"the colony" on the discovery channel

[ZombieGrrL]

This looks really interesting! There was an Aussie reality TV show a few years ago (also called The Colony) where a group of families were transported to a secuded location & lived as if they were in Australia in the 1800's. They were given basic things, but had to find build their own houses. It lead to an interesting interaction between the people, and their reactions to not having any modern conveniences. This documentary seems similar however the different set of circumstances (being able to live in todays society - albeit starting again) will make it more interesting in an apocalypse type of way. Looking forward to it!

[Danny]

f that, i want to take this a step further. 1:set up a ghost town in the sleepy midwest. 2:hire the evil mastermind darren whatshisface, the hypnotist bloke. 3:he does what he did to that one guy that one time, you know the one. 4: place the group there, only there sure a real zombie apocalypse has happened. 5:??? 6:PROFIT!

[SRP76]

The volunteers have the opportunity to up their electricity and power capabilities when they scavenge a stock of abandoned solar panels. But the experiment takes a violent turn when a stranger breeches their security and tries to steal their supplies. Um, what? There just happen to be a bunch of intact solar panels lying around in post-apocalyptic L.A.?! These people are being selectively provided with items, guaranteed.

[Danny]

Um, what? There just happen to be a bunch of intact solar panels lying around in post-apocalyptic L.A.?! These people are being selectively provided with items, guaranteed. do-do you think it could be a fake reality show meant for blind entertainment?

[SRP76]

do-do you think it could be a fake reality show meant for blind entertainment? I think it could be an unentertaining load of bullshit. There are ways of making a show like this somewhat believable, contrary to what the producers might think.

[Danny]

true. But in reality they'd probably all want to be in charge and throw a big hissy fit and try to "go it alone" and get into a scrape they could only get out of with a friend, or someone else's know-how. its human nature. Were not exactly pack animals, contrary to trends in high schools.

[Slain]

I think this series is just propaganda to scare people in getting the vaccine they're making for the H1N1 virus. Realistically people who live at or flee to very remote areas are the ones most likely to survive a pandemic holocaust. To be halfway believable the location for the Colony should have been set in an abandon facility in the wilderness or an uninhabited island.

[DrSiN]

I caught the first episode tonight. It was pretty laughable. The show tries way too hard to take itself too seriously. C-

[strayrider]

I caught the first episode tonight. It was pretty laughable. The show tries way too hard to take itself too seriously. C- I dunno, I kinda liked the show. The idea is interesting enough. The only thing I'd like to see added is the use of paintball guns. Maybe just one, or two, with a limited amount of ammo. No American "survival" show would be complete without some kind of gun play. Favorite character so far is the old guy (Dave?) who was dancing around naked in the rain ... LOL! (heck, who wouldn't dance around naked with all of those "hot" chicks running around?) Least favorite: Mike, of course. What a sphincter. -stray-

[Skippy911sc]

I dunno, I kinda liked the show. The idea is interesting enough. The only thing I'd like to see added is the use of paintball guns. Maybe just one, or two, with a limited amount of ammo. No American "survival" show would be complete without some kind of gun play. Favorite character so far is the old guy (Dave?) who was dancing around naked in the rain ... LOL! (heck, who wouldn't dance around naked with all of those "hot" chicks running around?) Least favorite: Mike, of course. What a sphincter. -stray- It was OK...I agree about Mike and I was thinning the same thing with regard to the paintball guns...Also I see a lot of potential for people getting hurt (from one another) I think the Psychologist said that people in these simulated realities sometimes have a tendency to make it real in their own mind...wow that would be cool...Mike starts with the camera crew, and by the time the smoke clears there is blood everywhere!!!! Hehehe

[Wyldwraith]

Whoever said this reminds them of The Alaska Experiment, I agree completely. This show has an interesting premise on paper, but I'm 99.9% positive that in practice its going to boil down to cheesy thematic-goal oriented episodes ala Survivor without the interpersonal scheming of the competition (probably the only worthwhile part of Survivor). Look at the episode guide. They get confronted by a motorcycle riding thug? How stereotypical, and unlikely that a single guy would try to shake down a group. Since they obviously can't utilize serious violence, that entire scenario will shatter the suspension of disbelief. I normally try to keep an open mind until I see the first episode of a new show, but in this case too many of my television prejudices are involved. 1) It's Reality TV. 2) Yet another so-called survival scenario, that will undoubtedly include scripted conflicts between participants to amp up the drama, that will fall very flat. 3) It's making a travesty of the concept of a post-apocalyptic environment. 10 people with extremely diversified/highly educated skillsets that begin the scenario in perfect health with almost all the basics for survival or the means to acquire them close at hand? What kinda apocalypse is that? The current economic down-spiral is more apocalyptic than that. 4) I'm sick to the point of shooting some producers for smothering cable television in derivative crime-investigation and lame Reality TV. It's really sad that the besides House, the only other worthwhile shows not in re-runs are the book-adaptation-based Legend of the Seeker (Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series) and Trueblood on HBO (name of the series escapes me atm, but Sookie Stackhouse is the protagonist) that are by definition derivative. Just my opinion, YMMV

[Trencher]

Okay I am going to defend this premise here. First off this is meant as education, the reason these people are thrown togheter is to show the worth of their skills and knowledge. Furthermore the reason they find solar panels is that this is supposed to be in the future and there is going to be more solar panels then also they have to simulate being able to search the entire LA off course they are going to find some solar panels there. As for the thughs they are window dressing, they are not going to stage actual combat for the show and that one lone thugh is representative for that group of sixty bandits that would in actuallty come for them. The bandits would only attack if they thought they had all the odds in their favor so obviously one lone bandit would not attack a group of ten single handely. I am fine with the producers of the show analyzing the colonys effort to make themselves secure and then just tell the viewers and participants what is happining. I am happy to see something on TV that gives practical skills and knowlegde its due instead of another program about some metrosexuals talking about chairs or whatever. Violence has it place in the simulation but I dont need to see it acted out in the program. I cant wait until this show comes out in Europe. I am going to show it to all my friends.

[Wyldwraith]

Wow, All I can say is that some of you have far lower watchability standards than I do. I expect umm, well, entertainment when I plunk myself down in front of the TV. If I wanted to watch yet another group of wanna-be-famous reality TV participants gripe, whine and do strange things for attention I'd just go hang out with my family. Would get all of that without the annoyance that someone actually successfully pitched this garbage to producers and got some ham-handed moron scriptwriters to ensure they packed maximum suck-factor into each episode. Even compared to the Alaska Experiment this show is junk.

[Danny]

Wow, All I can say is that some of you have far lower watchability standards than I do. I expect umm, well, entertainment when I plunk myself down in front of the TV. If I wanted to watch yet another group of wanna-be-famous reality TV participants gripe, whine and do strange things for attention I'd just go hang out with my family. Would get all of that without the annoyance that someone actually successfully pitched this garbage to producers and got some ham-handed moron scriptwriters to ensure they packed maximum suck-factor into each episode. Even compared to the Alaska Experiment this show is junk. look on the bright side, its not big brother and theres always an episode of mythbusters on another channel, and whats better than walrus lookin' blokes blowing shit up, but through science?

[Slain]

A read a post on another site by some survivalist guru who's all irate the Colony portrays people surviving in an apocalyptic situation by scavenging or looting supplies from abandoned place. Like no shit, people wouldn't go around looting and scavenging through abandoned places for supplies after civilization goes down the tubes. While I suppose a person who went into a crisis with a stockpile of guns, ammo, and food would fair better than some dude with just a gun and a crowbar there's no guarantee the guy with the stockpile of shit would come out on top in the end.