OT: The Colony (TV)

[Raellus]

I just watched an episode of the Discovery channel TV program, The Colony and, IMHO, it's pretty interesting, as far as reality shows go. The premise is simple: there's been a global pandemic and only a few humans have survived. The show's "cast" of 9 must survive on 10 abandoned city blocks somewhere on the U.S. Gulf Coast (Katrina did a number on their particular neighborhood). I think there's been four or five shows so far, and new ones air on Tuesday evenings here in the States. I just set my DVR to tape a marathon.

It's amazing what a few skilled people can do. In this week's episode, they started building a windmill out of a flagpole, fence slats, bicycle gears and chains, and car axles. It really made me feel useless. I consider myself a very intelligent and knowledgeable person but my lack of practical mechanical skills would pretty much make me dead meat in that kind of scenario.

There are other, hostile humans about as well. It's gotten pretty intense for a reality show. There've been fisticuffs on a couple occasions and at the end of the episode I watched, a female cast member was forcefully kidnapped by three strangers. It was actually really hard to watch.

Anyway, as a post-apoc genre fan, I'm finding the series interesting so far. It may end up inspiring some new ideas for T2K. I'm curious to see others here think of it.

[kcdusk]

Good call Raellus.
I reckon this show has been televised in Australia since the start of the year. I havent ever caught a whole show, but i have seen trailers during the week for upcoming episodes.

I think in early episodes it focuses on group dynamics (leadership etc) and some tasks requiring skills. In later episodes it gets very Twilighty*. As a viewer you can follow the groups logic in arriving at a decision, but the logic they use (at least early on) is based on current day circumstances logic. You find yourself nodding along but your brain screaming "dont do it!" because, as we all know, the Twilight* world is very different. ie be careful helping others ... and protect yourself at all times.

But certainly the show looks good as far as survival skills, leadership arguments, scavenging, be wary of external groups, prepare defenses ... its all here.



* = Twilight and Twilighty used in the acceptable Twilight 2000 sense.

[jester]

This is the second season of that program. The first was on CBS and based in an abandoned wharehouse in Los Angeles.

That was the 3rd episode I beleive. They also repeat on Sats on the Discovery Channel.

You forgot one big thing about their windmill, they are using the alternators they salvaged from cars to generate the power which is pretty good thinking, the gears and such are to give it the propper turning ratio, again some good thinking.

One thing I had pondered as well, why they haven't tried such a thing with the canal as well.

As for being raided, they have been raided at least once an eposide, some pretty brutaly too, with a mob of several dozen, who stormed their house and stole most of their supplies as well. And this season they are a bit more brutal than the first, they made physical contact slamming some of the members to the ground hard enough to scrap their heads and the raiders used liberal dozes of pepper spray too. It all illustrates what the lumberjack girl said in the closes credits, "we're just the general store to them." they just don't take their own security seriously.

Also, in a prior episode, they found half a dozen rotting hog carcases which they rendered for their oil to run the diesel tractor in their yard to give them power and charge their batteries. Not a bad idea either.

The program has ALOT of interesting ideas that could be used for the odd GM who wants to have the PCs as a member of a community trying to get started, or for the PCs to encounter a group of intelligent people who are trying to build their community.

[Targan]

I've read other posts on this forum about the show and I've listened to people talking about it but I've never seen it because I don't have cable TV. I like the idea and I'd love to watch both series. If I were on the program I'd fortify my base as heavily as practically possible (and allowed for in the rules of the program). Any post-apoc genre RPGer and especially any T2Ker would know that things are going to get nasty at some stage when you meet other groups. Thats the post-apoc way. IRL the contestants who didn't take their security seriously would certainly become victims and probably killed and eaten.

[kcdusk]

Does anyone know how the contestants were chosen? Were they just looking to get on any show, or were did they have a T2K bent?

[jester]

I can only go from the CBS networks airing of the program.

They had bios of all the players. And it turned out that alot of them were aspiring actors which raised ALOT of red flags in my mind.

As for watching the program. One used to be able to watch all programs on CBS. They no longer have that feature. As for the Discovery Channel they also do not allow a person to watch a program to completion. But you can see bits and pieces. Also, you can catch the [program in bits and pieces of about 10 minutes on Youtube. So, if you do not have cable you could probably find it on many of a number of internet sites.

[kcdusk]

Originally Posted by jester

They had bios of all the players. And it turned out that alot of them were aspiring actors which raised ALOT of red flags in my mind.

Sheese. Again, i've never seen an episode. But it looks like they are in an abandoned warehouse so maybe we've got the 1st series on now. The ads look "dramatic", but the dialoge looked and sounded ... badly scripted. I dont see the point in having aspiring actors do reality shows ...

[Ramjam]

I've just downloaded all the eps to watch.

I'm half way through the 1st season and yes there are some wonderful ideas for a GM to use, but my mind keeps coming back to one point..........SECURITY.

Maybe it's too many years playing TW2k or just my military training, but I cringed watching some bits of the show.

But all in all a very nice show to watch.

[kcdusk]

Originally Posted by Ramjam

I'm half way through the 1st season and yes there are some wonderful ideas for a GM to use, but my mind keeps coming back to one point..........SECURITY.

Perhaps like alllllll the other reality shows, they think the competition and danger comes from the other members - they think they're competing against each other. Sounds like they havent figured out the real danger is outside their cliche.

[Legbreaker]

It's a "reality" show...
I think I'll give it a miss as I'm sure much, if not just about all, is heavily scripted.

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

It's a "reality" show...
I think I'll give it a miss as I'm sure much, if not just about all, is heavily scripted.

I'm giving this a miss as well. I remember when the first season of Survivor came on. I thought that the show might be interesting. THat year each person was allowed to bring one item to the camp site. I do not remember if there was any limit on that one item.

I was very disappointed to see that NO ONE brought something as simple as a Leatherman tool. I stopped watching at that point.

Mike

[Gamer]

I had to stop watching that "reality" program after the first episode, actually I didn't make it past the first pepper spraying.

In that episode they sprayed it at a range of 2 feet right in the models face.
I've used many types, I've had it used on me in training so I know full well that wasn't "pepper spray" by any means.
Even if it was the weakest brand there was no redding of the eyes, there was no skin irritation around the eyes and nose, there was no labored breathing, there was nothing other then the "acting" that they had been sprayed.
Milk would only counteract the pepper spray if they swallowed it, it would actually do no better than if i peed in her eye to flush it.
The eyes need to be flushed and with more liquid then they had milk.

You guys can like it but the first episode alone had far too many red flags for me to bother with that program anymore.