The Annoyed Man wrote:The Santa Clarita hills is exactly what the property looks like.
You thinkin' it might be the Stevenson Ranch? That's my bet now that you've uncovered it to be Santa Clarita.
I suppose my decade-long tenure in SoCal has left me biased, and thinking nothing there could be even remotely as gun-friendly as the setting for the program.
And to those who, understandably, hate the reality-show Survivor-like format, I understand completely.
I'd posit, though, any (reasonable) format that has the best chance of appealing to the broadest possible audience is a very good thing for RKBA. The History Channel has committed to Top Shot; we can tell because there are several reruns in various time slots the week following each new episode. And, yeah, HC certainly ain't perfect.
But I'll reiterate that this exposure is better (i.e., more mainstream) than what we get on the Outdoor Channel or the Sportsman Channel. I watch 'em and love 'em, but you never see a "mainstream" sponsor.
And even with the Survivor-like format, it could have been done much, much worse. The participants were selected for a level of knowledge and proven skill. There is no Survivor-like mix of random people. Obviously the show's liability insurance is better off this way but still, kudos to them for selecting serious participants.
It could have been very ugly. Can you imagine a similar format with a random cross section of inexperienced shooters? If you will, hearken back to the Dianne Sawyer ABC travesty about school shootings where, to a network broadcast audience, untrained students were pitted against a LEO instructor as evidence of why guns are useless...not to mention, bad.
The contests on Top Shot are skills-based. At least there are no hidden immunity idols and people in skimpy swimsuits wrestling in the mud for some kind of dubious reward. There is an element of social interaction and competition, but the producers, to their credit, seem to be keeping this one at a much more respectful level.
Also, so far, the competitors are maintaining a level of professionalism that I'll bet the producers didn't expect. Compared to every other "reality" show I've had the dubious "opportunity" to watch, no one has made any on-air excuse for being voted into an elimination round, or for being eliminated. And I think the producers struggled to find/interject more interpersonal drama. For the most part, all the competitors seem to have a high degree of mutual respect.
All in all, I think this is a pretty well-executed concept to attempt crossover, popular appeal with reasonably serious shooting. I still say it's worth a thumbs-up and support for the History Channel (which I believe is owned by the parent of A&E) and for the show's sponsors.
