HistoryChannel-related stories
Posted Jun 25th 2009 12:03PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Documentary
It's doubtful the tough guys (and gal) driving north to Alaska on the current season of
Ice Road Truckers are big video game players. They're too busy staying alive while driving tons of cargo over roads would keep sane people home from school.
But, that's not stopping The (former) History Channel from launching its first paid
iPhone and iPod Touch game with an application that allows users to command 18-wheelers across Arctic roads.
Fans of the show -- and of snowy truck driving in general -- can download a free, "lite" test version of the game now through Apple iTunes.
Continue reading Ice Road Truckers iPhone app lets fans hit the frozen road
Posted May 20th 2009 5:12PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Documentary
The History Channel has updated its website and schedule for the the return of one of its toughest and most popular reality series,
Ice Road Truckers.
Set to return Sunday nights on May 31, new episodes of
Ice Road Truckers take the show's cameras from the diamond mines and frozen highways of Canada's Northwest Territories north to the oil fields of Alaska.
Previous seasons featured rugged truck drivers (like Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland, right) braving subzero temperatures to drive rigs weighing thousands of tons over ice pathways smoothed out over frozen lakes.
Continue reading Ice Road Truckers heads north to Alaska for third season
Posted May 14th 2009 8:10PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Programming, Documentary, Upfronts, Reality-Free
The History Channel is one of those destinations I never seek out, but when I'm bored and flipping through they can grab me by whatever they're programming might be. I love the straight-up historical documentaries on major figures or events. It's also one of those channels that sucks you in and suddenly you realize that the sun's gone down, you haven't eaten all day, the cats are lying in their empty water bowls and you've been strapped into a hospital bed and hooked up to a ton of machines because your wife thinks you're in a coma.
Which means I'm more than excited about The History Channel tackling a new look at American history from the pilgrims to the current President.
America: The Story of Us is a twelve-part mini that will be thematically and chronologically presented, whatever that means. Which one takes precedence? Unfortunately, it won't be airing until Spring 2010 when it will have to compete against the last season of
Lost,
24 and
American Idol for attention.
Continue reading History brings twelve-part America mini and WWII in HD
Posted May 12th 2009 9:01AM by Nick Zaino
Filed under: Programming, The Daily Show, Reality-Free
The History Channel has gained the nickname "The Hitler Channel" among some I know for its constant airing of World War II specials (many of featuring, well, Hitler). Perhaps they were thinking of that reputation when they put together their new slate of specials, which, according to
Broadcasting & Cable, includes
specials hosted by Jon Stewart and Lewis Black of
The Daily Show.
Stewart will be given two hours with which to target the immigration issue in a special called
The Naturalized. Considering the current economic implications of immigration and its role in last year's presidential campaign, there should be plenty for Stewart to work with to keep the special current. Stewart has already begun work on it, according to
B&C. The special will follow eight people on the track to becoming U.S. citizens. the special will air in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Continue reading The History Channel taps Jon Stewart and Lewis Black for specials
Posted Jul 8th 2008 7:23PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Documentary, Reality-Free
The cable network History -- formerly known as the
History Channel (it'll always be the History Channel to me) -- has
a couple of projects in the works, one of which will likely fuel both sides of the political debate as election time nears.
"102 Minutes That Changed the World" is a piece on 9/11, culling footage from pros and amateurs, including two terrified New York University seniors in a high-rise dorm just blocks from the
World Trade Center. They started shooting the smoking North Tower after it was hit by the first plane, then captured the second plane hitting the South Tower.
The 102-minute piece will premiere without commercials at 9 p.m. on Sept. 11. Done in "real time" format, it'll feature footage from more than 100 sources, pieced together in chronological order, without narration, to provide what History is calling a "seamless historical record of that day."
Continue reading History stacks deck with 9/11, WWII stories
Posted Apr 30th 2007 11:59AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Family Guy, Episode Reviews
(S05E15) After better than a month off, finally a new episode of
Family Guy. I'm not sure I understand the thinking behind the scheduling of the show this year, but the list of behaviors from the networks that I don't understand is a long one. So, we'll take what we can get. Whatever the reasoning, it was nice to have the Griffins back with a fresh adventure.
I think I probably came into this one with my expectations set a little high. Those previews that revealed the family packing up and taking a trip put the thought in the back of my mind that this could be one of those classic episodes. It called to mind the season three episode "To Love and Die in Dixie." Unfortunately, now having seen it, it wasn't a classic.
Continue reading Family Guy: Boys Do Cry
Posted Oct 8th 2006 10:12AM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Industry, Web, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Christie's auction house wrapped up the first auction of official
Star Trek memorabilia on Saturday. To say it was a success would be a huge understatement. Almost all of the items sold for more than their pre-sale estimates, and the final take of $7,107,040 was more than double what was expected.
Models and miniatures were the big winners. A model of the Enterprise that was used in the
Next Generation series and the
Generations movie went for an astounding $576,000. It was estimated to sell for $15,000 to $25,000. Eight other items in the models and miniatures category also managed to sell for more than $100,000. The top costume was a space suit worn by Dr. McCoy in the original series episode "The Tholian Web", going for $144,000.
The History Channel streamed the auction live on their website, but if you missed it, they also filmed everything for a future documentary. You can find more info about other items that sold in the Washington Post
article.
[ thanks Evadne ]
Posted Jul 7th 2006 10:31AM by Keith McDuffee
Filed under: Cable, Programming, OpEd, Early Looks
I've got an odd confession to make -- I'm a former Parrothead. Yes, I used to dig Buffett music too much, go to his concerts wearing stupid shit on my head and usually had a blender of something cold and boozy in my hand. But what I dug most about the whole scene was the notion of the ocean, the life of pirates of past, and of vast wooden ships skipping the Caribbean islands, all with nary a care in the world. So, when I got my hands on an early copy of History Channel's
True Caribbean Pirates, I almost felt like a Parrothead again. Almost.
Continue reading True Caribbean Pirates -- An early look
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