There is evidence that Alaskan Bush People used production-built facilities at Browntown, but that alone does not prove the show passed off one filming location as another. The available record also places the Browns in different locations during different periods. The specific “detail” implied by the original headline is not identified in the available reporting, so the claim that the series deliberately faked its locations remains unproven.
What the production-built facilities at Browntown actually suggest
In May 2025, cast member Bear Brown told TV Insider that construction workers built structures at Browntown for crew, producers and camera operators so they would not have to stand in the rain. He also denied that the show was faked, saying Browntown existed before production and was not built for the series.
![Alaskan Bush People: Season 1 & 2 [DVD + Digital]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61qEz1BnUTL._SL160_.jpg)
![Alaskan Bush People: Sesson 1 and 2 [Region 1]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BmSZRoQQL._SL160_.jpg)
That is a first-person account from a cast member, not independent verification of the buildings’ purpose or the way locations were represented on screen. It does, however, point to an important distinction: a production can build or use facilities to support filming without that fact by itself showing that a filmed place was falsely presented as somewhere else.
The Browns’ locations changed over time
The series’ location story is not limited to a single “Browntown.” Discovery’s accounts describe different places in different periods, while local reporting documents a move and a later land search. Those facts establish a changing timeline, not that every scene was filmed where the show’s story implied.
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#1 Best Overall
| Period or reference | What the source says | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Original Browntown, Alaska | In a November 2, 2021 retrospective, Discovery described Bear, Bird and Rain Brown returning to Hoonah and the original Browntown. Discovery’s retrospective framed it as a return to the family’s former home. | The network identified the place as original Browntown and presented the trip as a return; this is network material, not independent location verification. |
| North Star Ranch | Discovery’s 2019 season publicity described the Browns putting down roots at North Star Ranch and building a vision of Browntown there. Discovery’s season announcement is promotional framing. | The show’s network described a later setting and a new Browntown vision; the publicity does not independently verify where every scene was filmed. |
| Washington, then a search near Petersburg | Alaska Public Media reported on July 29, 2022, that the family had lived in Washington for the previous three years and had come to Petersburg, Alaska, looking to buy land. The report says the family did not succeed in buying land near Petersburg. Alaska Public Media’s report | The reporting documents a period living in Washington and an unsuccessful land search near Petersburg. It does not establish the location of every scene in the series. |
Discovery’s series page lists the program and episodes, including season 14 episodes with Alaska place references. A location in an episode title or network description is not, on its own, proof of the precise filming site.
Why some viewers and Alaskans questioned the portrayal
Alaska Public Media’s 2022 report included criticism from Emily Fehrenbacher, a former Anchorage Daily News reality-TV columnist. She said the series played up remoteness and built drama around a typical Alaskan lifestyle, and described parts of it as staged for television. Those are her assessments of the show’s portrayal, not evidence that a particular scene was filmed somewhere other than the place represented.
Rank #2
The same report included community criticism and noted that Discovery and production company Park Slope Productions did not respond to the reporter’s request for comment. That absence of a response does not confirm or refute the criticism. Taken together, the reporting supports a distinction between a heightened reality-TV presentation and a demonstrated, deliberate location deception.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.So, is Alaskan Bush People faked?
“Faked” can mean different things: scenes arranged for television, crew infrastructure built for filming, or a location knowingly presented as a different place. The available evidence supports Bear Brown’s account that production facilities were built at Browntown and records criticism that the show heightened remoteness and drama. It does not establish that a specific filmed location was deliberately misrepresented.
Rank #3
![Alaskan Bush People - Season 2 [DVD] (Pal, Non US Format)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513ZlkE8PsL._SL160_.jpg)
- Alaskan Bush People (Season 2) - 4-DVD Set ( Alaskan Bush People - Season Two (16 Episodes) )
- Alaskan Bush People (Season 2) - 4-DVD Set
- Alaskan Bush People - Season Two (16 Episodes)
Discovery’s location descriptions are useful for understanding how the network framed the show’s settings, but they are promotional. Bear Brown’s statements are his account. Alaska Public Media provides dated local reporting and attributed criticism, but that criticism does not prove the stronger allegation. The evidence should therefore be read by source, date and claim—not treated as a single verdict on every scene or season.
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Rank #4
![Alaskan Bush People (Season 1) - 2-DVD Set ( Alaskan Bush People - Season One (5 Episodes) ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514TFe1SkxL._SL160_.jpg)
- Alaskan Bush People (Season 1) - 2-DVD Set ( Alaskan Bush People - Season One (5 Episodes) )
- Alaskan Bush People (Season 1) - 2-DVD Set
- Alaskan Bush People - Season One (5 Episodes)
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