Dear TV Producers.....

[bigscoop]

.....this thread is for you, those who might reply WILL NOT chastise or toss about complaints as to what has been produced in the past. What they will do is offer you some educated and experienced opinions and insight into what they would like to see in a treasure hunting related production. So here is a platform where hobbyist and potential producers can come together in the pursuit of a really good production for the masses. Perhaps in return you might provide some insight into what it takes to actually sell the idea to an interested major network. I think this may serve to clear up a lot of the darkness that seems to be restricting the potential joint effort to sell the pursuit. "A little clarity never hurts." So who wants to go first?

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

Amen. Lets put history on the History Channel and give us a show with a description of the factual events know to have occurred at a site, meticulous research and interviews with peer accredited historians and archaeologists. Not looneys and fringe conspiracy theorists.

You CANNOT tell me some local historical societies would not welcome some funding or even just exposure in exchange for access to filming of a dig or site survey.

But I guess discovery of shipbuilding methods, tools and their use, daily household items and such just don't have the general public appeal of a chest of gold or secret societies.

I am absolutely disgusted that the best the "History" Channel can come up with are things like: Swamp People, Pawn Stars (at least the objects are old, I suppose), Ax Men, Top Gear, Ice Road Truckers.

I like shooting sports - but Top Shot has zero historical content. Top Gear - like the English version. The US version should be on an Automotive Channel - there is little history there.

Oh well. I guess it is entertainment if not educational. The shows just seem so predicable and formulaic.

So what would be something good to see? How about a focus on ancient sites that investigates what they really are and not speculation on preposterous claims?

 

[SCdigger]

Frankly, I think Time Team (UK) and Time Team America have got it figured out. Serious approach, with a bit of personality (but not over the top). JMHO...

GT

 

[Clint in KY]

You must understand that the shows that they put on are NOT for the enthusiast. There are too few of us to matter. So they make the show appeal to the masses, who don't care what kind of detector is being used or realize that the way it is being used is incorrect. (BTW - they shoot the "find" sequence long after the item was found - they just go through the motions for the camera)

To appeal to the most folks the subject matter is often the people not the techniques. One show mentioned is Swamp People. You can watch one show and get 90% of method used to catch the alligator. The bulk of the time the talk is about the people, how and why they do what they do. That way the guy in New England who will never get near a live alligator other than on his vacation to Florida has some content to hold his interest.

I still watch shows that show those things in which I am interested, but just for the entertainment, not for the knowledge. If I should happen to learn something, great, but that is not why I parked in front of the boob-toob in the first place.

 

[bigscoop]

I think, and I may be wrong about this so maybe one of the production companies will chime in, but in all fairness I think production companies are often the victims as well, and here's why I say this. These production companies are only pursuing what the major networks desire, perhaps not so much what they might actually pursue on their own. In essence, they are middlemen of sorts, sort of hostages to the demands of the major networks, i.e., not much sense in pursuing anything that steers away from the desires of these networks.

Imagine trying to find knowledgeable and experienced individuals in any specific niche for a production that requires them, and yet the circumstances won't always allow these production companies to conform to the desires and practices of those required individuals. Pretty tough position to be in, I'd say. And let's face it, unless you are truly passionate about our hobby a great deal of it is pretty darn boring to the average viewer. Heck, I am passionate about the hobby and a great deal of the hobby is even boring for me "to watch". So I think some of these production companies are actually between a rock and hard place a great deal of the time.

 

[RustyGold]

We live in an era of Boring TV! I watch some of this stuff because there's nothing else worth watching!

 

[DFX DAVE in M.D.]

I would like to see bottle digging featured in a treasure hunting show, but then again it would let the cat out of the bag to the masses, and everybody would be doing it, Bottle digging is very easy. The hardest part of bottle digging is finding a great dump to dig, and it is quite hard, I exhausted my local area of dumps, lol.

 

[bigscoop]

I would like to see bottle digging featured in a treasure hunting show, but then again it would let the cat out of the bag to the masses, and everybody would be doing it, Bottle digging is very easy. The hardest part of bottle digging is finding a great dump to dig, and it is quite hard, I exhausted my local area of dumps, lol.

You bring up a very interesting point....treasure hunting is a "very broad" hobby, another thorn in the foot of production companies. So even in the niche of treasure hunting there are endless sub-niches of interest.If it is pursued and collected or desired it can fall into the scope of treasure.

Over the years I've pursued a wide range of "treasures" and I still enjoy this wide range of pursuits today, this being the entire focus of next year's planned adventure....."in the pursuit of anything." I was never exposed to bottle hunting until I opened my small collectibles shop, only then did I become exposed to the bottle chase and many other types of pursuits. Believe it or not, this where I discovered that a lot of people are into old buttons, so I started buying old clothes just for the buttons.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

All good points. When the highway dept was putting in a rest area beside the Susquehanna River near Nichols, NY I helped (cub scout - ran a wheelbarrow between tipple screen and dirt heaps) and the actual dig was like watching paint dry. Even when one of the actual participants came across a pottery shard or what have you it had to be measured in place, grid coordinates measured, photographed with a ruler, hair-brushed a little to remove soil and process mostly repeated. There wasn't a lot of "EUREKA! moments with someone waving a treasure in the air. It was fun but would make lousy TV.

Here's an idea:

Series of hunts. Each occurs in a different location. Attractive girl in bikini and handsome partner. Morning spent identifying likely spots and detecting then. Meet back to review finds. Afternoon spent showing how to research them - say coins - using guides and cleaning/preservation techniques and then methods to display or market finds. Segway to upcoming episode by introducing next site and showing how to check maps and gain permissions (as needed). Next episode - jewelry on beaches - next old battlefield - next old fairgrounds - next caches - next old foundations next gold dust/nugget - and so on. Or even full day on site and the other work done days before and after.

Toss in: today's picnic lunch is a light claret with a nice Jarlsburg cheese, dry salami and baguette.

 

[foiler]

I hope they loose interest in the subject matter. Wrong message is being sent. The people I want to see enter the hobby are the ones attracted by people they know that are already involved in metal detecting. A little guidance at the start with proper retrieval techniques and machine operation along with a code of ethics will help keep public sites open to everyone in the future. I hope everyone here is willing to spend a few moments with a newbie when encountered, to start them on the right path.

 

[austin]

Clint in KY is right. TV programs are for the masses and ratings really matter. That secures sponsors. Most enthusiasts watch the shows anyway and many of those viewers become hunters. True of every program. History is provided by a "technical advisor" and may be right or questionable and is usually based on previously written books or nowadays, the internet. Whatever sells stays on the tube...

 

[mikeraydj]

I was in broadcasting for over 30 years, and what happens while detecting is fun for us, but is boring for an observer. Some things don't need their own show.

 

[Peyton Manning]

as I am now out of major movies. I would like to be on a show depicting a competition of guys talking the females on a beach out of their jewelry
I would defeat all comers

 

[BosnMate]

I am absolutely disgusted that the best the "History" Channel can come up with are things like: Swamp People, Pawn Stars (at least the objects are old, I suppose), Ax Men, Top Gear, Ice Road Truckers.

Charlie, I live in Oregon, and between the libs and greenies Ax Men is almost a history show. Very little logging, and basically none of Federal Land.

 

[bigfoot1]

I'm over the shows as they exist...I'm waiting for the perfect detecting show..something like this;

1)the bathing suit beauty waves the start flag and they are off!!!!25 detectorists on quads 20 miles from hunt zone.
2)3 hits from the hidden paintball snipers and your out
3)at the hunt site you may have to defend your ground...mma style..tap out and your gone
4)zinclon=2 shots of sponsers whiskey...can slaw=1 shot...served by scantily clad babes.
5)after the two hour hunt survivors must race back to start point..this time in class 8 super trucks
6)at the"finds"party and competition the ultimate winner gets to go on a hunt anywhere,worldwide of choice.But must first get a tatoo live on camera and cant whine.

now this one I would watch

 

[mikeraydj]

I think there will always be a niche audience. And maybe even a channel. Like the fishing or hunting channel. But mainstream popularity would be tough. I have started watching a BBC comedy called "Detectorists". It has potential.

BBC Four - Detectorists, Episode 1

 

[bigscoop]

I think there will always be a niche audience. And maybe even a channel. Like the fishing or hunting channel. But mainstream popularity would be tough. I have started watching a BBC comedy called "Detectorists". It has potential.

BBC Four - Detectorists, Episode 1

Yep....I can see this show taking wings. I enjoyed watching it.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I think there will always be a niche audience. And maybe even a channel. Like the fishing or hunting channel. But mainstream popularity would be tough. I have started watching a BBC comedy called "Detectorists". It has potential.

BBC Four - Detectorists, Episode 1

It's not a comedy, but it is a really good show that shows us pretty darn accurately. I watched all 6 episodes and has read that it was picked up for a second season so hopefully there will be a lot more episodes next year.

 

[BosnMate]

In order to hold an audience something exciting has to happen. The large nugget, the diamond ring, CSA buckle etc. doesn't happen very often in real life, so they have to manufacture it. I watched a show about a couple of guys looking for stone age relics. At the end the only thing they found was a river cobble in a trail. They then went into a happy dance, and took this plain old rock to a store, where the owner went Ooo, Ooo, Ooo -- and offered them something like $500 for this rock that had no evidence that any human had ever done anything more than go to the bathroom on it. I was born at night, but not last night, and that rock was nothing special, and to anyone with any experience the program was hokey. Seems to me that they could have at least salted the find, after all, it's all a lie anyhow.

 

[ryan cidlowski]

Well its kinda hard to sell to a production company because it still takes money out of you own pocket and not just hundreds more like many thousands, just wrapped up a show for History Channel called Museum Men getting ready to air Nov 29th on H2 but im also gonna sell some real history on a new show about the many Spanish fleets lost off the Florida coast and treasure diving and a lot of history, im also looking for boats and partners.