Interesting new reality show on Discovery Channel starting July 21. Ten strangers trying to survive an unspecified disaster. Will be interesting to see the ETS community's take on it after episodes air.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/colony/colony.html


The Colony Group

What would you do in the wake of a global catastrophe? How would you find food? Water? Shelter?

The Colony is a controlled experiment to see exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild under these circumstances. For 10 weeks, a group of 10 volunteers, whose backgrounds and expertise represent a cross-section of modern society, are isolated in an urban environment outside Los Angeles and tasked with creating a livable society.

With no electricity from the grid, no running water and no communication with the outside world, all the volunteers have to work with are their skills and whatever tools and supplies they can scavenge from their surroundings.

Experts from the fields of homeland security, engineering and psychology have helped design the world of The Colony to reflect elements from both real-life disasters and models of what the future could look like after a global viral outbreak.

Over the course of the 10-week experiment, the Colonists must work together to build the necessities of survival, such as a water-filtration system, a battery bank that powered their electricity, a solar cooker, a shower system and a greenhouse – and even some niceties (a coffee maker!).

Tune in Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 10 p.m. ET/PT to see who thrives and who fails to survive


more detail:

The experiment takes place within an abandoned 50,000-square foot warehouse located on a three-and-a-half acre plot in downtown Los Angeles. The warehouse is infested with rats and pigeons, two urban creatures that are likely to survive in the event of a global disaster. In fact, the entire warehouse setting was designed by homeland security, engineering, and psychology experts, who based it on what real-life examples and predictive models suggest a post-catastrophe society might look like. Various tools and food items will be sparsely and strategically placed around the warehouse to represent the resources that might realistically be available to survivors of an urban disaster.

Hmmm... I just hope that isn't like all of these "reality" shows, an interesting idea that usually turns into crap once the editing starts.

Having worked behind the scenes of some "reality" television and seen just what kind of manipulations of reality take place for dramatic effect, I don't expect much.

I will say that I'd be more likely to watch something like this on the Discovery Channel rather than on MTV. I'd really like to see at least one of these type shows portray what can happen when people work together for a common goal instead of making it a "last man standing" kind of thing. But apparently the producers have decided that their audiences prefer the absurdity of "Survivor" with the theoretical reality that a show like this one could produce.

If things go like most reality shows do, we'll all have our heroes and villains picked out by the 3rd week...;^)

In the meantime, I'll hit up some sources and see if I can find the building that they used...

Interesting. I'll record the first episode or two and see how it goes. But any Real World type-shenanigans or anything of that nature and I stop watching...

I just hope that they keep it simple - no instruction book, no clues in envelopes, just drop them off and say "GO!"

a 50,000 sq ft warehouse? Wow I have to see this set up. That is basically the size of a super market and thats their environment?

Perhaps if they are supposed to be Bugging In, this will work. I will have faith it will be compelling. I will keep an open mind. I wouldn't have minded them using say a gated community instead, with lots of houses, some destroyed, some livable and finding things to help them along as they progress through the community and connect with people.

Do you think there will be Zombies outside trying to get in. haha.

Downtown LA? There will be NO shortage of Zombies at Anytime!LOL!

It seems these reality shows focus far too much on the interpersonal conflicts and not enough on substance. I understand that getting along with others in the group is paramount, but I would rather see the skills demonstrations take up more air time. Even Les Stroud's "Survive This" has far too much drama for my taste, but what do you expect from a gaggle of teens? If you put some of the kids from this forum together in a group, I'd say the outcome would be much different, and Les might be told to go away, because they are having too much fun going native. Ha!

Maybe buy one of the neiborhoods in Michigan that the cities where talking about down sizing and use that.

One thing that I am concerned about is of the producers will push them toward a "Green" alterntive to work with, and promote some of the other things that I have been seeing on that network. Not that I am not in favor of useing those alterntives but realistly how many solar pannels are just sitting around waiting to be setup.

I think the Discovery Channel has a better chance than most of making it a watchable show, More about how a group will work together to survive, rather that about the in fighting about who is doing more work.

Wow. great point Cap613. What will be a self-generated survival concept voted on by the people involved or what will the producers direct them to do.

Over on the program's website they show some of the stuff they built. In one case they built an electrical power system using solar panels they removed from traffic signs. They even built a sun-tracking system for it to maximize the power output.

Another thing they built was a woodgas generator to power a small gasoline motor. Woodgas is basically just the flammable gases produced by wood as it is converted to charcoal. It's not a very green energy source as you are still releasing carbon dioxide. So I'd say they aren't limited to just green possibilities.

-Blast

I have caught a couple of commercials, and, although I couldnt tell specifically what they were using it for, they appeared to have either a diesel or oil burner going. I did not even think of the "green" concept being pushed...thats a good call. Although, if it came down to being green, or being alive, well, I am sure we all would choose the same.
I dont think that finding solar panels in the LA area would be all that hard though, depending on how far out you would look. It looks interesting, to say the least...I, for one, will be tuning into it.

Sounds like it will be interesting.

So is the warehouse their limit or can they venture outside into the lot?

Discovery Channel, enough said don't bother.

It appears they can venture out, but that there are as yet unspecified risks associated with leaving the compound.

see... Zombies. I told you.

Looking forward to all the rat-pigeon recipes. What kind of wild edibles grow in a warehouse?

---"unspecified risks"---

It's Los Angeles in a warehouse district. What more could you ask for in the risk department.

From watching a clip on YouTube, it looks like it's going to be Lord of the Flies meets Junkyard Wars. Might be interesting.

I saw a show with a title something like "There goes the neighborhood". They actually put up a huge 12 - 20 foot wall around something like 8 hours. No TV. No internet. No contact with the outside. They're supposed to "survive". Of course, the show had some "challenge" the families could do. I do not remember the name.

Did anyone watch this program? I got sucked into Hells Kitchen and totally missed it.

Watched Hells Kitchen, recorded The Colony on DVR & watched it last night...first take on this show was that at least it may make some people think, the premise is interesting...

It seems to have some promise, but as with any television program, it is scripted (or at least guided) which limits things some times.

They are stuck in a HUGE warehouse that seems to be ripe with everything they need. But, you need that in a show like this. It'll help people open their mind.

The one thing that made me cringe: The younger woman (23 y/o Mechanical Engineer ) started telling the new people exactly how much food and water they had, where they got it, and where it's stored. Call me paranoid, but I don't think I'd do that.

At some point in the recent past I set The Colony to record on DVR. I haven't seen it yet but will try this weekend.

It is on Tuesdays, 10pm, Discovery Channel

I finally saw it. Meh. Its okay. Hoping it gets better. I got the strong sense that some of this stuff was moved along by technical advisers.

I call B.S.

Of course the producers have to keep the actors (I call them actors after seeing some shows detailing the fakery done in reality shows)"safe".

I watched the clips on the internet and noticed a severe shortage of edged weapons when they trooped out to forage. They can manufacture a fairly complicated generator but they can't master sharpening some metal shanks? Riiiight.

The implausiblity of it all...not one marauder has a firearm. Not one colonist has a firearm. Convenient...for the producers.

I also liked how the contractor did a dumb tactical move...run (ahead of your group) toward your opponent, then when the opponent retreats, give chase. Ever hear of an ambush, dude? I wonder if modern man has learned anything since Hastings, 1066?

I was also intrigued by the vet who said he wouldn't plan anything until they went outside and had a look around. Huh? Recon in daylight without a plan? Okaaaaay. Doesn't make sense to me. And his brilliant non-planning really paid off when they were trying to get the animals back into the warehouse. It looked like they were herding cats.

Geez, if things were as bad as they make it sound (TEOTWAWKI), you'd need a plan from the first step out that building.

Once again, I call B.S., like any "reality" show.

Except Les'. Or maybe the SAS one, that seemed pretty good.

I watched it this week. Didnt like it at all. To me, it simply seems WAY too scripted. And, the fact that they have several advisors working with them, off camera...well, kinda defeats the purpose. And, when the "marauders" came in...it was like a post-apocalyptic B movie. Hoenstly, didnt care for it at all. The personalities are horrible, there are like 4 leaders, and everyone else is a follower...if I were in that group, I'd join up with the marauders. At least they have transportation .

Discovery is just playing on everyone's false fear of motorcyclist with their marauders.

If you saw me on my bike, you would run the kids inside and lock the doors. If you came to see me at my former fixed location office, you would think I was the CEO of a major wireless company. I think there are a few grains of good stuff, but a little salt may be needed.

I agree-they are playing on typecasting people. Personally, I have a LOT of friends who are bikers, and are trying to convert me. These are some of the most charitable, honest people I know. But, before this goes all political, I just have to say that the one guy threatening the bikers on that show was amusing, to say the least. A few too many movies that boy has seen...lol

Well lets not blame the bikers for bringing the show down. The bikers are constructs of hyper reality. In movies from Mad Max to Stone Cold to books like Patriots and Lights Out, to the more recent FX show Son's of Anarchy, not to mention the already legendary real exploits of Hells Angels, Outlaws and Bandidos outlaw gangs, society has a misconception of bikers.

Watching epi#2, I am still not fully set on the show, I will probably watch the rest of it. If nothing else makes me think about things.

LOL. I thought that was funny as well about who is there. What no "harried stay at home mom", no "executive assistants" (it is LA right?)

it's all arm-chair-quarterbacking which is why I am watching. Half is sorting what I would do, how I would act and half is figuring out what is plausible and what is staged.

I will say that fricken wood combustive system was slick.

The handy man gets on my nerves but then again so do a lot of folks.

He has some good insight and ideas though.

I like the garbage can filtration system they set up, and watching them work on the wood gas generator was just plain interesting.

The foraging is a bit cheesy and contrived. I'd have more than a stick for defense.

In the absence of firearms, the old ways come to mind (spear and shield).

I'm surprised that the guy with military experience had the foraging party so exposed and spread out. If you lose one person to injury or death, then the whole group is in trouble.

Also, fortifying the warehouse with redundant layers of hard defense (physical barriers, etc) sort of how old castles were set up seems like a good idea if you were really worried about marauders.

Samhain, I agree with you on the weapons/defense part. If the "marauders" were a TRUE threat, defense would come first-body, then home.
I also agree with the comments of the hand picked survivors-real world, I HIGHLY doubt you would have such a well rounded group, at least initially. Just for fun, if it were to happen in my community, you would likely find:

a firefighter.
3-4 bartenders
a handful of mechanics
Administrative people (most people in my town commute to Boston for work)-these would make up the majority of the "survivors"
Several active duty national guard or reserve people-all admin: mechanics, medics, paper pushers.
And me. But, I would be a marauder, so I dont really count