For my Survivialist Nutjob Homies - The Colony.
The Colony(Wiki)
The Location(Google Earth) - Supposedly this is the site of the warehouse. Doesn't look like it though.
The Colony (Discovery Website)
For some reason Discover provides sharing and embed code for everything BUT livejournal so I've provided the links below. The Colony is basically an 'experiment' pitting 10 specialized civillians and sticking them in a simulated situation wherein a viral outbreak has decimated the planet and they are forced to survive. They have nothing but the clothes on their back - no go bags, no car, no tools and apparently a large section of Los Angels, where the warehouse they end up in is located, has been cordoned off or evacuated or something in order to give the impression that the place is deserted (either that or its' really good CGI).
Yes, it's a scripted reality show. Yes these people are actors and supposedly 'real people'. But overall it's entertaining for pseudo-survivalist nutters like me. Hell the only thing really missing is zombies and then it'd be a real party. They end up holding up in an abandoned warehouse/factory which looks as though it might have been used as an auto shop at one point. It is of course very obviously used to help them stay alive. Various challenges are presented to them to over come - not in a 'Survivor pick from the hat' sort of way, but in a 'Dude there's somebody banging on the door with a fricken battering ram' type of way.
Edit: Oh and I forgot, before being sent into the zone the survivors are supposedly kept awake for 30 hours in order to simulate the exhaustion with survival during the first critical days. Dunno how truthful that is or not.
Episode 1: Power Struggle
Episode 2: Comfort In Chaos
Episode 3: Safety and Security
Episode 4: A Stranger Among Us
Thus far they've done some pretty innovative things to survive they also do some really stupid shit that had I or most of my friends been in the group would have never happened. They acknowledge that in disaster/emergency scenarios you have certain priorities based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
That sort of thing.
They also have various sidebars by supposed crisis specialists - security, psychology, doctors and stuff who aren't directly invovled in what's going on but make commentary to let the viewer know what is going on and in some cases the 'correct' course of action in the situation might be.
It's an interesting show and it's given me quite a few ideas here and there and even shown me some things I hadn't thought about or known about. For example, apparently when you heat up wood but don't allow it to burn it produces a flamable gas called Wood Gas which can then be used to power stuff like, in their case, a pressure washer motor which they rig up to a pair of car alternatores and a bank of old car batteries to produce and store electricity.
Check it out if you haven't already. It will probably give you a few ideas too. It's an interesting show if a bit contrived in some places and one dude seriously over-reacts to the point where he's in need of a clue by four. You'll know him when you see him. You'll probably want to bust him in the face too.
What would really be interesting, but depressing, would be if 10 random people were put in this situation instead of 10 handpicked people who have important useful skillsets.
For example instead of having an engineer and a construction worker and a doctor and a fitness instructor/martial artists randomly send in with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
How about:
Oh, and there should be zombies.
The Location(Google Earth) - Supposedly this is the site of the warehouse. Doesn't look like it though.
The Colony (Discovery Website)
For some reason Discover provides sharing and embed code for everything BUT livejournal so I've provided the links below. The Colony is basically an 'experiment' pitting 10 specialized civillians and sticking them in a simulated situation wherein a viral outbreak has decimated the planet and they are forced to survive. They have nothing but the clothes on their back - no go bags, no car, no tools and apparently a large section of Los Angels, where the warehouse they end up in is located, has been cordoned off or evacuated or something in order to give the impression that the place is deserted (either that or its' really good CGI).
Yes, it's a scripted reality show. Yes these people are actors and supposedly 'real people'. But overall it's entertaining for pseudo-survivalist nutters like me. Hell the only thing really missing is zombies and then it'd be a real party. They end up holding up in an abandoned warehouse/factory which looks as though it might have been used as an auto shop at one point. It is of course very obviously used to help them stay alive. Various challenges are presented to them to over come - not in a 'Survivor pick from the hat' sort of way, but in a 'Dude there's somebody banging on the door with a fricken battering ram' type of way.
Edit: Oh and I forgot, before being sent into the zone the survivors are supposedly kept awake for 30 hours in order to simulate the exhaustion with survival during the first critical days. Dunno how truthful that is or not.
Episode 1: Power Struggle
Episode 2: Comfort In Chaos
Episode 3: Safety and Security
Episode 4: A Stranger Among Us
Thus far they've done some pretty innovative things to survive they also do some really stupid shit that had I or most of my friends been in the group would have never happened. They acknowledge that in disaster/emergency scenarios you have certain priorities based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
- Air
- Water
- Food
- Shelter
- Security
That sort of thing.
They also have various sidebars by supposed crisis specialists - security, psychology, doctors and stuff who aren't directly invovled in what's going on but make commentary to let the viewer know what is going on and in some cases the 'correct' course of action in the situation might be.
It's an interesting show and it's given me quite a few ideas here and there and even shown me some things I hadn't thought about or known about. For example, apparently when you heat up wood but don't allow it to burn it produces a flamable gas called Wood Gas which can then be used to power stuff like, in their case, a pressure washer motor which they rig up to a pair of car alternatores and a bank of old car batteries to produce and store electricity.
Check it out if you haven't already. It will probably give you a few ideas too. It's an interesting show if a bit contrived in some places and one dude seriously over-reacts to the point where he's in need of a clue by four. You'll know him when you see him. You'll probably want to bust him in the face too.
What would really be interesting, but depressing, would be if 10 random people were put in this situation instead of 10 handpicked people who have important useful skillsets.
For example instead of having an engineer and a construction worker and a doctor and a fitness instructor/martial artists randomly send in with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
How about:
- An overweight gamer skilled in electronics
- A redneck hill billy who knows how to make his own bullets and guns, plant crops and hunt
- A fat paranoid, security concious computer programmer zombie enthusiast who can fish
- A trained psychologist who also happens to be a martial artist
- A trained nurse
- An armed police officer who was a former marine
- A dental assistant
- A car salesman
- A lawyer
- A conservative TV pundit
Oh, and there should be zombies.