Discovery & History Channel Scripted Reality

Arpa

You know the ones I'm talking about. Pawn Stars, American Restoration, American Pickers, Orange County Choppers, Toddlers & Tiaras, Hardcore Pawn...God I watch too much TV but,

I like some of these shows...like Pawn Stars, Restoration and American Pickers...but why oh why do the producers feel it necessary to include such an incredibly benign and obviously scripted storyline in everything these days?

I like the Pawn shop one because I'm interested to know about the items people are trying to pawn and also because I like the negotiating side...or the american pickers one because of the same thing...but why do they have to make everything into a drama?

They are edited heavily to the point whereby, in order to create fake conflicts between characters they do cut aways, dramatic filler shots and fill in dialogue. These people obviously know they are being used for dramatic tension...but everybody can see through this surely...this sort of dumbing down of TV irritates me. And I know it's probably for money and appeals to dumb American audiences but surely there should be some sort of rules surrounding it?

What you guys think? Will TV forever be like this? Can't we go back to a time where it is the topic that is of interest and not an added on fake drama that takes center stage?

bizmark

I wish history channel would make interesting shows about history again engineering an empire and the likes .....ah the good old days

donegal_man

bizmark wrote: »

I wish history channel would make interesting shows about history again engineering an empire and the likes .....ah the good old days

Ah yes, those halcyon days when the History Channel was actually about history

fryup

bizmark wrote: »

I wish history channel would make interesting shows about history again engineering an empire and the likes .....ah the good old days

totally agree, what the hell has ice road truckers and ax man got to do with history??? i mean HELLO! the name of your channel is HISTORY so why the hell don't you show historical programmes esp at prime time

Arpa wrote: »

What you guys think? Will TV forever be like this? Can't we go back to a time where it is the topic that is of interest and not an added on fake drama that takes center stage?

yep, there all more or less the same formula...fake dialogue, fake scenarios, fake people fake fake fake

i used to enjoy these shows in the beginning but now there's so many of them its getting boring fast, american chopper is probably the worst..

"join us after the break where Joss confronts his father in a heated exchange!!!"

then like a fool you stayed tuned to see a kitten fight thats all forgotten about 5 mins later...its so obviously scripted its painful, anyway how can anybody behave normally when you have a camera crew stuck in your face all day?

lertsnim

History Channel should be renamed Stupid Reality Nonsense Channel. Discovery has been rubbish for years now.

National Geographic does show some decent stuff at times but also isn't what it used to be.

It's a real shame as the documentary section of the EPG was always my first port of call when sitting down to watch the tv

Mickeroo

Couldnt agree more OP. Eden is the only documentary channel I go near these days, and the odd show on Blighty like Coast.

sea_monkey

the only decent show on history channel now is the story of all of us on Wednesday nights, and even that isn't the best

Antar Bolaeisk

I gave up on these channels a long time ago when they started with all the intro/summary crap.

- On tonight's most shocking and amazing you're going to witness the following shocking and amazing things
- Brief clips of shocking and amazing things
- They're going to shock and amaze you
- Brief clip of someone looking shocked and amazed commenting on the shocking and amazing thing we're about to be shocked and amazed by
- Insert not shocking and amazing clip here
- Brief clip of someone analysing the clip we've just seen looking shocked and amazed
- Recap of everything we've just witnessed before cut to break
- Break
- Recap of everything that happened before the break
- Repeat three or four times depending on break structure

It just drives me nuts, there's barely ten minutes of content with all the repetition, intros, recaps and breaks.

Playboy

I like Storage Wars, Pawn Stars and American Restoration and to a lesser extent American Pickers. Perfect switch your brain off for 30 mins TV. The formula is a becoming tired quickly though and I agree they shouldnt over edit but American reality TV is like that.

It is a crying shame though that there is a serious lack of historical documentaries or dramas on History. ICT and Ax men are ludicrous shows to have on at prime time... at least some argument can be made for the others (Pawn Stars etc) to have some small historical relevance. It's all about ratings I guess and there must not be a big enough audience or they would be making them.

Richard Dower

I gave everyone a thumbs up.....just cause.......

mikeym

I prefer watching Hardcore Pawn on Bio rather than Pawn Stars, its getting repititive

FloatingVoter

Playboy wrote: »

It is a crying shame though that there is a serious lack of historical documentaries or dramas on History. ICT and Ax men are ludicrous shows to have on at prime time... at least some argument can be made for the others (Pawn Stars etc) to have some small historical relevance. It's all about ratings I guess and there must not be a big enough audience or they would be making them.

I'd imagine people in jail and mental institutions make up most of their viewing figures. Whatever the case, they should be on channels such as The Furniture Channel or the Hairy Tattooed Nitwits Channel rather than History or Biography.

bizmark

fryup wrote: »

totally agree, what the hell has ice road truckers and ax man got to do with history??? i mean HELLO! the name of your channel is HISTORY so why the hell don't you show historical programmes esp at prime time

Because its "history made every day" or some very flimsy excuse i used to spend summers with my dad in the trucks believe me we did nothing historic in all those years unless eatting our body weight in jambons and ham sambos counts

the only decent show on history channel now is the story of all of us on Wednesday nights, and even that isn't the best

Ah yes mankind the story of us all that's quite a good show for modren day history its not very indept but lest it has steven frys voice and doesn't descend into the brow beating of BAD HUMANS BOOO so prevalent these days its quite proud of what we have done and for that i give it a huge thumbs up.

fryup

the only reason i pay for UPC is to get Nat Geo, Discovery and the History Channel...but they've gone so crap of late that i'm seriously considering going FTA

i mean whats the point, if you can get the main UK & Home channels free

Sulla Felix

Mickeroo wrote: »

Couldnt agree more OP. Eden is the only documentary channel I go near these days, and the odd show on Blighty like Coast.

+1 for Eden
PBS is pretty good, at least for American history items. The Dust Bowl has been on recently and is quite good.

colinod0806

Richard Dower wrote: »

I gave everyone a thumbs up.....just cause.......I crave attention.

FYP.

PhiloCypher

Has anyone actually ever seen anyone pawn anything in pawn stars? because I've never seen it myself in all my time of watching it, I mean I get these people need a quick buck, but the amount of times you see people writing off hundreds or thousands for the sake of a 500 cash money because Rick knows they are desperate is insane. Surely they could get at least that by pawning it and then buy it back when their cash flow problem improved so they could get actual value for money.

Guy:Incognito

mikeym wrote: »

I prefer watching Hardcore Pawn on Bio rather than Pawn Stars, its getting repititive

Jesus. Hardcore pawn is bad. It takes the fakery to whole new levels.

"Today on hardcore pawn, a stereotypical loud black woman screams and shouts". "On the next episode...... a stereotyical loud black man screams and shouts"

Squeaky the Squirrel

PhiloCypher wrote: »

Has anyone actually ever seen anyone pawn anything in pawn stars? because I've never seen it myself in all my time of watching it, I mean I get these people need a quick buck, but the amount of times you see people writing off hundreds or thousands for the sake of a 500 cash money because Rick knows they are desperate is insane. Surely they could get at least that by pawning it and then buy it back when their cash flow problem improved so they could get actual value for money.

Once anyway. A big Lorry.

Looks like S2E09. Worth something like 70,000, got 40 ish and had 90 days to have the money back or Rick keeps the Lorry.

Guessing those numbers there, was interesting ep as I remember wondering how pawning actually worked at the time.

Arpa

I'm glad most people are with me on this one.

Ice Road Truckers is sickeningly boring. Someone driving a truck? Wo thought this was TV worthy?

I have never seen one Biographical program on Bio.
Here is the schedule from the time I'm writing...

The Locator- something about reuniting families. Not bothered to even give it a look. All seems a bit Lorraine Kelly.

Pawn Stars - More faux reality with the odd interesting artefact for which some poor fecker gets shafted by those fat b*stards. Cut to Rick beside a shelf of guitars "Things like this are a piece of American History and I think I can get a good deal on this. I have got to have this in my shop. My old man was in the Navy so he'll love it...ha go away chum lee, you're fat and stupid"

American Restoration - Spin off from Pawn Stars. The guy who restores Coke machines. Sometimes interesting to see the process and weird items...but stupidly scripted.

Braxton Family Values - Don't know..think it's like the Kardashians or something. Don't care.

Hardcore Pawn Double Bill- You all know it already. It's gotten worse. It used to be more about the items. Now it's just a bad drama with as someone mentioned stereotypical hood pimps and hos screaming.

Celebrity Haunting - Z list Celebrities tell their encounters with the paranormal. Papa Francesco save us!

Psychic Kids - I'm not even going to bother

So basically that's the prime time showings for a Thursday night when audiences are generally staying in to save cash for the weekend, and that's the best they've got. Nothing Biographical. When I hear 'Biography' I would like to hear an interesting story about the life of someone interesting, not the fake drivel in these shows.

Unfortunately as I have that UPC crap I don't have Eden. When I had sky I loved it. Nothing better than hours of Attenborough. I though maybe Nat Geo would provide that but know instead of nature documentaries, it's all about Wildest Baboon attacks and Fishzilla. Jesus.

One thing I will say for Nat Geo is Aircrash Investigation is a good watch. Though maybe that's just because I'm interested in Aviation.

It's a pity because with the right directors, commissioners and the proper purchasing of programming these stations could provide great content. The reality TV show has run its course, please someone put a stop to this crap.