On Tuesday July 28th we get to watch part two of Discovery Channel’s innovative new series The Colony. There have been a plethora of reality TV shows based on the premise of a group of people being stranded in some remote location and week after week we watch their attempts to survive the challenges imposed on them, not so much by their surroundings, but by the producers and script writers of the show. At the end of each episode the winning team gets some reward, and the losing team says good bye to one of their team. I view this kind of programming as right up there with having a root canal!
The Colony is a completely different idea, take a group of people, from handyman to PHD’s and operate under the premise that it is some time in the future, a post apocalyptic world. For their backdrop Discovery has chosen a disused warehouse complex in the heart of Los Angeles. Having spent quality time in the Hawthorn area following the LA riots of the 90’s I can not think of a better place!
The premise behind the series is survival, you can use whatever you can find within the confines of the warehouses and surrounding lot. This weeks episode Power Struggle explores the groups need to find a sustainable source of energy. There are abandoned cars, and by salvaging the batteries they have a temporary solution, but how to recharge them?
The first solution is to find a small engine and scavenge an alternator. At first this looks like a great solution, however they have less than five gallons of gasoline, what happens after that is all used up?
A couple of the engineers think that a better solution to using gas would be to build a ‘gasifier’, this is a rather arcane device that uses wood in two ways, as a heat source, and also a fuel source. A fire is used to heat wood chips, and the chips produce a combustible gas. A tricky technology, and a potentially dangerous one. Not everyone buys into the idea, and indeed the first attempt is a rank failure.
Although the group are still in the first week of their confinement, it is very clear that tempers are beginning to flare. Yes, the gasifier is eventually made to work, and so, as long as a source of wood can be found they have power.
Just as big a challenge is becoming food. Although the grumbling has not started, it will not be long.
I like this series, it certainly is head and shoulders above the other ’survivor’ type shows. The experiment ran for ten weeks, and in total Discovery made 6 one hour episodes. By episode six, I am sure that we will be facing something akin to the adult version of ‘Lord Of The Flies’.
Great stuff, check your local listings for The Colony, this episode will be airing on Tuesday July/28. Live on the wild side and try this show out. If you do watch next Tuesdays show, keep an eye out for handyman Joey S, he clearly is upset with the priorities being set. There is no clear leader at this point, but I’d put money on this guy. To paraphrase him, ‘I don’t care what letters you have behind your name, PhD, DR whatever, but you have to get your act together’. Joey is no newcomer to adversity, he is the guy that you want on your side when it all goes to hell in a hand basket!
Simon Barrett
(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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8 users commented in " TV Preview: Discovery Channel – The Colony – Power Struggle – Episode 2 "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI was going to watch this until I realized what a farce it was. It doesn’t represent a cross section of anything. Everyone in the colony is highly skilled in technical stuff. Putting a bunch of super achiever epxerts together isn’t good tv–let alone survival fare.
Oh Kevin,
you are as bitter and twisted as I am! The colony is great fun. Yes that all have skills, but as you and I both know, a Phd, does not equate to practical ability in most cases. Both you and I have had Phd exposure, I guess the easy way to view it is ‘long on knowledge,short on smarts’.
I will still stick to my review, it is fun to watch.
Oh, I am a bitter cynic.
And yes, I agree on the phd deal.
But, to make it work, they should have added in a drunk, the neighborhood whore, couple of stoners, couple teenagers screaming about missing their game systems,some old neighborhood crank, etc.
I mean alittle realism reagrding folks would be nice.
I’m watching the show too and, while I’m enjoying it, I have to agree with Keving that it’s a little too contrived; and not just all the PHD’s they’ve assembled. Everything they need to survive seems to have been placed inside the warehouse and all they have to do is be creative and put the stuff together; (ie, all the sand and charcoal for the water filter, a massive pile of wood for the gasifier, welding torches). Yes, they have to forage for more food and water but that seems pretty convienient, too.
In a real LA survival situation, the first gangbanger with a gun would put an end to the farce that is The Colony.
I very much wanted to like it, but as some other commenters noted, it is incredibly contrived. It would have been much better to have static cameras all over the facility and to let them truly feel alone instead of having 9 producers and 3 camera crews on-site at all times.
I think the conseps of the inventions that the colonists are building are very eficiant. this is an experiment not the reel thing. they are showing you what it would be like, and how to survive. I have an invention that uses steam to propel a car. it works by having a large heating coil under a large metal tank. that creates steam which powers a minimized steam train engine. that turns two alternators whitch charge two Baterry bays. One of those powers the cars lights and accesories. the outher powers the heating coil thus self powering. All you have to do is add water. convert now save the earth!!!!!!
EEdwards I already made your engine how you discribed it and It works.
i watched all of it to the end i want moore, realy enjoyed watching the episodes. ps if there is moore please send me a email
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