TV SHOWS METAL DETECTING AND GOLD PROSPECTING.

Keppy

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Now on the 3 metal detecting shows on tv they all sort of bore me and do not hold my interest ................. Now when i watch Tom Massie on his tv show ..Gold Fever.. The start of his show is pretty darn funny to me................. But once he starts the show.... It never bores me and it is a very interesting show and i watch the whole show...& i watch both Gold Fever shows on Saturday..................... So some were down the line i think the metal detecting shows should learn from his show............... For the 3 metal detecting shows i can never watch the entire show and some weeks i do not even watch them ................ So Tom Massie has a lot better show a very good show.....Thumbs up for Tom & Gold Fever..................................AND thumbs down for the 3 metal detecting shows..........
 

kayden

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Keppy I think the snow will be gone soon to get rid of that cabin fever your getting!
 

JmCraz8

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What time does the gold fever show come on I've never heard of it?
 

Minrelica

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I watch just about every possible treasure hunting show you can think of including some that are not even televised in the USA... By far the best for me has been Mud Men, the mud larkers from the UK... Other shows could learn a lot from this one.
 

gerryk

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What is this tom massie show? I only know of two detecting shows, diggers and boom baby. What is the third?
 

Jim C

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Feb 16, 2013
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Now on the 3 metal detecting shows on tv they all sort of bore me and do not hold my interest ................. Now when i watch Tom Massie on his tv show ..Gold Fever.. The start of his show is pretty darn funny to me................. But once he starts the show.... It never bores me and it is a very interesting show and i watch the whole show...& i watch both Gold Fever shows on Saturday..................... So some were down the line i think the metal detecting shows should learn from his show............... For the 3 metal detecting shows i can never watch the entire show and some weeks i do not even watch them ................ So Tom Massie has a lot better show a very good show.....Thumbs up for Tom & Gold Fever..................................AND thumbs down for the 3 metal detecting shows..........

Outdoor Channel is a very niche channel and often has sponsored/time buy shows. The outdoor/hunting audience demographic also skews much older than a more mainstream channel like Spike, Nat Geo or TruTV. I think the difference you are seeing is a show made for treasure hunters with Tom Massie, and shows about treasure hunters aimed at a wider non-treasure hunting audience on the other channels.

If Tom Massie's show could draw the viewership to be on a larger network, it would be on there - but the larger viewership and sponsors aren't there for this type of show. I used to be producer/editor for the hunting show "Grateful Nation" which airs on The Outdoor Channel, and although I think it's a good show, it just doesn't have a chance of appealing to a broader audience.

ESPN jettisoned their ESPN Outdoors programming and Versus has rebranded as NBC Sports Network and are greatly curtailing their outdoor programming, in favor of going for a broader audience.


Jim C
 

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Keppy

Keppy

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The TV show is called ...GOLD FEVER ... it is on the OUTDOOR CHANNEL .... it comes on in my area on Saturday morning at 6am in the morning and at 12 o clock noon Eastern time 2 shows every Saturday.......Tom Massie is now i guess one of the owners of the ..GOLD PROSPECTORS OF AMERICA... known as the..GPAA.. His TV show has been on for years now he has claims all over that you can join.......... His dad ...George "the Buzzard " Massie..Started the GPAA back in 1998......... And back then they put out a lot of videos and still do i think i have had every video they put out............... They have a magazine they put out called .. Gold Prospectors ... i have a subscription to the magazine and have had one for years......................... You can pick up the magazine at most news stands and magazine racks or stores....
 

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Keppy

Keppy

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Outdoor Channel is a very niche channel and often has sponsored/time buy shows. The outdoor/hunting audience demographic also skews much older than a more mainstream channel like Spike, Nat Geo or TruTV. I think the difference you are seeing is a show made for treasure hunters with Tom Massie, and shows about treasure hunters aimed at a wider non-treasure hunting audience on the other channels.

If Tom Massie's show could draw the viewership to be on a larger network, it would be on there - but the larger viewership and sponsors aren't there for this type of show. I used to be producer/editor for the hunting show "Grateful Nation" which airs on The Outdoor Channel, and although I think it's a good show, it just doesn't have a chance of appealing to a broader audience.

ESPN jettisoned their ESPN Outdoors programming and Versus has rebranded as NBC Sports Network and are greatly curtailing their outdoor programming, in favor of going for a broader audience.


Jim C
Yes but Gold Fever is just for treasure hunters prospectors not the general viewing audience.......Those metal detecting shows are just made for entertainment like a reg. TV show......... Not much info. just a bunch of bull......
 

ZR2guy

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The Diggers guys aren't too bad ; at least they do show the history of the areas they are hunting. Now that Savage dude; horrible!!! He just wants money, should go back to wrestling.Both shows , in my opinion, are obviously geared toward the audience that has never MD'ed before. I wonder if MD sales have gone up since these shows have aired.
I just thought that NAT GEO would have had a more serious format for the Diggers series.The history part is pretty good but Ringmaster and King George's antics are over the top.
 

jeff of pa

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Tom's shows get pretty boring to me.
I record all but find myself fast forwarding from beginning to end looking for
detecting or spelunking type entertainment from him.
especially since most of the shows are reruns.

at times he acts just like the guys on Diggers,
when he finds a piece of gold or sees a few flecks in his pan.

I really can't stand when he goes to the Alaska expedition, or on tours
of historical places, and dresses up and acts like he's in an old spaghetti western.
the one show he even got his daughter to dress up with him & they ran around
like they were the Benny Hill show :( so they do not quite act like adults either.

I place Gold Fever right below Diggers in entertainment value for me

in fact, I place Swamp hunters right above Gold Fever in entertainment value for me.

#1 at the moment Diggers
#2 Swamp Hunters

#3 Gold Fever

of course everyone has their own likes & dislikes
 

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Frankn

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GPAA is a prospecting association. Tom & Perry Massie Basicly are the sons of the founder Tom. They basicly run the association. I think it is owned by a large corporation now that is into mining companies. GPAA is composed of two divisions, GPAA and Lost Dutchman Mining Association. I am a life member of GPAA. The club puts out a LARGE book showing all the claims that the members can work for free, Private fee claims that have a fee and federal properties that can be prospected. It also shows all the rules involved. There is also a listing of some treasure hunting sites. You have to be a member to hunt the club sites or a member can take a guest to hunt the sites. The gold prospector mag. is sent to all members. The Lost Duchman Association is a kind of add on, at extra cost. It gives you the right to visit, prospect and camp at a group of managed sites. With both branches, you keep all that you find at their locations. They also have, at extra cost, An Alaskan camp up near Nome. You can book into the 3 months or a part of it at this site. With what I have found on the claims, I am ahead on the $ count. A word of warning, Most, but not all claims are out west. Frank

hand print-2_edited-6.jpg
 

Jason in Enid

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Oct 10, 2009
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I enjoy the Gold Fever show, but let's be real about what it is. It's a 30 minute advertisement for the GPAA club, and since the entire outdoor channel is owned by the Massys', it doesn't matter if it makes money or not.
 

atomicscott

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True but Tom really does seem like a good guy. Tom and me.jpg
 

envguy

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May 13, 2009
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Personally I think one of the best ones out there is Meteorite Men. You learn things about meteorites, strewn fields, impacts in other parts of the world and they have some way cool monstrous coils. I also like Outdoor Channel Gold Fever. The rest are way too contrived.
 

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Keppy

Keppy

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Nov 19, 2006
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I enjoy the Gold Fever show, but let's be real about what it is. It's a 30 minute advertisement for the GPAA club, and since the entire outdoor channel is owned by the Massys', it doesn't matter if it makes money or not.
Yes it is there own show sort of a paid advertisement....The one on now is a one hour show.......... But Minelab does advertise on Gold Fever Minelab reps are on the show at times.......
 

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Keppy

Keppy

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Nov 19, 2006
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True but Tom really does seem like a good guy. View attachment 747238
Like ...atomicscott ... and ...jeff of pa ... said he is a nice person ..... If you run into him at the Gold shows ...Or any were he is frendly........ Takes time to talk and explain things to you and also jokes a little ...Very nice person....
 

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Scotdixon

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Feb 18, 2013
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Massey is one of the oldest and well liked! There are a couple of guys in S.C. that taped "realest" detecting shows. It was called Treasure hunter and aired on SCETV from 90s about 10 years. Still comes on here in Charleston. No drama just detectin
 

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