I know, it's another dramatic show and yet another show in Alaska but I found it mildly entertaining. It would come on after my bed time on Sundays but my wife and I caught up on it with On Demand. One of the competitors was Carl from Jantz4x4 and he's been on Pirate since forever. He's also a bright guy and has been in the sport for years. As such some of the drama surrounded him especially since he was from the lower 48. He chimed in every week while the series played to offer insight on the behind the scenes action. Soon after a few other drivers did the same. I'd say the online offroad forum action was right up there with the actual show.
His co-pilot is also an interesting guy. He's a big EV guy and I have read about him off and on for a long time with his electric rock crawling vehicles. He runs a company called Manzanita Micro and has a short fuse which was kind of fun to watch.
Highlights include some shady Alaskan competitors, some with skill others not so much. Some you could tell were wheelers others bought a used rig to compete in. How they were chosen was all part of what the producers hoped would be a good show.
War Wagon was an FJ-55 that was run hard and put away wet, in real life and for the show.
There was a solid axle 2nd gen as well as a 1st gen 4Runner, both with manual trannys.
A Rover and then Super Jeep (Jantz).
Might be worth checking out if you've got some couch time and need a chuckle. Try not to look into the editing too much or it will drive you crazy (stuck in the mud on an incline then flashes to winching on a trail in the flats). For a behind the scenes check it out on Pirate.
http://www.history.com/shows/alaska-off-road-warriors