A new NBC reality show set in the unforgiving cold terrains of Siberia has been heavily criticized by the Russians, for portraying stereotypes and pretending to depict the region when it was actually filmed in Manitoba.

“In reality, this faux-reality show was filmed on the other side of the world, in a Canadian praire,” says The Siberian Times, as reported by MailOnline.

“Not that most viewers will realize this as they watch this negatively-slanted portrayal of Siberia.”

The English language website said that the US audience is “conned into believing the action is in Siberia, which is after all the name of the show.”

The show Siberia, which is similarly presented as Survivor, shows 16 contestants being dropped off in winter-time, somewhere in Siberia, with each participant trying to survive longer than others without any equipment or food in the remote territory of Tunguska.

The show’s host, Jonathon Buckley, informs that they need to make their way to the remains of a primitive trading outpost that was found abandoned in 1908.

When they reach the settlement they discover the fires are still burning and the food is still cooking on the stoves, but all the inhabitants have vanished.

The contestants of the mock reality show are actually actors, all of whom are chasing the $500,000 prize for survival in the harsh conditions.

NBC and Siberia’s US production companies are also being accused of “censoring” Siberians from seeing online trailers and a pilot episode, which they promoted as full of thrills, spills and scare tactics.

“We’re sorry, but the clip you selected isn’t available in your location,” is the message that Russians viewers see when they try to view the show’s trailer.
The Siberian Times said that the show is in “keeping with the US stereotypes of Siberia, mixed with a cocktail of Hollywood horrors and then frozen in a Cold War time warp.”

Pre-publicity from the show says that the contestants suddenly encounter a tiger, a claim that brought more mockery from the Siberia-based news site.

“It must have escaped from a Canadian zoo because Tunguska would be some three time zones west from the habitat of the nearest Siberian tiger.”

“Siberia's image in the world which takes another hit, just at a time when it is rightly recovering a more positive image around the world, with inward investment and foreign tourism growing significantly,” the Siberian Times says.

“These investors and tourists come in search of the real modern Siberia, unlike the makers of this TV fake.”