Leo, I have been enjoying Reality Reduced, too. Thanks for not shouting into the camera or mimicking that football announcer voice that lots of people seem to think they need to do to hold an audience's attention. Adam
I found the host's enthusiasm over the top as well. Same with Geo Beach on the Tougher in Alaska series. A good show to watch with the kids, however.
Enjoyed the show and glad to see anything about railroads on these channels. Also agree with many others the host was a little over the top. This was not a kids show but that is how this guy came across to me. Hopefully it will get better.
Any chance of you sharing the copy of that? I been looking at all my spots for video and cant find it yet.
I was just happy to finally see a program like this. I only discovered it about 10 min before the show started. I usually miss these things. I really enjoyed it and I actually learned some things. Don't fully understand the "EXTREME" aspect of it, but oh well. I also agree with most everyone else that the host wasn't that great, but I didn't fall asleep so I guess maybe he wasn't that bad.
Free download For those with Itunes the whole episode is availiable for free download. This weeks episode is freight trains I believe.
I have only seen one episode on it, the show last Tuesday about the Acela. It's hard for me to relate to east coast railroading, because I've only been on the East Coast once, and that was a brief trip to Washington, D.C. I did visit Washington Union Station on that trip, so that I could relate to. Still, it was interesting enough that I will keep watching, at least for a while. I did not notice the host yelling or really hyper. I do hope he will come west, too. How does he get access to some of these areas?
My wife and I both laughed at the host throwing his hands down all the time and saying, "This is what it's all about!" All things considered, it's sure better than political ads!!!!!!!!! And we loved the Cajon Pass footage on the second episode - the wife kept say, "Hey I know were that is!" We'll watch the rest. That's what it's all about!
I too watched the Acela episode. It seems like the host calmed down a bit from the other two episodes I watched. The programme is quite informative if you get past the host.
Just a quick program note, at 1:00PM CST the History Channel is running all three episodes back to back for those that missed them.
I finally watched the coal train episode on the History Channel website with my 12 year old. I guess it worked because he really liked it...and now he wants to go to Horseshoe next summer. Like a lot of History shows, it is what it is. I was a little shell-shocked by the time this one was over though. I guess the PanAm (where the host works) might be a quieter place when Matt Bown is out doing video because that guy is miles over the top. :tb-wacky: As a veteren of hundreds of kid-vids about trains with the younger son, I thought I'd be able to handle it better. The hyper-host is waaaay too enthusiastic for most of us over the age of about 14. On the whole, I'd say it was a 6 or 7 out of 10. I wish they'd get all the facts right though, stop trying to make everything sound quite so dangerous and quit with so many fast-forwards. The best line was the over-excited Bown falling all over himself asking the helper engineer if he was scared going over the mountain...this is a guy who's probably shoved more trains than he can remember, knows exactly what he's doing and could most likely do it blindfolded. For all the arm waving and hollering, the pusher's only answer was a flat out "No." Welcome to the big time, Matt.
I watched it again last night, he did actually come out to my neck of the woods. Sort of, since it was the UP Produce Express that starts at a company called Railex, located in Wallula, Washington, south of Pasco, Washington. He does seem a little too enthusiastic, but maybe you have to admire the man, after all he's doing a really fun job. I still wonder, though, how he gets access and permission to do these things? Anyone know?
The program shows railroads in a very positive way, on-time, efficient, and high moral. I'm guessing, but I think the railroads would be happy for the free advertising. After all, corporate shippers/managers look at these shows too. Also, their kids might be asking "Mommy/Daddy, do you use trains???"
I found it funny how following the UP train they showed all the UP territory, and lots of side things, then, in the last 2 minutes jumped from Nebraska to New York and showed them unloading. UP didn't want anything about the part of the trip made on someone else's tracks shown, I guess. It was a weird transition that might make some sense to a railfan, but I fear it just looked like bad editing to most of the public. Still, very slight improvements with each episode. If they could just keep the camera up at eye level, rather than at the camera man's knees at some odd angle.
