For a few months I had seen promos (excellent lead in commercials for it BTW on a marketing standpoint) for a Travel Channel / Discovery Channel series '1000 Places to See Before You Die' that borrowed from the premise of the book by the same name. I was especially interested since it was being broadcast on Discovery HD so that I would really get to see some quality pictures. The concept was great, however the execution has been quite disappointing.
Apparently some newlywed couple, 'The Ulles', was chosen for this 14 week trip and I do not think they could have found any any less energetic or vapid set of people. The host female is one of the most lackluster people I have seen on TV. She seems the only-go-to-college-to-find-a-husband kind of person as conveyed in the movie 'Mona Lisa Smiles' and has absolutely no ambition. The only thing typically out of her mouth in every episode is 'wow' or 'I cannot believe that ...' and it seems they had done absolutely no research regarding any site they visited. Maybe the producers wanted them to first learn of things as they are experiencing it, but it makes them seem more ignorant than anything else. It feels like watching a pair of sorority and fraternity rejets. Clothing is a typical style of 'fashion' expected from a rich background and worn without thought as to local custom (such as shorts in middle India). Neither are up to attempting anything outside of their norm. Even the comments they have on the website 'photos' is extremely dumbed down and even idiotic.
I had hoped it would involve more information about the interesting sights around each region, not just the big hotels and contact plugs. The Paris show spent a good bit of the time involving their learning how to ride a Segway while Venice had them playing with pigeons in the park, ignoring the Louvre, museums, or other such sites. I hope the Discovery Channel really places more thought on the kind of person they get to host futures shows. I am sure it was a great opportunity for this couple, however they just seemed to have squandered it with a lack of consideration, knowledge, and personality. They honestly seem to be more interested in showing off and looking good than in having any real sense of adventure.
I had looked forward to the show as a means of reviews sites that I might someday like to visit, but it is just too uncomfortable to watch. I really do not hope that there really are that many people out there like these two.
Again, cool concept, horrible execution. Yeah, I'm a bit moody this week. A lot happening on several fronts. at least I'm looking forward to the potential opportunity of seeing the shuttle lauch from Cape Canaveral on Friday if I can get everything I need completed.
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4 comments:
Dang, now you'll have to do it for yourself!!!
First off, it's the Travel Channel.
I consider the Ullies to be a better than average American middle class couple in regard to the rest of the world--people who don't know all that much about the spots they're going to, but more than open-minded enough to have their viewpoints changed. If you bring in a well-travelled couple it loses the fresh discovery feeling I'm sure you felt when you first went somewhere truly foreign to you. If you don't have that you lose the majority of your viewing audience considering most Americans have writte-off traveling to places such as Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, et cetera.
I actually love the show, I hope it opens Americans minds' about taking in a different viewpoint. I enjoy watching it because, although I will be more informed about where I'm visiting, I hope to go to many of the places they adventured through. I'm glad whenever I see others being changed by travel, and above all it keeps me focused on my main goal of traveling more....
The Travel Channel (as is TLC) is owned by the the parent company of the Discovery Channel. I had been watching the show on Discovery HD for the picture quality and since they don't show commercials.
The problem I have with it is that they are just so extremely static. Most of what they say tends to be the same phrases, and they really don't seem to be opening up to new things. In the India episode they are told several times that the level of dress is inappropiate, yet though they reluctantly tried on new stuff, it didn't seem to last. In Cambodia the guy said something like 'we'll do our part to get the word oit' in reference to the killing fields. Yeah, exactly what is he doing I wonder. It is just typical ignorant rhetoric it seems.
They just do not seem to be learned in any area and don't offer anything of interest. As I said, they might be interesting to people that have absolutely no understanding of outside culture and are as ignorant as these two being shown.
I find that sad. Thanks for sharing your opinion however.
I will have to say that I agree with both--your point and landon's. It is sad that the TC has to put on two dopes with little interest other than being on TV. But this is the reality. I would hope the show might open Americans to travel instead of tourism. Like how Americans are opening up to better food. Americans travel they way they eat crappy food at any given franchise.
I think that I watched a few episodes for the same curiosity of the places, but the couple bored me. They're not only ignorant of other cultures, but their own too, as in the Hawaii episode when they listened to the WWII vet who witnessed Pearl Harbor.
They're both hot though, and sexy people are the only people that can get Americans into any subject. That's so the TC can get 80% of the population to watch. Look at all the sexy talking-heads on the news, as opposed to Jim Lehr on PBS. No one wants to fu%k Jim except for maybe someone who likes what comes out of his head.
I do like Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe/Latin America. She does show interest in the places, although I don't really care for the shopping part. But she does show museums and nightlife and the locals.
When I went to Argentina and Brazil, most of my relatives asked, "Why'dja go there?" One cousin said, "Since I took the cruise to Bermuda, I will never travel any other way." I guess that many Americans who work way too much find travel to be more work, so they need to vacate, hence the use of the word "vacation".
Stick to the internet for travel, I feel.
Good topic on your blog though.
Chris
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