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Discovery Channel Is Finally Breaking Up With Bad Science

Thebobo

Thebobo

Lifer
yea finally! I might watch them more now. If only they could put some History back into the history channel as well.

Documentary programming at the Discovery Channel—along with Animal Planet and Science Channel—is experiencing a "dramatic shift," Hoffman said. "I'm also part of a group decision, throughout the company, to bring a lot more science. To elevate the scientists in the films.

http://www.motherjones.com/media/2015/11/racing-extinction-climate-change-discovery-john-hoffman

racing-extinction-630mst-2.jpg
 
Wait, so during shark week next year I won't get to hear the true stories of the folks who hunted down a 60ft mega shark?!?!?
 
Well timed. I turned on Discovery last night due to what looked like an interesting story on a 20 foot hammerhead that turned out to be one of these mockumentaries. TLC now has nothing to do with learning. A&E has nothing to do with Arts or Entertainment... all went away from what they were supposed to be. Glad to see Discovery taking a turn back in the right direction.
 
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After watching more PBS since getting rid of cable, I literally can not watch anything on discovery or history any more. Even the shows that are supposed to be a real documentary is complete crap compared to PBS.
 
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Talk is cheap, I'll believe it when I see it. Their "dramatic shift" to science might be spending 10 seconds explaining why water freezes before the next episode of Ice Road Truckers.
 
I learn a lot from TLC.
I learn how ultra conservative midget aliens make cakes and pick out wedding dresses.
 
Stupid writers got us into this. When networks found how cheaply they could toss up hours of"reality" slop we got feed even larger quantities of it. Not sure who actually watches enough of this junk to keep it coming.
 
If by science, they mean the 'Aliens' guy then I am more disappointed than ever. When History channel started showing reality shows, I was pretty much ready to toss in the towel and give up on TV, period.
 
Yeah those channels have been garbage for a long time. After I moved this fall, I had to switch cable providers and ended up getting an HD package and a bunch of extra channels since I actually pay a bit less than I used to with basic cable. Military History (my fav), H2, and Science Channel are all pretty good but normally you don't get those.
 
I hate when they fake drama.
the moonshiners aren't actually being chased by cops...
the alligator face shooters aren't actually getting thrown out of their boats...
the turtle man isn't really struggling to lift a turtle out of the pond...
the loggers aren't getting crushed by a rolling log...
the gold diggers aren't really that mad at each other...
the ice road truckers aren't falling through the ice every trip...

Just give us the show without the added sound effects and fake drama.
These people aren't actors, so when you make them act, it is terribly obvious.
 
As others have said, I'll believe it when I see it! And, even if they do move towards credibility the question is how long before there back at the reality programming game.

This reality stuff has moved beyond the second/third tier cable channels and now you have first tier channels like CNN and the Weather Channel playing this game. Unless someones exploding bombs and killing people CNN is all about reality programming all evening long. Same with the Weather Channel.

I don't think this is being driven entirely by "writers" and is more a function of the bean counter mentality infecting most all business sectors these days. You have mid to high level execs looking to move up the food chain by promoting programming that may or may not actually increase the bottom line.

Does the evening pallet of reality programming bring in more viewers for the Weather Channel than actually giving another weather report -- probably, but then people stop going to the Weather Channel for weather info so over time it's a bad business decision.


Brian
 
edro said:
I hate when they fake drama.
the moonshiners aren't actually being chased by cops...
the alligator face shooters aren't actually getting thrown out of their boats...
the turtle man isn't really struggling to lift a turtle out of the pond...
the loggers aren't getting crushed by a rolling log...
the gold diggers aren't really that mad at each other...
the ice road truckers aren't falling through the ice every trip...

Just give us the show without the added sound effects and fake drama.
These people aren't actors, so when you make them act, it is terribly obvious.
Click to expand...

I am friends with one of the cast of GoldRush and i can tell you that the drama they show is not scripted in any shape or form Meaning that none of the cast are told what to say or not say. slowing down a process like moving big red to add camera to get a shot is not scripted. The editors of the show earn their bucks by plowing through thousands upon thousand of hours of video to make a show.
 
PBS and BBC will always be better. Old school Discovery/History channel stuff could be OK because it was "boring" (meaning no electric guitars, crazy angles, neurotic screen transitions with stupid effects, etc) but I don't see them going that route.
 
MomentsofSanity said:
Well timed. I turned on Discovery last night due to what looked like an interesting story on a 20 foot hammerhead that turned out to be one of these mockumentaries. TLC now has nothing to do with learning. A&E has nothing to do with Arts or Entertainment... all went away from what they were supposed to be. Glad to see Discovery taking a turn back in the right direction.
Click to expand...

TLC... Should really be renamed "The Fucked Up People" channel.
400 Kids and counting
Kate + ##
13 midgets and a dog
The crazy shit I eat
 
lupi said:
Stupid writers got us into this. When networks found how cheaply they could toss up hours of"reality" slop we got feed even larger quantities of it. Not sure who actually watches enough of this junk to keep it coming.
Click to expand...

BZZT. Right cause, but you missed the most important steps in the process. It went like this:


Writers strike
Networks had lots of hours to fill, turned to reality TV as the only alternative that didn't need union writers
Writers settled
Scripted shows returned
Reality shows still did great.

The networks don't keep shoving reality crap onto the air because it's cheap, they do it because people watch it. If nobody watched it would disappear.

Same with movies. Hollywood isn't out of ideas, remakes and sequels consistently do better than original projects, so the studios will keep shoveling out retreads until the consumer grows a brain and demands something better.

In both TV and movies, THEY do not tell us what to watch, WE tell them what to make.
 
GagHalfrunt said:
BZZT. Right cause, but you missed the most important steps in the process. It went like this:


Writers strike
Networks had lots of hours to fill, turned to reality TV as the only alternative that didn't need union writers
Writers settled
Scripted shows returned
Reality shows still did great.

The networks don't keep shoving reality crap onto the air because it's cheap, they do it because people watch it. If nobody watched it would disappear.

Same with movies. Hollywood isn't out of ideas, remakes and sequels consistently do better than original projects, so the studios will keep shoveling out retreads until the consumer grows a brain and demands something better.

In both TV and movies, THEY do not tell us what to watch, WE tell them what to make.
Click to expand...


Pretty much this. They simply cater to the market. And the market wants prehistoric fake shark bullshit with artificial drama inserted into it.

You guys like science and complain about it on the Internet? You're in the minority.
 
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