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Not something I generally do unless BBC Top Gear or a F1 race is on.

The big thing that came across is there is one busy script writer/speech pattern firm somewhere.
Deadlist Catch, American Chopper, Pickers, American Restorations, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, all have the same cadence and mono-syllable delivery.

The lot also seems to have a resident village idiot. Grammy in this category goes to the "Lights on but Nobody Home" Chumbley of Pawn stars.
Runner up, the entire cast of American Restorations.

Very cool finds no matter where they come from. Just wish the shows weren't so dumbed down and annoying to listen too.

Creighton
 

ummmm......huh?  :oops:

I agree with the "too much reality" or "not so reality" shows that are ubiquitous on T.V. I hate to see the way they treat rare Items on American Restorations and most of them seem like they should be re-treading tires or something. Seems like they are taking advantage of people with prices becaue they are going to be "on TV". Maybe restoration costs are higher in Cali. than here in Indiana bu it's pretty sad. I don't watch it much but from what I've seen, i'm surprised they renewed the season for a second year. I'd rather watch Andy Griffith or re-runs of Happy Days!
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/bondovian/Picture3.png)

"reality" TV is  considerably cheaper to produce, if it's a hit, the profit Margin is higher, if it's a bomb, it doesn't take much to retool and try something else. Anyone remember that  one season series about the company that was making very cool furniture and art out of airplane salvage?

As for the "prices" I don't believe a word of what is  told, including   quotes to customers.  Take ti at face value.
And I never noticed the pattern  before,  grouchy guy, village idiot... I can't wait for the heat to break so i can start on my winter projects and not watch this drivel

hey...it's cheaper and if the "big box" says so...then it's "entertainment"....

Gotta Love This American Ride!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNDcAWNscg8&ob=av3e

Yep. Reality TV is very cheap. Look at shows like 2 1/2 men. Charlie Sheen was (and notice I say WAS) getting almost 2 million per episode. So a show that pays the guys at a restoration shop 100K or so per year to restore old vending machines that the customer still has to pay a fortune to restore can afford to not have very high ratings and still come off on top. Its a damn shame. And they could not have picked a bigger idiot to do it. Rick even looks like the lights are on and no one is home. I understand his drive for success and I have to say I would do what ever the producer wanted me too if the money was right and its our fault for watching it.

Even though I know its still scripted the only reality shows I will watch is deadliest catch and overhaulin. I don't care how scripted the show is Chip Foose is a genius and one of the best custom car designers the world has seen and the guys of deadliest catch have to have balls the size of a house to do what they do on and off of the camera. Those are good entertainment. Watching Rick mess up a customers property both by being an idiot and screwing around with the thing they are being paid a fortune to fix and by doing a half ass restoration is not entertainment . Just my two cents.

Well dang Eric, If'n you want some TX rock and roll post the masters. Not some come lately young'n.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjERS4v4QYI
Interesting to see where this thread goes :-)
Creighton

If you want to watch some bad (but funny) reality tv, watch the Operation Repo or any of the Repo shows...it's like a train wreck...you can't take your eyes off of it.

My seven year old girl loves Repo....

Creighton are BBC showing UK top Gear or US???

Yes.
James May is a Hoot!

I miss watching UK Top Gear in Singapore. Its a great show. It also made me better understand the different types of collectable cars in Asia that are similar to what is popular in the UK due to the Brittish influence in many Asian countries like Singapore. I had never seen some of the odd late 60's and early 70's fords that are so cherished, and the 60's and 70's Mercs that are the most popular restored cars you see in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Almost all of the popular old cars (many are Fords) I saw over there are not in the USA but were made in the UK.

Josh, Check your cable companjy, BBC America airs  the UK version.
 
The special where the boys drive form California to in a  a Vette, a Caddy, a Challenger. a Mustang  and a Camaro  to run the cars for time at the Bonneville Salt Flats is  the absolute best thing I've seen on TV.

Dave, I watch the UK. The US one isn't very good.
Creighton

Honestly we don't have cable. We don't have time to watch enough TV to warrant the cost. We have netflix on demand for the Wii. It has so much on for free on demand that we have not missed much. and with local TV being in High def that's enough.

Creighton,

I love my 'Texas Boys'....thanks for the post Brother!

My kids love The Andy Griffith Show, especially Ernest T. Bass.  I will admit I like to watch Swamp People and Holmes Inspection.  TV, movies, music are not what they used to be.  Overall (not to over-generalize), but the caliber of performers isn't there any more on the same basis as it was.

"CHOOT" "CHOOT it LIZBETH"  "CHOOT"...hahahahaha

Haha!  He's the best character on that show.

I have to agree that the cadence of the characters on all those shows listed in the OP's post do sound the same.  My wife and I noticed it a few years ago with American Chopper and a couple of the other ones.  Some of the reality shows are OK, but most of them are crap, especially the ones on network TV.  Season 10 (or whatever they are on) of Survivor...who cares anymore.  All the dancing and singing shows have to go too.  There just isn't any imagination of the producers of network tv anymore.

All of the reality shows are absolute crap!   I can't stand any of those shows; all scripted BS!!!! 

A buddy of mine was approached by the new show Bar Rescue.  They wanted him for one of the episodes, but he declined because he didn't want to come off like a jerk.  After seeing the first episode, he definitely made the right choice.  What a bunch of tools!

Love the video Creighton!  This is why I am embarassed when I speak with the relatives in Ireland; it is sad this is how we are percieved as Americans from TV.   

Television is a complete waste of time.  Every time I get sucked into a show, I feel guilty that I have lost another hour of my life.   

I am with Josh on cutting the cable.  I have been trying to convince the wife to cancel cable TV for years.  Anything we watch on a regular basis is on the network channels and can be picked-up with a HD antenna.

I'm sick of all the reality shows also. I used to watch Pawn Stars, Pickers and American Restoration but just can't switch the channel anymore.

 I did something that I have not done in a long time , When I got done working out in the garage I went in the wife was watching something on life time  upstairs
 So I went downstairs with my laptop  in hand and turned on the radio and put a CD in and listed to some music .

I have a radio in my shed now and its great... Always had a radio on when I was a kid but with 1000's of TV stations
the kids come straight in and the TV goes on. Sanctury can now be had in my outpost.. 

I have a small 13" digital TV in my shop that has a radio tuner built into it also.
Most times I just have the radio on, but can play some sports that are broadcast OTA as well.

I do have a old Pioneer Stereo Tuner in my garage   (evan have a few drive in speakers hooked up to it )  but it is more for the back ground noise.

Pat,
don't toss the tuner,  depending o n the mopdel, it could be big bucks to a collecto.
i had a guy drooling over my Fishwer  floor speakers, made a car payment with what he bought them for. I almost tossed them to the curb thinking they were dated/

I would be lost without music playing whereever I am in the house, garage, yard, shop, car.
I have an older stereo with speakers in the garage/shop, one on the back porch with outdoor speakers that fill the backyard/pool area with music, and pretty much a whole house music system. All of it can hook into my Itunes or Pandora so I can have commercial free music anywhere in the house and cars.

That's the only thing I don't like the commercials. I'm always changing channels in my car to avoid the commercials.

  when I was a kid my friend dad had a shop that was all in closed in his pole barn and it was the greatest place to be  he restored any old Ford  he had a ton of mustang around , but back to his shop
 he had the old wood stove  in the corner  and five or six chairs in there for the bull S**t Story telling  and the farrah fawcett poster and other old pictures  and he had a old stereo (I think it was a phillips ) in there and car speaker and drive in speakers all hooked up to it, you could go to any place in that pole barn and you could hear music even outside behind it  he had speakes all over  .
 It was a cool place to be.  

I have DirectTv and I pipe Satellite music all throughout the house and 3 other sets of speakers in the garage and surrounding the outside of the house. Anytime I'm working in or around the house or hanging by the pool, the music is on. My wife and kids went to the beach for a few days, and the only time the tv has been turned on is when I go to sleep..