As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
Options

Remember when Discovery and the History Channel werent all about Ice truckers?

edited September 2008 in Debate and/or Discourse
I just remember both being more nerdy and actually liking that. Don't get me wrong, Deadliest Catch is fun from time to time, but is anyone else bored with Dirty Jobs, all those outback dude shows, and all the reality shows about professions you didn't even know existed and in some cases for good reason. I just like watching them explore shark caves for an hour more than I do some psuedo plot like show like Ice Truckers or something. Also while I enjoy aliens and bigfoot as much as the next guy, some of the shows they have on now have even less to say than the old alien documentaries.

Sigh, just give me more CGI dinosaurs fighting each other and I can't believe I'm saying this, but bring back Hitler...oh god I hope I never get quoted while running for president.

n13908669_48529144_9322.jpg
BlackbeardonGuitar on
«134

Posts

  • Options
    DalbozDalboz Resident Puppy Eater Right behind you...Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I've actually been wondering what's with all the pseudo-science/history crap on the History channel lately. While cryptozoology can be fun, it doesn't really belong on a supposedly fact-based educational channel.

    An example of the death of education I suppose.

    Dalboz on
  • Options
    edited September 2008
    Im not even bothered by the old documentaries where at least they would dig up as much as possible about New Mexico and cram it into an hour. But now they just go to some location come up with almost nothing to back up a crazy drunks story and then leave the scene going "yeah something definitely went on here."

    Yeah thanks guys, real inciteful. If something actually had happened you'd stay around and actually give a shit for more than the 3 days it takes to film it.

    BlackbeardonGuitar on
    n13908669_48529144_9322.jpg
  • Options
    korodullinkorodullin What. SCRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I haven't been watching the History Channel lately, but Discovery is just dull right now. Its afternoon block of occultism, UFO stories, and other assorted crap is just mind-numbing. There just isn't an awful lot there that's interesting, aside from Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, and whenever they show episodes of Survivorman. Man vs. Wild I'm not too fond of, since despite Bear Grylls' impressive SAS credentials, it's much less practical-results oriented and more "Let's watch Bear walk around some admittedly beautiful locales while he eats random animal organs."

    I dunno anymore. How's the Science Channel nowadays?

    korodullin on
    ZvOMJnu.png
    - The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (2017, colorized)
  • Options
    shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Fuck those channels, anyone else remember when TLC was actually called The Learning Channel and, you know, actually had educational shit on it?

    Anyone besides me?

    shryke on
  • Options
    necroSYSnecroSYS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited September 2008
    korodullin wrote: »
    since despite Bear Grylls' impressive SAS credentials

    lol wut

    Grylls was in the equivalent of the National Guard Special Forces regiment and he injured himself in training. The only thing "impressive" about his credentials is that he managed to make it through Selection without harming himself too badly to finish it.

    Bear Grylls' SAS? Stands for "Saturdays and Sundays".

    The only impressive SAS alum (of which I am aware, anyway) on TV right now is Chris Ryan. If you can catch reruns of "Special Forces: Manhunt" on the Military Channel, it's worth a look.


    And as far as Man vs. Wild/Survivorman, Les is, by far, the more experienced of the two at actually surviving in the wild. Survivorman is probably my favorite show on Discovery.

    necroSYS on
  • Options
    CpgnitionCpgnition Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    My wife is oftentimes the unfortunate bystander when I go off ranting about how they should not be airing blatantly pseudo-scientific bullshit on these channels. Have they no integrity!? UFO's, Big Foot, "Rods"...and in the mornings they air commercials by Joyce fucking Myer. Gah!

    The Drillers/Truckers/Dirty Job shows are fairly uninteresting to me, as well.

    Does anyone else find that "How It's Made" is strangely soothing to watch?

    Cpgnition on
  • Options
    DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Seriously, Survivorman is leagues above Man vs Wild. Survivorman is also fucking insane with a giant dollop of folksie Canadian accent to help you not notice how crazy what he is doing actually is.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • Options
    JustinSane07JustinSane07 Really, stupid? Brockton__BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2008
    I hate How It's Made.

    But I don't get the OP. Did you not watch Planet Earth or the Discovery Atlas series? There's plenty of "Discovery" shows on DC still. My only issue with Dirty Jobs is that at this point, they're stretching it a little with the idea of what's a "dirty" job.

    I can't speak for TLC or History because I don't watch either channel, but I can say I watched one episode of Ice Road Truckers and learned it's an awful show.

    JustinSane07 on
  • Options
    NightslyrNightslyr Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I miss Extreme Engineering in all its forms. I loved the hypothetical episodes (Tokyo's Sky City is still my favorite) and those based in reality, like the Millau Viaduct. I even stomached it when they hired that annoying Danny Forster and renamed the show Build It Bigger. At least the show was about building really big, cool things and not about dumb shit (well, most of the time...some of the Forster episodes are dumb).

    Along the same lines, I miss Megastructures on National Geographic.

    Nightslyr on
  • Options
    Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    As long as they keep Mythbusters going, I'll be happy - it's suddenly become must-see early evening viewing in my house, as it fills in the space between my parents getting home and Eggheads on BBC2.

    Rhesus Positive on
    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • Options
    CantidoCantido Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I own Planet Earth and Extreme Engineering, that's it. The Venice episode is my favorite, I skipped a lot of disc 2. I think it sounded boring, but I'll give it a chance.

    Blockbuster has a Discovery Channel section now. I'll have to pick up Atlas: China sometime.

    I want a Cash Cab Season 1 DVD so much <3

    Cantido on
    3DS Friendcode 5413-1311-3767
  • Options
    Tucanwarrior13Tucanwarrior13 Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I think the OP has a point about the unkown professions thing. Ax Men is honestly the most mind numbing, fall asleep as fast as you can show I have ever been witness to. I can't believe people get a rise out of watching some Oregon Hillbilly cut down a tree for an hour. Though I do have to say that Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, Dinosaur Fight Club, and Monster Quest are some of my favorite shows to date. Cmon! Shit explodes, dudes get hit in the head with flying chains, dino's fight eachother, and bigfoot and the chupacabra get chased down by some nerd with an agenda. What is better than that?

    Tucanwarrior13 on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Options
    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Meanwhile the Food Channel is kicking all sorts of ass. Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, cake competitions. I started watching that when the other option was Cash Cab and have no regrets.

    Quid on
  • Options
    KageraKagera Imitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Reality shows are fucking up every channel.

    Kagera on
    My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
  • Options
    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Kagera wrote: »
    Reality shows are fucking up every channel.
    Ace of motherfucking Cakes motherfucker.

    Though they don't care about drama in the slightest and just focus on these people making awesome cakes.

    Quid on
  • Options
    Tucanwarrior13Tucanwarrior13 Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Meanwhile the Food Channel is kicking all sorts of ass. Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, cake competitions. I started watching that when the other option was Cash Cab and have no regrets.

    Food Network got so old so fast for me. I can't even turn the channel to it anymore for fear of seeing the same episode of iron chef, or drive-ins diners and dives for the 100th time.

    Tucanwarrior13 on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Options
    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Cake.

    Quid on
  • Options
    KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    How It's Made is pretty great - it reminds me of the videos Mr. Rogers would do, where he shows and narrates footage of a factory and shows you how blankets or something gets made in his super-soothing voice. The "How It's Made" narrator isn't as good, but I still just like watching the factory stuff, don't know why.

    KalTorak on
  • Options
    Joshua368Joshua368 Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    How It's Made is awesome.

    chickens

    Joshua368 on
    58.png
  • Options
    acronomiconacronomicon Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Cake.

    I wonder if there are hours of footage of Geoff muttering incomprehensible things that they have saved up for some "Geoff: Too Weird for TV!" video collection.

    acronomicon on
    32340.jpg
  • Options
    TrenogTrenog Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Needs more James Burke

    universe.jpg

    James_Burke.JPG

    Trenog on
    steam_sig.png
    Malkor wrote: »
    Rolo wrote: »
    opium is all natural shit son

    makes you stronger

    It also makes you immune to time.
    Bama wrote: »
    Two weeks ago, I lost the bulk of my female friends

    She really hates it when you call her that.
    FCD wrote: »
    Ahhh, Orochimaru. Or, as I like to call him, Japanese Pedophile Voldemort.
  • Options
    CauldCauld Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Meanwhile the Food Channel is kicking all sorts of ass. Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, cake competitions. I started watching that when the other option was Cash Cab and have no regrets.

    I like all those shows, but now from 6-7 (central time) they show the stupid food network challenges. Ugh. I don't want to watch people make a cake for an hour. an hour . :|

    Cauld on
  • Options
    QliphothQliphoth Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I dunno about discovery channel, never really watch it. History doesn't seem to have gone down hill much. Theres a new documentary coming out in a couple of weeks about Kokoda except made by a Japanese producer and done from Japanese vets point of view, which looks really quite interesting. There still seems to be the same old docs about various ancient campaigns and planning/researching battles most of the time, but every now and then an original doco comes out with an original view or idea that makes for interesting viewing.

    Qliphoth on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Options
    KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Ugh, my housemates used to watch Cash Cab for freaking hours. I don't understand how you can stand it.

    KalTorak on
  • Options
    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Cauld wrote: »
    Quid wrote: »
    Meanwhile the Food Channel is kicking all sorts of ass. Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, cake competitions. I started watching that when the other option was Cash Cab and have no regrets.

    I like all those shows, but now from 6-7 (central time) they show the stupid food network challenges. Ugh. I don't want to watch people make a cake for an hour. an hour . :|
    The Hell are you talking about? Those things are amazing. You need to love cooking and art more.

    Quid on
  • Options
    KageraKagera Imitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Kagera wrote: »
    Reality shows are fucking up every channel.
    Ace of motherfucking Cakes motherfucker.

    Though they don't care about drama in the slightest and just focus on these people making awesome cakes.

    I don't watch food getting made. Not my bag baby.

    Kagera on
    My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
  • Options
    thanimationsthanimations Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    A perfect example of how the History Channel has gone to shit is "Modern Marvels." When it premiered, it was all about actual scientific and engineering marvels like how the Brooklyn Bridge was made. A recent episode? Bread. The subject was bread.

    thanimations on
  • Options
    OctoparrotOctoparrot Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Cauld wrote: »
    Quid wrote: »
    Meanwhile the Food Channel is kicking all sorts of ass. Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, cake competitions. I started watching that when the other option was Cash Cab and have no regrets.

    I like all those shows, but now from 6-7 (central time) they show the stupid food network challenges. Ugh. I don't want to watch people make a cake for an hour. an hour . :|
    The Hell are you talking about? Those things are amazing. You need to love cooking and art more.

    Unless Alton Brown is showing me how to dumpster dive a 7 course feast and use a manifold to prepare it, I couldn't care less.

    Octoparrot on
  • Options
    KageraKagera Imitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    A perfect example of how the History Channel has gone to shit is "Modern Marvels." When it premiered, it was all about actual scientific and engineering marvels like how the Brooklyn Bridge was made. A recent episode? Bread. The subject was bread.

    Well how many episodes can you get before you start to reach the bottom of the barrel?

    Kagera on
    My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
  • Options
    UnderdogUnderdog Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    There was this really cool, almost movie-length one-off show I caught on Discovery once. It was a hypothetical look (all cgi) at what another inhabited planet would look like and how we would explore it. Our explorers were two floating robots, one yellow and one blue.
    The robots each encountered species that lived on the planet and had their own problems. Like one released an independant, small probe to check out areas but the prove ran into this predator thing and get trashed by it. Then the other robot came across this sea of... jello and a giant silicone based thinger that not only walked upon the jellow sea but its feet actually absorbed nutrients from the jello. And every so often, experts (actual people who I assumed were shown the movie and asked for their opinion) would chime in and analyze some parts.

    It was super cool! I'm just sad I can't remember what it was called.

    Edit: ALIEN PLANET! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Planet

    Underdog on
  • Options
    thanimationsthanimations Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Kagera wrote: »
    A perfect example of how the History Channel has gone to shit is "Modern Marvels." When it premiered, it was all about actual scientific and engineering marvels like how the Brooklyn Bridge was made. A recent episode? Bread. The subject was bread.

    Well how many episodes can you get before you start to reach the bottom of the barrel?

    I just wish they'd admit this and rename the show, "Cool Stuff Origins" or something.

    thanimations on
  • Options
    KageraKagera Imitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Kagera wrote: »
    A perfect example of how the History Channel has gone to shit is "Modern Marvels." When it premiered, it was all about actual scientific and engineering marvels like how the Brooklyn Bridge was made. A recent episode? Bread. The subject was bread.

    Well how many episodes can you get before you start to reach the bottom of the barrel?

    I just wish they'd admit this and rename the show, "Cool Stuff Origins" or something.

    The same thing happened to Dirty Jobs.

    Kagera on
    My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
  • Options
    GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Cpgnition wrote: »

    Does anyone else find that "How It's Made" is strangely soothing to watch?

    Well, it is Canadian.

    I enjoy Deadliest Catch and Dirty Jobs, but they're not anything special. I do love Mythbusters, it's a nice presentation of the scientific method (they use controls, replication, etc.) plus shit blows up. And Kari will be my wife some day.

    Oh, yes, she will be mine.

    GoodOmens on
    steam_sig.png
    IOS Game Center ID: Isotope-X
  • Options
    brandotheninjamasterbrandotheninjamaster Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Meanwhile the Food Channel is kicking all sorts of ass. Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, cake competitions. I started watching that when the other option was Cash Cab and have no regrets.

    Food Network got so old so fast for me. I can't even turn the channel to it anymore for fear of seeing the same episode of iron chef, or drive-ins diners and dives for the 100th time.

    I got tired of Food Network constantly making me hungry. Also I would think that I could replicate some of the dishes made and it would always end up in horrible to average tasting food...o the stomach aches...

    On the actual thread topic:

    What have they been doing to my beloved documentaries? Its like fucking MTV, pretty soon we're all going to be like "Hey, remember when TLC used to play documentaries?"

    Ok, icetruckers, deadliest catch, dirty jobs, etc are all cool shows (not really my cup of tea, but still worth watching imo), but I have to draw the line when wedding and home remodeling shows come on. What is a person supposed to learn from said shows? How to blow $20k -$100k in one shot? Or that show John and Kate plus 8; I get it they have 8 kids, what am I learning besides how to keep from changing the channel when the babies are crying the entire show? I could go on forever, and thats a really sad thing.

    I guess its becoming an increasingly strange concept to learn + watch TV. Have Americans become that lazy?

    brandotheninjamaster on
  • Options
    KageraKagera Imitating the worst people. Since 2004Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Bridezillas IS the funniest shit ever though.

    Kagera on
    My neck, my back, my FUPA and my crack.
  • Options
    Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Not just Americans - people in general have become more lazy, at least if the TV listings are to be believed. That coupled with the need to watch TV versions of the old Victorian freak shows.

    Rhesus Positive on
    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • Options
    KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    The History Channel did a pretty sweet documentary a few years ago about the history of superhero comic books.

    KalTorak on
  • Options
    SheepSheep Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2008
    Quid wrote: »
    Kagera wrote: »
    Reality shows are fucking up every channel.
    Ace of motherfucking Cakes motherfucker.

    Though they don't care about drama in the slightest and just focus on these people making awesome cakes.

    I hate that god damn show. And any other cake centric show on that channel. Probably because I hate cake, and would rather watch someone cook a steak or something.
    Food Network got so old so fast for me. I can't even turn the channel to it anymore for fear of seeing the same episode of iron chef, or drive-ins diners and dives for the 100th time.

    Hmmm. I rarely see the same episodes. Except for Good Eats. They play the same damn 16 episodes over and over.

    The offshoot channels are better. I don't remember which one it was, but one of the HD channels has a few hours block dedicated to what pretty much amounts to a camera sitting in front of some magnificent landscape.
    Ugh, my housemates used to watch Cash Cab for freaking hours. I don't understand how you can stand it.

    My brother's girlfriend loves the Gameshow Network.

    I can understand watching old episodes of Jeopardy. You learn shit.

    But old episodes of Price is Right and Scrabble? Fuck off.

    Sheep on
  • Options
    KublaKhanKublaKhan Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    In Canada at least, Discovery still seem pretty much like it always did, the only things I don't like are Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch. The later I enjoyed the first time I saw it, but repeated viewing were just more of the same.
    My favorite show on Discovery at the moment is a show I'm not sure you get in the US, I think it's Canadian, Mayday, they break down air disasters in really detailed ways and it's amazing to see how many independent things need to go wrong for a real accident to occur... maybe it's just because my major in college was aerospace that I love it.

    KublaKhan on
  • Options
    ProPatriaMoriProPatriaMori Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Man, I remember when TLC wasn't educational at all. It was the channel that, even if you were just flipping past it on the way to something else, you were guaranteed to see someone half-dissaembled on an operating table.

    Guaranteed.

    (I don't like seeing other people bleed.)

    ProPatriaMori on
Sign In or Register to comment.