Dominic Monaghan Says He's No Bear Grylls in New BBC America Series

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Anyone tuning into Dominic Monaghan's new BBC America docuseries Wild Things should not expect many words of caution from the host as he goes spelunking into caves filled with poisonous spiders and snakes.

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"I like what Bear Grylls does, but one of the messages he puts across is, 'I'm trained, I have knowledge, this is dangerous and something you shouldn't do,'" Monaghan told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. "What I'm trying to say is, as long as you're respectful and have a smile on your face, fingers crossed, you'll get out alive."

Man vs. Wild it's not, but Monaghan does adopt a similar structure of going out into the wild with just a producer and cameraman. And it's the latter, as can be the custom with these shows, who seems to take the most risks.

"He's ex-military," says producer Paul Kilback of Frank "The Tank." "He filmed backwards climbing up Mount Everest, and I knew when I saw that on his résumé we'd found our man."

When asked if he admired any other TV adventurers, Monaghan got a little serious reflecting on the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. He calls Wild Things a "a love letter" to the late naturalist.