Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Hooked on How it's Made

This is topic Hooked on How it's Made in forum Grist for the Mill at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by billawaboy (Member # 8182) on :

I have the science channel on cable, and I admit that I recently I have continuously binged over six hours of How It's Made and How do they do it? episodes. Everyday over this week (ok two days so far...) Granted I'm recovering from midterms and I'm looking for any reason to avoid rehitting the books right now - BUT...they're so addictive! I always give myself the excuse that it's research for story ideas.

How else would I know that tungsten carbide is the material used to make the nearly indestructible ball in ball-point pens and is also used in creating armor piercing ammo by the military. Can't a super evil genius use a bunch of ball-point spheres in an evil way? Hmmm, interesting story fodder...See?

Anyone else addicted to shows like that? History channel? Military channel? Supernatural themed shows? religous-themed shows? Nature channels? The new Morgan Freeman physics show? Mythbusters?

Posted by shimiqua (Member # 7760) on :

My husband is addicted to all of the above. I don't know if you watch Science of the Movies, but it's a good time.

I have to say I hate "How It's Made" with a hatred I usually reserve only for Steven Segal "movies." It's the fact that there is no story, and no characters. Bores the skull out of my brain.

I love watching the shows on Nat Geo though. You know those monster ones that always say "Did they find conclusive proof that Big Foot exists, stay tuned", and then eerie music, (Billy Mays commercial break), then cue creepy music silenced by a shot of a scientist saying, "now there isn't any proof that this theory is real, so we can't say for certain." and then the announcer over speaks and says "but there isn't proof that it isn't possible either". Roll Credits to creepy music.

I used to love the History channel, but now its overrun with ghost hunter stuff. I mean I like ghosts, and since they're dead and everything, I guess that makes them history, but that isn't the reason I pay money to watch the channel.

I have pulled story idea's from watching these kind of shows though. Even some that made their way into a story.

Anyway, if you are looking for a good show to lose a few hours in, I suggest you check out Primeval. It's brilliant and campy.
~Sheena

[This message has been edited by shimiqua (edited July 01, 2010).]

Posted by Tiergan (Member # 7852) on :

"How its made" Well, I have been known to watch a few, and will say my kids love it, 4 and 6 year old girls, they love it!! Although they keep asking me what they are making.

But I find myself now more than ever watching History, Discovery and such. Hooked on River Monster, The survival shows, SurvivorMan, Man vx. Wild and such. As I write fantasy in strange worlds, landscape and survival in harsh environments are key to realism.

Posted by billawaboy (Member # 8182) on :

Whoops! I posted in the wrong area. KDW can you move it to grist of the mill? Sorry about that!

Posted by billawaboy (Member # 8182) on :

primeval? i'll look into that. Sound pretty interesting. Like x-files/Fringe?

Survivor shows! I'll love those. Bear grylls! Even the food shows where they eat really nasty things.

Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :

Okay, I moved it.

What's the name of the show where they try to see if super powers and special effects kinds of things really work the way they are shown in the movies?