ugh.. Discovery Channel Alaskan Bush People hype / BS

[s219]

If you're talking about Swamp Loggers, that show was actually set in Southeastern North Carolina, not Louisiana.

Pretty sure it was Axe Men, and the one guy (Shelby?) was down near New Orleans area.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I see enough of those reality shows watching the ads for them. I find it unbelievable that anyone would have nothing better to do than watch some staged, hyped up UN-Reality show to start with. Even if not staged, who has a life so dis-interesting that they want to watch someone else's BS life on TV. I would just as soon be setting on my patio watching the grass grow as to watch any of them.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Very interesting how the TBNers here have ferreted out all the same "reality" shows I have. And have reached most of the same conclusions. Had some medical down time this month, and spent a lot of it watching TV (and sleeping). I have to agree that the quality of most of these shows hasn't improved as the episode count mounts. Couldn't even get through one episode of Bush People; too much like watching my immediate neighbors and I've had a belly full of that. Gold Rush and Bearing Sea Gold are riddled with painful fabricated drama, the only reason I keep watching is the heavy equipment and repair sequences, but that footage seems to end up on the cutting room floor these days. Tried a few episodes of Ax Men: too much conflict and drama, so it got the axe (sorry, couldn't resist). Started Life Below Zero last week and I'm already losing interest. Nobody's mentioned any of the hunting shows. I can't stand any of 'em. All of the focus is on killing something, which to me is the antithesis of why I hunt. The fun stops when the hammer drops, and I'd just as soon go home empty handed than obsess over finding just the right animal or taking a shot I knew wouldn't result in a quick death for the animal. See any of the hunting scenes on Life Below Zero for great examples of how not to do it. Watched my first episode of The Pioneers yesterday; couldn't believe how much of that rabbit was missing and wonder if it wasn't killed with a 3030. Now I'm seeing ads for an Alaskan 4WD show with scenes of huge trucks and rooster tails. No wonder we're losing off road access everywhere. Some of the shooting shows are actually good though, like Impossible Shots and History of the Gun. None of my viewing would be possible without a DVR, and lately I'm worried about wearing out the fast forward and skip buttons. I'll be sooooooo glad when I'm back on my feet and can get on with my own quiet little reality rural living show! :cool2:

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I don't find much worthy of watching on TV, but it is pretty sad to see the extent to which the discovery Channel has fallen. Anyone who watched the first series of "Alaskan Bush People" knows a few things about them. Like the fact that they moved into the Alaskan interior in late fall without funds or a plan and were going to freeze to death. They ended up loaning and borrowing supplies from all sorts of strangers so that they could build their house. Then they were never going to get it done in time and several of the locals pitched in to help them get a roof over their head before they woke up cold blue and dead.

Then had 1 or 2 individuals fire shotguns in their general direction at night, which caused them to pack up and leave the next day.

Now in the nightly preview which they have to run at least every half an hour, papa Brown makes statements like "Nobody is going to stop the Browns" and "We don't need the outside world". Seems that the actors and the producers seem to think we all have a short memory.

"Alaska the last Frontier" seems to be at least a relatively honest portrayal of a homesteading family, and "Gold Rush" seems to finally be reaching a point where the people seem to have an idea what they are doing.

Alaska Gold Rush.

Negotiate a master lease.

Negotiate mining land

Dig test holes everywhere.

Get a trammel that doesn't leak

Get a pump that doesn't shell.

Get a pond that stays clean.

Run as much material through the trammel as humanly possible.

Edit out curse words in post production.

Wish you were a 20 year old kid with a $350,000 D11. :laughing:

 

[davesl708]

It is obvious the "reality shows" are far from reality. Doesn't seem to matter which ones you watch.
Have not watched any past the first few episodes. Discovery, History channels doesn't matter.

Glad I have some real things to do like watch "Classic Tractor".

 

[KennyG]

Even the real ones give you a distorted sense of drama because of the editing. A friend of mine was one of the drivers on the original Ice Road Truckers (the Alaska one). He drove there for 20 or 30 years before retiring. He said it was lots of boring driving interrupted by brief periods of absolute terror. Those are the ones that made the show.

 

[Rock knocker]

I find Alaska Bush People kind of creepy and more than a little ludicrous. They kind of remind me of Papa Pilgrim

Opting Out: Papa Pilgrim and the Lure of Off-Grid Wilderness Living - Pacific Standard: The Science of Society

 

[Firemanbuck]

I certainly hope nobody thinks that these shows represent the true Alaska.

I can't watch any of the shows either. They are so riddled with mistakes that are obvious to anyone who has spent time outdoors. The target audience is the millions of mindless sheep city dwellers who have never stepped foot off a paved road. The problem is that it will prompt some to say "hey I could do that..." and off they go to the wilderness.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

The best one is the McCathy town in central AK where one guy is trying to bring electricity to the town, and another guy who lives 8 miles outside of town doesn't want electricity in the town. '

At some point they start making me think my life is interesting.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

There is so much crap on TV, I'm just glad the **** channels are pay-for-view.