Longyearbyen is the world’s most northerly town, located in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago inside the arctic circle.

2000 hardy and adventure-seeking people live and work in this small, arctic town and several of these are the subjects of the documentary/reality series Ice Town: Life On The Edge.

From man-eating polar bears to black ice, dangers are everywhere in Longyearbyen. But the locals love the isolation and the awe-inspiring extremes the icy wilderness provides.

Here’s why you’ll also love this fascinating and addictive docu-reality series narrated by Stephen Mangan:

It’s about a place you might never visit

While Svalbard has a successful tourism industry, it’s so far away from New Zealand that travelling there would be expensive and tricky. It’s a place of extremes, with periods of 24-hour darkness and sunlight, and extreme arctic temperatures – but it’s so icy and beautiful you might just be convinced to make the trip.

You'll love the colourful characters

From historic hotel owner and Bruce Springsteen fan Mary Ann to US journalist turned local newspaper editor Mark, it’s the personalities of the inhabitants that add colour to an otherwise totally white landscape. Hearing their stories - why they came to Longyearbyen, why they stayed and what they do for work in the arctic – is both fascinating and entertaining. 

It's unexpectedly funny

What appears to be a straightforward documentary series is lightened by the people and their foibles. Our favourite is satellite engineer/tour guide Alex who is reminiscent of super-serious, stickler-for-the-rules Gareth Keenan from The Office. The highlight of episode 1 is watching him shoot at a target with his state-of-the-art firearm while discussing the importance of protecting yourself from polar bears... only to miss every shot. He is TV gold!

It's a completely different way of life

Down here in New Zealand eating seal and whale meat is illegal. But up in Svalbard, they're local delicacies. Alongside reindeer, they are part of the experience tourists come looking for as well as part of everyday life for the people who live there. Polar bears are also such a threat to life that all Longyearbyen locals have to carry a gun with them wherever they go and must be able to shoot to defend themselves. It's certainly not your average small town.

You'll definitely learn something 

There's so much to take in! Svalbard is technically Norwegian territory but citizens from 42 different countries (including New Zealand!) can live and work there without a visa; polar bears outnumber people in Svalbard; the guns the townsfolk carry are mostly World War II era bolt action rifles. Who knew?

Stream the full season of Ice Town: Life on the Edge from Monday 3 December on TVNZ OnDemand.