Coaster Shows

With Summer just around the corner, its not just full time parkoperation to look forward to...but also the annual coaster shows oncable TV.

So, that being said...what do you most like about these shows - and what do you most detest?

Personally,I can't stand the "stereotypical" enthusiast giving stats throughoutthe ride...how about you folks...What would you do if you were a producer for one of these shows?

Things I like:

-Seeing coasters on film (especially HD)
-Learning stuff about them (which is rare)
-Watching them on my DVR so I can fast-forward through the...

...Things I despise:

-Annoying enthusiast rider footage spliced in with POV footage
-Play-by-play of every element given by said annoying enthusiast rider
-Amateurishly-written narration
-Dorky- or melodramatic-sounding narrator
-Paul Ruben

I can't remember the last time I watched a show on coasters. There was a time when my DVR was loaded with them, and it didn't take long before I realized it's all basically the same recycled crap, just with different rides (unless it's yet another show on Cedar Point). They hold little interest for me anymore.

+1

Funny how the things you despise are all those that had Paul Ruben, too.

Yeah, but I felt he deserved special mention.

I will say in the last 2-3 years, I haven't seen a new coaster show with Paul Ruben on it, and that's wonderful.

A bunch of us almost ran into him in Vegas for the opening of Insanity at the Strat one time. Didn't know he was there till we saw it on the news. We got there during the media event, but then wind picked up and we didn't get to ride.

Thankfully I got my ride in 2007. Insanity was fun, but not nearly as frightening as XScream.

But if an enthusiast didn't tell you, how else would you know exactly how fast the train is going and how many G's it's pulling through every element along the track? The post-ride interviews are also fun. "(insert name of coaster here) Rocks! Wooooo!"

Are there any new ones on anytime soon?

I hate when they talk about a coaster in a really over-the-top fashion.

"This ride will lift you up 20 breath-taking stories before dropping you straight down, plummeting towards the ground! The next 2 minutes will be filled with hair-raising turns, jaw-dropping loops, and white-knuckle hills."

"Bert the Conqueror" which will be airing on the Travel Channel begins on Wednesday June 16th at 10pm. I'm told the first week will be a double episode. It's typically a half an hour show. The first show is supposed to be the show filmed at Cedar Point. Word is that the first season will be at least 10 episodes and they are already thinking that there will be a second season. They have shot at several parks already and continue to shoot. The show was run through a test audience. They made some modifications to the format after that. But, all in all, it tested very well.

I have been fortunate enough to participate in 3 of the episodes. I'm not sure whether or not I'll make it into the final cut, but it was a lot of fun. I don't think this will be your typical coaster show. The host is Bert Kreischer and he is very funny. If you watch the Travel channel for more than 20 minutes or so, you will most definitely see a teaser spot. There are at least 2 teaser spots. One is him on Top Thrill Dragster, and the other is him on Terminal Velocity at Extreme World in the Dells. When I hear more, I will let you know.

Sweet, thanks.

Oh, and it's being produced by Sharp Entertainment, the same company that produces Man vs. Food.

Now that the show has aired, I have finally uploaded my Bert the Conqueror videos to YouTube. You can view them here. They are all of Top Thrill Dragster. One complete circuit, one Rollback and one near stall.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8FA3534F4421BDA4

Here are my photos:

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/57542.aspx

I was expecting much more from Bert The Conqueror, especially the way it was mentioned at CoasterMania.

Granted i am the technical person, and would rather see the engineering of the rides, rather then a couple clips of some random peeps riding.

Utah caught my attention though, loved the backyard slingshot.

Bert's been to Lagoon, Dollywood, and CP. Filming two days next week at Carowinds (I'm aiming for the Tuesday session with the B&M hyper even though ride-wise I'd prefer Weds with the invert.).

Gator, are you planning on staying till close? I'm planning on heading down to Carowinds after work for a couple hours to see peoples...

^Depends - still need to make a few phone calls to firm up plans...but I definitely need to take a spin on the "new" Boomerang, and get in a couple dozen laps on (P)KI's flying skooters... ;)

There's that whole Intimidator thing too.

Updated: SFNE just posted to FB that they need riders for THIS Saturday and Sunday for footage on Bizarro and Catapult (8a-12p). So Bert is getting around more and more...

Clint - Intimidator is covered - I won't need to wait in line for it later on in the day...still don't have the interactive at Carowinds either (LONG lines last time).

SFoGswim said:
I hate when they talk about a coaster in a really over-the-top fashion.

"This ride will lift you up 20 breath-taking stories before dropping you straight down, plummeting towards the ground! The next 2 minutes will be filled with hair-raising turns, jaw-dropping loops, and white-knuckle hills."

I couldn't have said it better. And I hate the horrible puns they throw in at the end too, which are all based on the ride name. I'd rather they came up with clever nonsense like "This ride is just Sick Nasty Express!"

Okay looking back maybe that's not the best way to describe a roller coaster.

What you describe is the thing that ride operators are trying to avoid.