Well let me address your thoughts by first saying that, before the show even starts there is a bit of a massage saying that the contestants receive off camera EXPERT help. When their lives are in danger. Now ofcourse since they dont specify exactly what "lives are in danger" means im going to make the assumption that it includes situations where they don't have food,water,electricity because not having those could "technically" be a danger and the producers may be trying to in a way fool the audience of the show with that massage. Ofcourse i could be wrong. Second, They seem to have exactly what they need to pull off w/e it is they are trying to accomplish, from finding photo resistors, to the motors, the ac inverter they have connected to the batteries, the Bike, the light bulbs. I mean lets be honest if you were in an actual disaster situation you would not have had half the things these guys have to work with. Those things were put there on purpose to help out the contestants. Lastly, They went through all the trouble of finding a power supply, from making the lawnmower gen, to trading a new gen, wood burning fuel and what not. Hey now if i was in a real disaster and i saw a cameraman holding a camera that is getting free electricity from the grid ida beat him up and taken his electricity, no?. All the cameras the confessionals, i just dont believe the constants actually think they are in a real disaster or atleast not as much as they pretend to be in camera. The show is interesting but the whole idea is just not one that you can make a reality show out of because the idea contradicts itself with all the cameras and confessionals.

Idk how many of you guys watched this show called Survivorman which is similar to Man vs. Wild. When the show first started they said that he went into the jungle alone without a cameraman (man vs. Wild had a cameraman). Ofcourse people started saying that some of the things he does he has to get some help there is no way he is alone. So to prove everyone wrong they had an episode where they showed all the behind the show footage of how he shoots himself with the camera and how he retrieves the cameras and basically how everything works. Id like to see a behind the screen episode of this show, Showing how everything works.




Your right it i logical to assume that but my understanding is (and this has happened before) that usually when they have such warnings they are big almost an entire paragraph explaining the expert thing in details. But this show Does not explain it just says they get expert help. So essentially when a viewer see's that warning they will logically think it means exactly what you said. But the producers could be using the technical meaning of that warning and actually be helping them out in situations like food, water etc basically deceiving the audience. Ofcourse im probably wrong.

But the main point i was trying to make is that if that were to be a real disaster situation they wouldnt have had an alternator, solar panels, power tools etc. Alot of the things that happen in the show are really there because its a show. I do however believe that the ideas and the expertiese the contestants show are real (being an engineer myself). I just don't think they would have actually had the resources to execute their ideas and inventions had it been an actual disaster.

They could have all that equipment, for example a disease-related disaster where a small portion that are immune survive. Not sure why you think there wouldn't be those things. All of the stuff they need being in the same building perhaps a bit of a reach but then again they don't have like 20 city blocks of disaster area (and partially stocked buildings of valuable resources).

As far as expert advice, I'm sure it's safety related. For example, making a device that is unsafe (like the wood gas) if they saw a flaw in the design that would be dangerous, I'm sure they'd step in - or with the flamethrower, etc. The same with unfiltered water - and the charcoal was there at the warehouse for specifically that purpose and I'm sure they would not have allowed them to drink unfiltered water and if they didn't figure it out they would have told them (Whichever way it happened, who knows). They certainly aren't going to let no one get hurt and the people there know the raiders won't hurt them - it's common sense. I don't like how they keep pressing that point "but they don't know that"... lol. The technical know-how to make the stuff given their resources isn't hard to imagine. And I suspect the producers never thought they'd make a shower with a makeshift water tower or a gym. Or that mad scientists evil taser. lol

Sure the inverter and good batteries were left there too for that purpose - and the traders DID show up with a generator, so maybe they never expected them to make a generator using wood gas. If that's the case, in a later episode they might have access to more gasoline. As I'm sure the events of each day were written and planned way beforehand. If they didn't find the safe, I'm sure those two new people would have shown up too. As that's what they had planned to happen that day, etc etc..

This show is in absolutely no way shape or form based in any sort of reality, the actors on the show obviously know they are in no danger what so ever. I wish they had simply made a drama about living in post apocalyptic times instead of a fake reality show.

nah.. that is another show.. just look at the Autumn/Fall 09/10 discussion thread
there will be a post-apocalyptic drama about a small group of survivors... its called "Day One"

Gotta agree with Arg38. The 'experts' are likely there to prevent them from torching themselves or curing taser burn from the mad doc's firestick. LOL.

You just have to look at the job titles posted on the website to see the skillsets involved; nurse, machinist, marine scientist, Solar technology tech, aerospace engineer, independant contractor, computer engineer, mechanical engineer, doctor and martial arts instructor. Six out of the 10 people are highly skilled tradesmen and would have no problem comming up with this stuff. I highly doubt they needed any help from the producers. There's evidence of this in the fact that the show had planned to supply them with a generator as part of the show, but they already had built the gasifier and alternator. I don't think the execs believed that they could do it either decided to supply them just in case. The point about the resistors and such, is valid tho. I realize in a biological disaster, there'd be alot of material around, however caps and resistor packs are not likely to be things you'd find in an abandoned workshop like the one they are in. I also took issue with the crate of brand new power tools they just 'happened' to find.

It just seems to me that the producers are trying to give them help, but the colonists really don't need it. Everything they're being handed they've come up with on their own. They've been pretty creative so far, but nothing they've done is outside of what even I could come up with as a 3rd year millwright.

Well, it was there from the start - they just found it later. Unless they were acting when they found the crate of new stuff, possible, but probably not. As i said before, all the stuff they have being in the same location might be a bit of a reach, especially that it was unopened by the "previous two occupants", but they don't have a city to work with, or multiple blocks to stick valuable stuff in that that they may or may not find. So I can suspend my disbelief here in this regard as it represents a much larger area.

And I'm sure events were written way beforehand. And they're sticking to it, as that's "stuff they have" or things they have rehearsed/planned. And yes, I bet they were surprised when they made their own generator. And started thinking about escape way before that was put on the table, as they saw it wasn't sustainable right away. I think they have probably been more clever than producers thought - and maybe we'll see that with "Events" planned in later episodes too.

I'm more worried for the raiders, than the colonists. I'm sure they wouldn't use flamethrower and such on them, but a tackle or a punch(after escalation), think so....As to them, depending on how much interaction they have with production crew, it might start to feel more real than it is. Like we see with other shows, like Big Brother and such. I'd like to see paintballs used for bullets, but know they won't do that, unsafe without at least helmets and would involve a lot of pretending and probably make for bad TV, but would be cool when someone messes with a raider, BAM, now you can't use your right leg or maybe you're dead / gone from show. And kind of dumb for raiders to attack without firearms - who knows how many your target has. Plus they seem to have a great gas supply with all the riding around, and generators are going around on trucks, so why do they really care about a can of corn.

The whole raider thing I don't like. A thief is fine, raiders the way they do it is just kind of silly. And every time they can, stress "The colonists don't know they can't hurt them" trying to make it less silly. As if. Some raider wacks me with a bat and hurts me, I'm stealing the camera mans phone and calling 911.

The 'technical' side of things, or the situation I don't have that many problems with.
.

Real lol,come on the last ep had the women with the big black geezer and she was fighting with another women and her mic set was clearly shown stuck to the back of her jeans.

Everyone's aware that they're being filmed. That's not in dispute. More obvious than a mic in her jeans is the cameraman walking around with them filming the entire show. This isn't survivorman where trying to survive alone is the objective. The premise of the show it to put them through a series of 'potential' circumstances and see how they react. The idea being that with exposure and stress, these people actually believe they are survivors of a biological attack. You can see that in the way blondie started beating on the other chick she lost perspective of it being just a show.

What's in dispute is the level of help they're getting during the show. More than they really need I thinks.

Um, lol...you spotted a microphone set!! WOW!!!

Like, what about all the cameraman in their faces? -and producers and experts that watch on, talk to them about things, change their microphone if there's an audio problem, replace batteries in it, remind them to not get physical with each other, etcetc.... Just found that post funny.......... Obviously it's not "real" and they actually believe the world ended.

I understand that the ideas they come up with and the way the react are all real, i think we all know those can not be tempered with in a reality show(although none of their inventions would have been accomplished without the producers placing items around them that help their cause). But what i was trying to say is that the way they talk in their confessionals and to each other its as if they are convinced that this is a real disaster and thats where i have a problem. As we have proven so far, the mics, cameraman, experts telling them what they "can not do" and everything else i mean common.. there is no way they actually believe its real, so i think when they do their confessionals they are instructed by the experts to act as if they believe in the disaster and not say anything that shows the audience otherwise. Ofcourse on top of that they edit out all the parts where they make or do things knowing that they are safe/not in a disaster.

everything is tampered with in a reality show, i am constantly impressed with how skilled the editors are at recycling footage and re-ordering scenes to build tension. the fact that they can take footage like this and create a gripping and somewhat convincingly realistic drama simply through editing tricks is pretty amazing.

edit: the reason the people talk like they are convinced that it is a real disaster is because they are actors acting like they are in a real disaster.

Well of course the footage used tells the story that they wish to tell. Such as arguments between people, confessionals - and more. As this is just a small out of time out of the day. Looking at something like Big Brother live feeds vs what is shown kind of illustrates how this editing "storytelling" is done. And that's fine - that's what they do, all reality shows do it, because we aren't going to watch 18 hours a day when for two hours someone is talking about a pimple on their butt.

However, also over time the situation will become 'more real' to them. Obviously they won't think they're in a real disaster - like the expert commentary states. But it will be "important" to them. As if they laugh at a situation, say screw it, then they don't eat the food they want, or get things they want. So they "care" about it, but it's not "real". Like Big Brother, like Survivor, and so on - and longer they are in that environment the more they care about the things we take for granted, that are yanked from them. And the idea someone coming in and taking something they care about - will certainly make them genuinely angry, even though it's not a real "disaster" situation, but the fact a luxury or food and such being taken away IS real. And that type of thing combined with the environment will really make people behave differently - as if it were 'real'. Obviously, if you ask them, they know what city they are in - and what world is outside of the set 'boundaries' of the production crew. But that isn't interesting to air, as it goes without saying and doesn't tell the story they want to tell.

They aren't actors - that would be much more expensive and more cumbersome to shoot - especially with bad talent. Certainly their statements are picked through editing though to tell the story the producers/editors wish to tell. And also probably prodded, with questions they ask (that they respond to) when the questions aren't aired. Stuff like that.

Frankly, this goes without saying for any reality show. Though level of involvement of production crew for their projects is up for debate - and I don't think they've done much of anything in that regard, except perhaps the water filtering - but with the charcoal there, not so hard ......... As I said before, they certainly would not have allowed anyone to drink unfiltered water. Beyond that, traders show up with things they already found a solution for. Such as perishables (they had oranges) and the generator (they made one, not even needing gasoline). Can imagine how much you and others would say about them "influencing" the situation if they DIDN'T make a gen before then. (and questionable trades for it anyway, but hey, they actually didn't need it) -- When the production staff wrote the day to day events, way before people were even picked, they would have ensured that needed things would be available one way or another (Food, etc)

It's as real as it can be.

It's a pity they don't have a truly representative cross section of the public though...I mean not one lawyer?! There are way more lawyers than martial arts instructors right?! And we've been compared to cockroaches way more frequently, so surely if anyone of us survives a world ending disaster it will be a lawyer.

Well most people know nothing, if you want a representative cross section of the public - and yeah you could stick McDonalds workers in there - and watch the show give them everything they need to 'survive' in a vastly less realistic fashion, but wouldn't be very entertaining. (They are not going to make them die of thirst or starve them - maybe "more realistic"? - They could also gameshow it and give people a button to get out, also not realistic. It's a reality show man) There is stuff like a personal trainer chick, or whatever - and a "ex-con". So what if chick was a lawyer, who practiced martial arts?

Knowledge of laws is pretty useless. And not a story they wanted to tell by putting "useless" people into a survival thing, where all they do is sit in the dark and wait for production to give them stuff (like a generator on a truck, if they could figure out how to use it, I guess they'd go for perishables and the animals probably and trade off their "useless" inverter and power tools) and production would focus solely on the drama - and not a bit on the technological aspect of what could be done in a 'disaster' situation.

But they obviously wanted to tell a different story, not people fighting over how many cucumbers they get for a welder, but putting in engineers and such and seeing what they can do. You could also assume they have 20 city blocks to work with, and not a few buildings. And then can support many more people that know nothing. They can haul water, ride a bike, pick oranges, etc.

I think producers were very surprised. We'll see in later episodes. They don't need gasoline to charge their batteries. Look first to introduced "Events" not to what they say or edit. I highly suspect a gasoline opportunity is coming. Maybe it won't be shown if colonists don't need it, but look for cars.

A part focus of course is on drama, but also on them being "afraid" and that they don't know the raiders won't physically hurt them - and the latter part is just manufactured - trying to make the viewer more interested on 'raider attacks'. But they do CARE about the stuff they have. Enough to make them very angry.

Such as "afraid" of weapons of the traders - obviously pretending the fact they had clubs, they had stage firearms. But ignoring the firearms, just gets them nothing they want / care about so they react the situation appropriately. If they didn't, that'd be cut from show, editing - and they'd get nothing from traders.

Guess I called it, a 5 gallon plastic can just sitting there for them. Probably more elsewhere, but that screams "Hey gasoline in here, take me"

Any1 else not liking this show after every episode? I mean wtf.. "Doctor George has been removed from the experiment" This is not a reality show at all because its controlled purely by the producers. okey so after a month of him being there they just randomly take him out?? what did they say to him? come with me uve been fired?.. There are Camera's at Every freaken corner, So i don't Buy the he was left alone part for 1 sec. There is a very good chance the colonists saw him leave but acted different in camera... Nothing on tv ever goes exactly as planned specially when u got Cameramen and people holding mikes over their heads and what not there is a very good chance that the doctors leave was not stealthy.

Also right after his disaprearence he said that none of the colonists have been informed about goerges wearebouts which means that the colonists are informed about certain things

Being an electrical engineer myself i can honestly say that there is no freaken way that he made a Cap, had a Perfect Moores code switch ( you cant even buy that switch if u go to a freaken store.. Good luck finding that in a disaster situation), And a transformer without getting any help... These guys are editing out some major stuff and frankly its quite obvious.

Lastly to prove my point that the confessionals are faked. The rocket scientist (ie the fat ugly lady) said she thought george was dead... guess what you cant die in a freaken gameshow (well you could but then the show would be cancelled) so she was clearly faking all that bs about him being hurt/dead.

As you said, it's an 'experiment' and not a game show. The idea is to 'simulate' a disaster, not win $50,000. I can't understand everyone's complaints about how unreal the show is when it's not ment to be real. It's ment to be a simulation of events with people who are role playing as disaster victims. Yes, they're pretending the camera's aren't there, but then if you've ever seen a larper, they pretend their rubber sticks are swords. Again read, 'experiment'. The mind is a strange thing and with enough stress and time all this can start feeling pretty real to them to the point where the cameramen in the room is nearly invisible. How many times have you read about people playing role playing games getting so involved they actually believe that they're in the game? Happens all the time.

Again, it's an experiment designed to mess with their brains and not to fool the viewer.

Have you never experimented with amateur radio's as a kid? I've built a radio transmitter and receiver when I was in school, but used sandwiches of cardboard and foil as a cap. It was nowhere near the power of their unit, but then I was only juicing it with a couple of 9v batteries and it did have a range of 100 feet or so. One kid in class was able to get a signal clear across campus which was about a mile away. Not to mention, there are literally dozens of stories of concentration camp prisoners creating their own transmitters and receivers using nothing but copper wire and car batteries. Not a hard thing to look up.

I agree, I was going to quote him and reply, but I thought he was being satirical - as it's so absurd, I can't believe another human thinks that THEY think it's actually real, or people watching. Just scuttled the reply. I mean that whole thing is laughable, like people on Survivor don't know it or something. And think they are really deserted on an island. I mean, lol.

No colonist thinks he's actually "dead". however, "dead" means he will not be returning to the show, and is "gone". He could also be "kidnapped" and maybe return later as a barter. Or he could have been "hurt" in a "collapsed" room - that was created by production. Wasn't the case, as they explored it. He didn't really "RUN AWAY" (from camera men - or production) obviously camera men were there -- he was probably told he was leaving and told to get by himself in the basement. Probably told that day - they might reintroduce a kidnapping scenario, though I doubt it. That'd be best set up with firing blanks, or some "blood" on the ground.

If he's serious, then don't really know what to say. It's a reality show.




That switch was totally jury rigged. It's not a traditional one. And they are all over the place. And can certainly find one. If not that, would you have preferred a "makeshift" switch? Easy to make, compared to the rest. Preferred he touched a wire to another, for the switch? Instead of pressing it? lol. I mean, come on man................. If the computer you posted on is a desktop pc, and has a open case warning, then it it has that exact same switch, a smaller version. Looks exactly the same. Or maybe use a light switch?.... Again, come on using the switch as some kind of "perfect device". Touching two wires would suit just fine.

And I totally called it - gave them gasoline in the "event". Think they'll keep doing it. Hope colonists keep using their wood gas, and fill up that truck. Also suspect another truck might be coming, or vehicle, as an opportunity.

every realityshow has:

A planned scenario
Containment scenario's
Goal oriented tasks
anti boredom tasks
mental coaching and medical staff on standby


the people are real, but are always pushed into the scenario's direction...
and what planning cant fix, editing can.

but let some people loose with the "right" resources, and you will be amazed what they will make, in colonies of homespeople on garbage dumps in asian countries ect. will make entire houses, with all basic neseseties, inc. cable tv. from trash

Yeah, I thought it being a reality show went without saying, but poster was like they think they're actually dead or ran away, or viewers think that. I mean, is that the height of absurdity or what. Or them all being "actors" also dumb, easier to just get people and pay them less. Or what's worse, a viewer seeing the "actor" in a commercial, or TV show, play, etc, prior to the show, just dumb. Not to mention it's not a drama with delivered lines.

And evidence is there, as I have suggested, that production was surprised with their actions. And ended up giving them way more than they needed or giving them things for a problem they had already solved. I think they will keep doing it, at least for major things, as it was written before it ever started. Especially major purchases or actor involvement (Raiders, Traders, etc as they would have rehearsed this).

I also love the mad scientist, someone who came into it seeming with the least practical skills. Disaster happens, I hope I'm near him

No kidding. He's my number 1 reason for liking the show. How freaking awsome was that tesla coil ozonator.

I once had a teacher who told me, "You know the difference between an expert and a professional? An expert comes across a problem and knows how to fix it, a professional knows what the problem will be and how to avoid it." This guy is a pro.

i love it that everyone calls him the professor... seriously, i think he might make the battletruck computerized or something XD oh, and next weeks preview showed a solar kart, cant wait!

Hell, he might put laser cannons and rail guns on it. lol. Really impressive. When he came into it initially thought he'd be pretty useless.

People making gyms and junk, I mean come on. Can't you get a workout carrying water? As if you'd want to burn excess calories doing nothing. So useless. Teaching fighting is fine though, but should involve a long metal pipe. Lol.


One thing I'm recently wondering about is the radio. Why wouldn't it pick up broadcasts? AM radio from their city. And why wouldn't other peoples radio get the interference of their non-FCC broadcasting? Is this part simulated in a sense or is what they made extremely short range? I thought about the radio thing before they ever made it as it's pretty simple to make one.




(I suspect TV will provide an "escape" route - and also suspect they'll provide the colonists a method of escape also, which they might pass by since they already working on something. The producers would want them to escape at the end, better TV, but we'll see if they provide something. I suspect they will, though it might have just been a "route" or "fake map" to a newly accessible area - that they could walk to - in initial writing. We'll see)

That show is super unrealistic on so many levels.

The first thing that handyman would have done in real life was kick the shit out of that pathetic martial arts instructor who mouths off all the time. I stopped watching after she fought the big black dude. Most fake dive ever.

Dude!! i was thinking the exact same thing after i saw that dive.. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL that SUPER DIESED GUY fell on his face from that kick and the way he fell u could tell he was a terrible actor. This is more or a drama then reality tv if you ask me...



I understand your point but its a reality show so they shouldn't mess with it and let them be. Yes its an 'experiment' but whats the point of an experiment if your controlling the outcome? you don't mess with an experiment, you let it sit and watch what happens. I guess i just have higher expectations from a reality show (mostly because i watch pretty much every show out there). but ya i do like the scientist guy being an electrical engineer myself it just tiks me off a bit to see these guys being given the exact parts they need (most of the time i dont even have access to some of those parts ) part of me wants to see how theyd do it without any resources

Love the concept of this show, but yes it's highly controled to the point of almost being a drama, which is a shame.

I think that's well established, so how would you guys make it more a 'reality' show ?

How can the concept carry more validity as a reality show ?

To be honest I'm not really bothered if it's being presented as real but is actually actors. The things they're making are quite interesting, the scenarios are fun. I've watched every episode so far so it's obviously hooked me regardless of how fake it is.

That guy, was in fact, an actor. As are all the raiders and visitors, with exception of the wife that recently arrived - but was certainly coached about the group and such and what to do.

If they were all actors (and some have alleged) we'd see stupid stuff like that all the time. They (The colonists) aren't actors. Find one of them in an obscure commercial, search for their names, etc. See if they are an extra somewhere. I mean, there's no REASON for them to be actors. There IS a reason for the raiders/etc to be actors - as they're pretending the world is as it's portrayed. If those inside were really there, I think THEY'D be raiders - go fuck up them trailer park people with a death truck, flamethrower, tasers, claymores, etc (or more realistic: Firearms)

And he couldn't fight back, though can defend himself and one way of doing that is being 'taken out'. Regardless, even if a real scenario, the lot of them could certainly have killed both of them easily with their bare hands. '12 mangy dogs can kill a lion'



Big brother (a reality show) introduces voting, rules, tasks and 'twists' that effect the game.
Survivor (a reality show) uses competitions and voting that effect the game.

Perhaps compare to "Kid Nation" where there were also tasks and votes, but more about being away from modern utilities and such.

In this case, there aren't "tasks" but they sort of are tasks. They're more "events", but they, like other shows, can yield a reward or punishment. And no voting out of the colony, so no game show aspect. Production isn't going to commit to expend a lot of money when it's possible they all pick their nose for 12 weeks and do nothing interesting.

Perhaps compare to "Frontier House" on PBS - mostly about learning how frontier people lived and trials they had. But even here, many things manipulated from what would "have really" been the case and giving them tons of added help. As it's not fun to watch a "Frontier House" or "The Colony" Snuff film where people die. Then their family owns the network. So given that no one is going to die, it removes any kind of "danger" from any reality show. Be it this one, or "Fear Factor". So they have to talk it up, to make it SEEM dangerous. (Unless it's a reality show following a daredevil or stunt man or something - or COPS)

Want it realistic, kill their family and make them watch before they join the 'show'. I'm not sure how you would make it more realistic. You can put them a forest, but then it would be more like survivor or survivorman /man vs wild, etc. And putting them in a truly abandoned building isn't realistic either, as all valuables would have been taken out and sold or auctioned - which wouldn't be the case if they all dropped over dead and had some later looting. Not show you are looking for there.

If you want a real experiment, look for the experiment of pretending prison guards and prisoners. Not a show or video thing, but a real experiment. Terminated early due to safety. People can really get into their roles, in a reality situation especially cut off from outside world and take it as more real than a viewer might.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

But those are Reality Game shows. They play games for money and rewards, The Reality part in those shows are How the contestants react at camp site(survivor), how they interact with others, who they make their enemies and such (those are totally untempered with. If someone gets injured ull see the medical team helping them which is not the case here, here they just hide it). As for the colony there are no rewards or games its just massively tempered with Actors or others who are obviously coached (its not so much that they are coached that bothers me its more the fact that they make it so obvious..) Ive seen other reality shows and even though they are tempered with you can never tell. This episode the computer monitor they hooked up to the Camera that was definitely not there last week when they used the microphone system from the old computer monitor (or was it the tv) when they made their radio. This show it seems that whenever they set a goal the producers give them everything they need which contradicts the whole idea of being in a real disaster. If you look at the main idea behind shows like survivor or big brother the cameraman and the producers changing the rules(in this case the "outsiders") all those things do not contradict that main idea of the show and some even compliment it (big brother and cameras). But in the case of the colony the idea behind being in a real disaster totally contradicts all the tempered with stuff.

Let me give you an example of a real reality show. If you look at Man vs. wild its a survival skills show right and it has all the life threatening snakes, gators, lions, bears. He kills them eats them, he drinks his own urine. He crosses a canyon by sitting on a rope which cuts off and he gets stuck in mid air (about 1000ft of a drop) and he gets himself up. When he falls on a frozen lake and the cameraman pulls him up guess what they air that, they dont edit it out. So we know exactly what kind of help he gets.

You don't see cold beers or a fully functional car which magically appear in front of him do ya? you dont see see people helping him when a bee stings his eye. you don't see the producers givving him water in the middle of the desert so he can drink that instead of his own urine. Do you know why? because those things totally contradict him surviving by himself (and his cameraman) which happens to be the main idea of the show.

That's fine. Give you the "Gameshow" part of it. They are paid well (as they are also paid well in survivor and Big Brother). I did say they were gameshow, and survivor focuses a lot on the 'surviving' too, fishing, building things, fire, too.

But I guess you have later comparisons to other shows, lets see:


Rewards: Medical supplies, gas generator, oranges, solar panels, food
Penalties: Loss of a person, stolen food, damage to resources
The GAME: "the event"
Not a "Competition" (Would you prefer it was gameshow, with artificial competitions post-apocalyptic based?)
And I bet it seems a LOT more real to them, than to us, as it can really damage something they worked hard on - or damage food and means they eat less per day. You always hear people coming out of the more harsh reality shows about how surreal it becomes, and that's their new world. As it has real consequences for them, tomorrow, the day after that, the week after that.




You mean they didn't show it. The Closed caption security camera might have always been there along with a closed caption monitor. Why would they "add" that? It's just what they filmed. They didn't use it for a TV because it has no sound. I would have preferred more footage of the trike.



I do agree the show planned to give them everything they need. (Um, ANY reality show does, unless it's more real like COPS, but they wouldn't broadcast a cop getting shot to death - that's left for "worlds wildest police chases" reality show - in bad grainy out of frame video) But, Everything they needed for the STORY they wanted to tell. I GUARANTEE YOU all this was written, planned, stuff bought before the first colonist set foot anywhere. NOT the colonists, but the events, and stuff available. And they found solutions to problems before they "gave" it to them!!! (traded for it)



You don't see it, because it's not edited in. Survivorman I think much better in that aspect. You think there wasn't help, beyond the cameraman? (Who as far as I'm concerned is much better, for shots they get, while holding a camera and all the cameramen have to go where Les goes, so... either he did something for cameras stupid when they just walked down a dirt path, or they all did the same thing, along with medical and production). Or say, Steve Irwin? If you want to see the real world around you, that's fine, Wildlife shows especially good for this, though some still manufacture danger, Manvswild does, Steve Irwin didn't much, so.....

Man vs Wild, you think all the cameramen drink their urine, and "risk their life" doing stupid tricks? Those cameramen would tell him to go fuck himself. And if he likes, he can learn to operate a camera. And you think they don't have a camp? What do you think production would have to say about that, and their use of money? Comeon man, don't believe what you see on TV, I guess you believe Chris Angel (on TV) too?

If that's the type of reality show you like, which is fine - really being in the wild is easy. Lots of wild go around. But really being in a disaster post-apocalyptic thing is a different story. Where exactly are you going to go for that, that isn't manufactured?

And I saw kenny drink his own urine in Kenny vs Spenny (a reality show) in one camera shot. Drinking your own urine isn't particularly impressive. Though Les does it too, but evaporation of it, in survivorman.

Your totally right about everything. Im n here to argue although ur name contains the first 3 letters . But my point which i did not make very clear was that i know all those things happen in reality shows and they get all sorts of help and what not. But they do it in a way that you cant tell (which i think makes it more interesting). I mean ya Bear Grylls could have evaporated his urine and drank the fresh water but its more entertaining to watch him drink the urine . I don't want to be watching a show and every 5 secs asking how they got this from or how did they do that without help or where the hak did that come from? or OO That is pure ACTING. My point is if your gona do it, atleast do it right... dont make it so obvious that the viewers question your actions. If we go back to your rewards analogy for this show, all those things are there but they try to sell it off as if it were a complete coincidence. As if all those trained actors and looters are really in their world, or that the survivors never stratagize around those ideas. For example a bunch of people come to you and ask for food, first thing id say is that they are there, they are not actually going to eat the food because they are not real survivors theyll just go back to their houses and eat good food their so why would i give them the 10 cans i have left.. (obviously all those are edited out). Yes other shows have the reward and panelties but this show tries to (in a pathetic way) deceive you into thinking those are a coincidence.



Y not take a whole bunch of people (lets say 50) and leave them be in a makeshift disaster city and put cameras all over the place. Similar to survivor, ill bet you that would have been just as entertaining (ofcourse after all the editing). Why must they temper with every little thing.. send actors in and coach the rest of the people into saying what the producers what them to say... it disrupts the idea of a reality show (not saying that dosent happen with other shows, its just that other shows dont make it soo vividly obvious).

Isn't that what they did? Survivor is gameshow, said you didn't want that?

Of course, they don't have a whole city that they can use. And stock that city with "Disaster simulated resources" that have been partially looted. vs, when something is "abandoned" in real life, and an auction held for the resources within.

And they could do the same show, and remove ANY outside influences, which IMO is less realistic that the bad actors. Why not, survival from Katrina, if survival in a looted city is impotant. But it has to have outside influences to be a more interesting show. If there ARE NO other people, then there WILL BE vastly more resources. Say, a whole grocery store full of food for three years food for them. Gonna watch them eat food for three years? And why must other reality shows "tamper" with every thing? Because they want to ensure their money is well spent - and they have something to shoot, worst case if they all do nothing. It's why there are "Vetos" and why there are tribe competitions, votes, --- they have to ensure, BEFOREHAND, there is something to shoot and air.

I think less realistic than the actors is the lack of firearms. Except once on a trader car/with traders. I'd have traded for the (Mock) firearm. And mock ammunition, and given a ton for it. Trailer park people want to talk junk, put an M16 in their face.

guns arent worth much after desister, coz there is no real ammo suply, a bat or steel pipe is reusable...


the idea of using 50 people would mean a lot more uncertainties like food, health, shelter, violence... think aobut it this way, the average reality show has about 3 people behind the screen for every 1 on screen... at minimum... they also have done trails to see what colonists could do with resources arounnd... but some stuff you just cant plan too exsactly... The hidden room for example, with the safe... Prolly was ment to be found sooner, but they just didnt notice it... The tv going on and off was obviously a trigger ment to get them to go out more/reach out... as a result they could send more outsiders...

Its like playing chess with someone who knows he's playing something, just not that its chess...

The FBI estimates that there are over 200 million privately-owned firearms in the US.
Doesn't even count military bases and government buildings being looted.

And tons of ammunition.

More than enough to last a long, long time. A lot longer than canned food.


I don't really like the drama and junk in the show, I really like the crazy stuff they come up with. lol.

well.. with the final episode over i can say that i overall enjoyed the show... mostly because of the intersting techniques and inventions etc.

though in the final episode they could have at least tried to make it look realistic like in the previous episodes... the final episode was just pure fiction and it seems they gave up trying

funny enough on digg the other day was a article that there is a ammo scarsety in the US... ammo manufacturers cant keep up with demand...

anywho, what rocked about the colony and what should be in season 2?



More people!
Bigger area to mess around in, would like to see option to farm somewhere....
Construction! love seeing stuff being build! maybe a scapyard could be in the area, so not everything they need is in 1 warehouse, let them really scavenge!
Longer, i want it to last longer, maybe same scenario book type deal they had now, but used over twice the time...
Multiple Colonies competing for scattered resources, this is basicly the more people idea... makes it interesting if people can leave a colony they dont like... DUMP THE WOMEN
some people have suggested to put kids and teens in there... dunno if i;d like to see that, all they are are a drain on resources...
Construction of shelter, maybe a more weathered building, this year it was just to convienent to have sleeping quarters, work area, ect. all in 1 building, marked from the beginning, letting people find shelter for the night on their own is more interesting, they might not go to the best place, simply by overlooking it, second group of survivors unleashed might spot it, and there is already a reason for battle.

Non lethal weapons for actual conflict? maybe a nerf type deal for melee and or paintballs for firearms, this introduces the idea of DEATH, loosing people coz you just didnt pay attention... have lethal hit area;s and disabilitating area;s, like, shot in arm? get that arm bound behind your back for the remainder of the experiment....that might go to far though.

Last thing i'd want is the guy from MAN vs Wild to be one of the survivors... and other survival experts, they could be "marauders" ... not given a script or advantages, just, the aditude to do anything to survive, set off emp or something midway experiment to simulate the desaster might be still ongoing...

Construction site might be a cool place to build a fort too

Firearms and ammunition would vastly outlast the presence of canned food, gasoline, propane, etc. Lasts longer, too.





I don't think there would be a S2, hope so, but we'll see. If there was, I would think it would be in a very small village without any of the things you'd find in a city, like solar panels and the such. Because they'd really face the same problems the first colony had and come up with similar solutions.

It's just too hard to replicate without turning into something silly (like nerf combat) and loses the 'drama' part which many people perhaps watched for. I was for paintballs representing death, but then it spins away from the storytelling and more into a competition. Which might be better, say, 2 colonies -- 2 groups of survivors, and only enough resources to support part of them, that becomes more and more strained. And include a 'beeper' like the Alaska show, where they can press it and leave when they had enough. My main reason for liking it is the crazy stuff they made, but I could go for a competition or gameshow-y too.