and learning the art of foraging and setting up of food, fuel, and medicine caches around the countryside. Of course, gun training is a necessity, as most of the subjects fully expect unprepared "marauders" to come after their supplies. Making one's house secure against incoming gunfire can also be a plus. Other topics include using alcoholic beverages to barter for food, living on the road using a big rig, underground bunkers, having a well-stocked "bug out" bag, and working out a backup plan if the first course of action fails. Each segment includes an "expert" assessment of the family's survival plan, an update, and the odds of whether the doomsday scenario may actually come to pass. Anxiety in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown seems to be the key event shaping most preppers' worldview. Some of the details here may seem humorous (blessing the gun room, a young woman stocking up on condoms, etc.), but as one prepper says, we're all "nine meals from anarchy," and the fear shown here seems real. DVD extras include the bonus program American Doomsday. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)