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If the show was really concerned about demonstrating proper survival techniques, it should have have included him from the beginning. In fact, they're so piss-poor at hunting, gathering, and defending themselves that another colonist is introduced later in series, and his survival training pretty much saves them from dying from malnutrition (or at least that's what's being implied). During the raids, at least two colonists are pepper sprayed, and one is even kidnapped for ransom. It's as if the producers responded to criticisms of season one by going out of their way to torture season two's cast. Season two's colonists are younger and prettier, but not as personally compelling, well-equipped, or well-protected from outside interference. The producers rightfully fixated on the builds, given that this is the kind of infotainment the Discovery Channel excels at. The producers did stack the deck by not only casting engineers and mechanics, but by also situating them within a spacious warehouse. I don't remember the participants of Frontier House having to pretend they were under assault from armed bandits.ĭespite these quibbles, season one was actually decent nerd entertainment, if only because the colonists were able to come up with so many nifty contraptions.
#The colony survival show series#
In both seasons, the series makes it look as if the colonists were eventually driven out by the marauders rather than admitting to the more mundane meta explanation that the allotted time for filming (not to mention the local supply of food and raw materials) had simply run out. So the presence of the marauders only betrays the contrived nature of the whole show.
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After all, the cast is never meant to be put in real danger. So they're constantly subject to annoying raids. The colonists aren't allowed to join up with the marauders. Yet they can never completely overwhelm the colonists since that would prematurely end the show. They're villains right out of Lost or Mad Max. Rather inexplicably, the marauders possessed greater numbers, were better fed, and better armed. In both seasons, the colonists were harassed by paid actors playing the role of "marauders". Otherwise it's just another penal colony.Īs if the reasons for not being able to leave sooner weren't silly enough, the colonists have to contend with Hollywood-style complications. But the show also ignored something the historically-based shows got right - that settlements tend to be established by people who already know each other. Viewers have complained that the casting in season one was biased towards the more technologically proficient.
#The colony survival show tv#
This results in the usual reality TV hijinks. Like most reality TV contestants, they're a motley crew of total strangers forced to cohabit with one another. That no one from either season attempts to do something that would be long-term sustainable, such as farming or raising livestock, spells out the futility of this "experiment".Īnother way in which the format trumps realism is the colonists themselves.
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#The colony survival show skin#
Why are the colonists more concerned with producing electricity for power tools over procuring food and clean water? If civilization really collapsed, shouldn't the survivors take to the road sooner rather than become trapped in an inhospitable city? But since that's a tall order to simulate, what happens is the polar opposite: the colonists are gradually reduced to skin and bones while working overtime on generators and what not, unable to leave until the very last episode. But because their immediate area is too small to begin with and resources within it too scarce, they're inevitably forced to "exit" the colony, at which point the series ends. In both seasons, they scavenge for food and water while working on increasingly elaborate builds to shore up power and improve security. In the series, the "colonists" attempt to survive within a cordoned-off area designed to recreate a post-apocalyptic urban environment. The main problem is the manufactured storyline being superimposed on top of the basic premise. Unlike them, the simulation itself is more fanciful than believable. Like past serials such as 1900 House or Frontier House, the participants are asked to live within a simulated environment. Most shows fail to provide the hoped for cathartic moment, and The Colony in particular stretches credulity more than most. As with many reality TV programs, the ending left me slightly disappointed with the outcome. Season two of Discovery Channel's popular reality TV show The Colony recently concluded on local cable.