The Colony

“The Colony” on Discovery Channel has been a huge summer time surprise for me this season. The premise is simple enough; a viral apocalypse happened, and the world has changed. “The Colony” puts 10 strangers (most with unique skills) into a warehouse and surrounding area, and then separates it from the rest of the world. The mission of the survivors is to rebuild society but it is not that simple. The producers of “The Colony” have placed many roadblocks in the way of their colonists and are creating a truly unique brand of television.

But the real question is whether or not this particular show is one you will enjoy. If you are a fan of reality shows in general the answer is “maybe”. You have to keep in mind the “reality” of the show is less than that of your typical “Big Brother” or “The Bachelorette” (both of which my wife has subjected me to this summer) type shows because the participants are buying into an “unreality” which is the backbone of the show. There is no cash prize for “winning” and the point of the show is for them to work together in order to survive and prosper in this new world.

That said, the situation the participants are placed in is traumatic and helps immerse them in this fictional universe. The participants have their hearts truly into this experiment and because of that it makes for really great reality television. By the second episode there is plenty of yelling, crying, and tempers flaring to give even fans of “Survivor” satiation.

The other avenue by which you might enjoy this show is that of the tech/gearhead geek show. If you like(d) “Junkyard Wars”, “How it’s Made”, “Battlebots”, or similar shows you are going to enjoy “The Colony”. That’s because to improve upon their situation the colonists must make stuff, and each episode has them concocting something, which you see them conceive the need for, design, and then build.

Now the real fun of this show comes when you have the geniuses butt heads on a project or which project should take priority. Some of the participants are not as useful as others and the one that seems to be most productive with the practical projects seems to have the social skills of a gnat. Think and I know I’m dating myself here but, the “Real Worlds” Puck personality mixed with brains of Thomas Edison, and the testosterone of Mike Tyson. The guy is a truly indispensible a-hole and he makes for great television.

There is one issue I have with this show. The experts they have “inform” the viewer of what the colonists are attempting/feeling are superfluous and really only server to take the viewer out of the universe created by the otherwise spectacular series.

You can catch “The Colony” on the Discovery Channel (they love to rerun marathons) or by going to Hulu.com.