Hi SwaggersSpot on Dazzler... :cup: :cup: :cup:
As the title suggests why are there no decent 4wd camping / touring shows on commercial TV? Given the market share that 4wd's, camping and touring has in this wonderful country why are we served up such trash as the hour of my life I wasted watching what I hoped would be a decent show. I am not even going to bother naming it but it was such a let down. It actually got in the way of watching the real ads and I didn't know where the show ended and the ads started.
This show, like the others out there, was just lazy. This particular show was on the birdsville track (or the oodnadatta track maybe I lost my way amongst the ads). Is it just me or do all these shows follow a similar theme;
1. Its in 'outback' Australia
2. There is the obligatory 'character' who is normally some sort of dero that broke down in some crap hole and never had the sense to move on.
3a What this dero has to say is supposed to keep us interested.
3. Every campsite stopped at is privately owned and most often the owner just happens by.
4. Every stop presents the opportunity to sell us another product that we couldnt do without .
Some jems from todays effort;
- Two of the hosts kids giving a rundown on what they love about their new swags. Thank god they had been to Rays Outdoors in the previous infomercial otherwise they would not have known what to say. (And they had three different swags from the same range - who'd have thought.)
- A Hema maps ipad app review. No price and no mention whether it works with or without the 4g model ipad. This may be important if you actually are going to use it.
- Apparently I need a set of rear draws and a bullbar to carry my driving lights, UHF aerial and winch bar. No mention of a tirfor or other recovery gear. Luckily, there was a factory tour of the company that makes the bullbar and rear drawers so I know where to go.
If you are going to make a show on a particular track do you think it may help to say where it starts and ends?
Maybe how many k's it is.
What about whether you can make it without carrying spare fuel.
Where to stay (and not just private places and pls say how much it is to stay)
Do you need to book places?
What would be a good itinerary?
What type of vehicle do you need? Heavy, medium or light?
Whats the minimum recovery gear you need? Is it a snatch strap and rated recovery points due to the high number of vehicles. Is it a full kit?
Where the hell can you get bloody potable water on the trip?
Does anyone really care what 5yo billy has been told to say about a product.
I suppose I was spared a crap stupid cooking lesson on this episode so maybe there is an upside.
I understand supplier agreements when making these shows but surely it can be done better than this. I know, and you would have to be pretty dopey to not know, that not one part of the show meant anything real. Does it really transfer to after show sales?
This particular program could have been so much better with just a little effort. Do you think its possible to make a 4wd touring show that relies on the actual ads sold in the breaks to make it viable? One where there are actual real life tests of products with real outcomes and recommendations?
(Apologies if this has been discussed before)
Bring back Russell Coight ;D
Mark
Harry Butler in the Wild was another "real" travel/outdoors show that had real content. Agree with above comment RE ads paying for the show. The actual show should not be an ad, otherwise it belongs in the 2am time slot with all the other home shopping shows.
Bring back Russell Coight ;DYes!! I agree bloody legend :cup:
Mark
Bring back Alby Mangels for mine.
Bring back Russell Coight ;D
Mark
.............I think I might start my own 'Dannys outback adventures' youtube channel, and my signature clothing could be my undies pulled up my bum? :D
......and a flanny shirt...... ;D ;D
Good post, BTW.......
yeh the flanny is a given.....I could see it now......driving an old 4.2 Patrol, towing a home built camper.....representing 'real' aussies.......flanny on, undies up the bum........ I might put it too some tv executives? lol
I did just that last night in a pm to Carlysle Rodgers but I'm not expecting to get a reply back :police:
So sponsors are a necessary evil but when it is at the cost of the content of the show then it is a shame.
Someone mentioned writing to the shows host and giving feed back on what we would have preferred to see, so maybe thats an approach to take. It would be nice to see the sponsors in the ad's during the show and not using up air time of the actual show by having the host cover them instead of covering the real content.
I think I might start my own 'Dannys outback adventures' youtube channel,
I did just that last night in a pm to Carlysle Rodgers but I'm not expecting to get a reply back :police:
A group of guys in the US ate doing a web series at the moment
www.expeditionoverland.com (http://www.expeditionoverland.com)
Professionally done and I'm enjoying the 6 episodes so far
A group of guys in the US ate doing a web series at the moment
http://www.xoverland.com/videos.html (http://www.xoverland.com/videos.html)
Professionally done and I'm enjoying the 6 episodes so far
xcvator,
This is mostly in response to your message, but I'm going to throw it out there for everyone.
The good old days are the good old days because, and this is an important distinction, they don't exist any more.
If someone showed up to the offices of any network television station with a tape looking anything like Malcolm Douglas' material, they would be at best ignored, but more than likely laughed out of the building.
I love his stuff, and have watched plenty, but that doesn't mean it would stand up in today's crowded market. If I travelled to most of the places he travelled with his trusty dog, and dared take a dog with me, we would both be kicked out without warning by some zealous ranger.
The world has changed.
Without commercial sponsors, there can be no production. Your favourite movies all have Coca-Cola, cigarettes, clothing and all of the ephemera of daily life carefully placed into the hands of the actors - this is part of how they fund the form, which you still have to pay to see.
Pat Callinan has managed to get 4WDing onto network television for the first time in decades, albeit on a Saturday afternoon. The boys from All4Adventure, despite their down home credibility, same slot.
When 4WD Touring Australia gets a free-to-air slot, I doubt they will be placing us on Tuesday nights at 8pm as we will be soon on Foxtel again.
No, prime time has no place for us, and it is not our fault. Between Masterchef, Botox with the Stars, Australian Idol and Survivor, there is little room for a real traveller spending time in the Australian bush just having a good time and sharing it.
And if you aren't on prime time, then the soap powder companies aren't going to pay the network a fortune to sell dish detergent to the viewers. So guys like Pat, Jase and myself, not to mention Simon Christie and anyone else out there trying to do what they love for a living, must fund our existence with sponsorships.
The straight ad model may have worked in 1982. The pyramid scheme of the housing market worked then, too. But that doesn't mean they work now.
The shows that I and my colleagues make represent an alternative to the drivel of prime-time television. The problem isn't that we are commercially hungry - it is that 90% of viewers would rather watch My Kitchen Rules.
If 90% of the TV viewing public wanted to watch a 4WD travel show, then we wouldn't ever need to mention what gear we use - we wouldn't have to.
Just like in the old days.
Carlisle
Not sure if many remember this one
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RadNxWrePsw (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RadNxWrePsw)
I rang Keith Adams many years ago and had a good chat to him about the car he took. I ordered the DVD and book all signed by him.
Wow the adventure without all the mod cons. Could today's 4wd hosts and i suppose many of us do what he did back then.
A great DVD to watch. He passed away a few years ago.
Mark
xcvator,
This is mostly in response to your message, but I'm going to throw it out there for everyone.
The good old days are the good old days because, and this is an important distinction, they don't exist any more.
If someone showed up to the offices of any network television station with a tape looking anything like Malcolm Douglas' material, they would be at best ignored, but more than likely laughed out of the building.
. If I travelled to most of the places he travelled with his trusty dog, and dared take a dog with me, we would both be kicked out without warning by some zealous ranger.
Without commercial sponsors, there can be no production. Your favourite movies all have Coca-Cola, cigarettes, clothing and all of the ephemera of daily life carefully placed into the hands of the actors - this is part of how they fund the form, which you still have to pay to see.
Pat Callinan has managed to get 4WDing onto network television for the first time in decades, albeit on a Saturday afternoon. The boys from All4Adventure, despite their down home credibility, same slot.
When 4WD Touring Australia gets a free-to-air slot, I doubt they will be placing us on Tuesday nights at 8pm as we will be soon on Foxtel again.
No, prime time has no place for us, and it is not our fault
The shows that I and my colleagues make represent an alternative to the drivel of prime-time television. The problem isn't that we are commercially hungry - it is that 90% of viewers would rather watch My Kitchen Rules.
and that's exactly what i did on the weekend also. as much as i wanted to watch Pat whilst he travelled through an area we ourselves travelled 2 years back, 10 minutes into the show i lost interest switched the telly off and went and surfed the net on the computer instead.
There can only be 1 outcome in this scenario.
Either joe public swallows this 2nd rate stuff and it will continue to be producedorHe can hit the "off" button ( guess what I'm doing)
.
Is there really any final frontiers out there that has not been discovered.
Mark
Hi Swaggers
If you are going to make a show on a particular track do you think it may help to say where it starts and ends?
Maybe how many k's it is.
What about whether you can make it without carrying spare fuel.
Where to stay (and not just private places and pls say how much it is to stay)
Do you need to book places?
What would be a good itinerary?
What type of vehicle do you need? Heavy, medium or light?
Whats the minimum recovery gear you need? Is it a snatch strap and rated recovery points due to the high number of vehicles. Is it a full kit?
Where the hell can you get bloody potable water on the trip?
Does anyone really care what 5yo billy has been told to say about a product.
I suppose I was spared a crap stupid cooking lesson on this episode so maybe there is an upside.
I think a lot of what people are asking for is in the 4WD Action DVD's.
Old 4wd's, old well used gear, tracks that are usually interesting and not your normal iconic 4wd/touring destinations, they usually contain enough relevant information to help the average punter do the track, they showcase their sponsors during the ad breaks but the persona of the presenters annoy a lot of people. Cant win! ;)
Ive probably open a can of worms with that statement!
.... not so much the Roothy character, John himself is a lovely bloke and would prefer to just see him be himself rather than XXXX swigging bogan that is expectedthat right there puts me off the whole thing..
What's wrong with getting On Top Down Under with Penny Wells? Snigger snigger.Buggard if I can remember anything about her show :angel: :angel:
Here is a preview
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RadNxWrePsw (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RadNxWrePsw)
At 4.52 you will see some really tough 4wd ;D
Carlisle I would maybe consider her instead of Craig ;D
Mark
Paul...behave.
I was watching Simon Christies show today and at the end he had a bit of a rant saying he wanted to categorically state he wanted nothing to do with the 4x4 shows in brisbane this weekend and Melbourne later this year and that he was only going to support some other one. He gave a rather pointed reason why indicating that the only one he was going to support was genuine and what 4x4 enthusiasts really want etc etc.not sure exactly what he's on about but i have an idea... i heard some very interesting talk at a party last night about several well know people in the 4wd industry and future shows. i don't know the full details or certainty of it happening so won't say who they are or what they are doing, but there's definately some interesting stuff happening behind the scenes in the 4wd industry at the moment.
Anyone know what all this was about?