TV Question - Life on the Hook

[Severancetv]

Hello

I am a development TV producer always on the hunt for new shows and larger than life characters. Currently, I am working for a large cable network and developing a show called, Life on the Hook - which would follower sea-steaders, live aboards and house boaters alike who live mostly self sufficient lives at sea for extended periods of time. Now we just need to find our self- sustainable boaters who live life on the hook! Think Life Below Zero or Mountain Men but on a boat. Salty old sea dogs wanted. Ha! Know anybody that fits the bill?

So if catching rain water and filtering it, fishing and growing vegetables on your boat, using composting toilets is your thing - I would love to speak with you and hear more! IF this isn’t you, but you know who would be perfect - please send them to me as well. Thanks and look forward to hearing from you.

---------------------------------
Bryan Severance
Executive Producer
“Down East Dickering”
severancetv@gmail.com
c: 732.673.2456

 

[OKraskin]

Be very cautious of any reality TV. It can easily destroy lives for the sake of a good story.

 

[meridian]

I'm not sure you may find many takers. Most the long term cruisers i know do it to get away from the "reality " of TV. It is about as real as professional wrestling.

 

[timjet]

Wrong forum. Not too many here that rough it to the degree you're looking for. We've been on the boat for a month and plan on a couple of months more. Now excuse me while I go inside, the evening news is about to start and I want to cool off in the Air conditioned salon. I also gotta get the bikes out to make a grocery run, milk and beer getting low.

 

[Billylll]

Hello

I am a development TV producer always on the hunt for new shows and larger than life characters. Currently, I am working for a large cable network and developing a show called, Life on the Hook - which would follower sea-steaders, live aboards and house boaters alike who live mostly self sufficient lives at sea for extended periods of time. Now we just need to find our self- sustainable boaters who live life on the hook! Think Life Below Zero or Mountain Men but on a boat. Salty old sea dogs wanted. Ha! Know anybody that fits the bill?

So if catching rain water and filtering it, fishing and growing vegetables on your boat, using composting toilets is your thing - I would love to speak with you and hear more! IF this isn’t you, but you know who would be perfect - please send them to me as well. Thanks and look forward to hearing from you.

---------------------------------
Bryan Severance
Executive Producer
“Down East Dickering”
severancetv@gmail.com
c: 732.673.2456

How about following a refurb on a 40 year old boat for extended cruising and live aboard? If there's money to be made I can make Si Robertston look like the straight man... My wife will give the Robertson women a run for their money.
You can contact me I'm game.
Bill

 

[SCOTTEDAVIS]

Reality TV..... whats that?

I find TV fair for long range weather guesses.....that's about all.

 

[Capt Kangeroo]

You seem to have picked up on the fact that life aboard while anchored or tied to a dock is one thing, life aboard while "full time" cruising and exploring is quite another. A show depicting daily life hanging out the wash & growing vegetables aboard a semi-stationary boat would get old very fast and necessitate concocting some drama to keep it interesting. While clearly not your intent, I fear should it digress to this, the end result would only reinforce the negative perceptions the public and many authorities already have of live-aboards in general. Most live-aboards live normal lives not substantially unlike their dirt dwelling counterparts, hardly the stuff for reality TV fodder. The precious few colourfull characters who do grow rutabagas on board and run around in their underwear tripping over old car parts and refrigerators piled on deck might make an interesting show for some but would be offensive and a disservice to the majority of live-aboards. Cruising, stationary or otherwise.

All that said, if it "really" was about and stayed true to following the travels of semi-sane cruising live-aboards, who in your words, "live mostly self sufficient lives at sea for extended periods of time" but minus any fabricated drama, you would have a winner and I'm sure many would be all for it.

 

[SCOTTEDAVIS]

so true^^^^^^


It seems that to make it sell the folks must somehow be in-bread, low information morons that make their own moonshine while wrestling gators and entering their obnoxious spawn in adult stripper contests.

Nothing good will come of a show like this to a very quite and reserved group of fine folks.

No thanks.

 

[meridian]

I'm on a RANT..
I could imagine a 40' trawler crossing the gulf stream with 5 or 6 camera, script writers, makeup people and others in the background trying to control the dialog and sticking multiple cameras in the skippers face and trying to force conflict among the crew as it seems most of the shows do.

These shows do a great disservice to the younger crowd who believe any job they may take in life is going to have people screaming, cursing or fighting to get things done. I know they make these shows because they are cheap. Too many channels and no original thinking to make quality programming. Certainily not entertaining. It doesn't take much to understand why other people in other countries have such a low opinion of us.

Most of us are where we are to get away from all of this.

 

[Andy G]

Well, I think the least we could do for Severancetv is to put together a TF updated Gilligan's Island.

Who would be cast though?

Now I don't want any tears before bedtime as the casting is not set in stone, however perhaps the following may have that right chemistry so necessary! So........(drum role)

The cast of characters:

Gilligan ...................... Northern Spy, please step this way

The Skipper' .............. Art...come Art don't be shy

Thurston Howell III.......Moonstruck yes,yes,yes

Mrs. Lovey Howell.........Janice 142, this part is so you

Ginger Grant .................WifeyB Hmmm,OK from the top

The Professor................RT Firefly simply born for this part

Mary Anne................... Janet HYou are Mary Anne!

I would ask the cast not to speak to the producers till the contract details have been finalised.

 

[DavidM]

Bryan:

Go to Marathon, Florida. Rent a skiff. There is a cruisers net on vhf (channel 9 maybe) where everyone gets a chance to ask for help, advice, anything. Ask if any liveaboards will talk you about their experiences. Then get in your skiff and go see them.

Or hang out at the dinghy dock at the town marina and chat up cruisers who come in. Within 48 hours almost everyone in the harbor comes into the dinghy dock. The bar at Sombrero Dockside is another good possibility, but not as good as it once was as a cruisers bar.

There are liveabards of all kinds in Marathon: the compost toilet, grow your own... types and the air conditioned, semi luxury types. Whether anyone will talk to you is another question.

David

 

[Underway]

so true^^^^^^


It seems that to make it sell the folks must somehow be in-bread, low information morons that make their own moonshine while wrestling gators and entering their obnoxious spawn in adult stripper contests.

Nothing good will come of a show like this to a very quite and reserved group of fine folks.

No thanks.

Can't wait to see the reappearance of floating wrecks populating every anchorage in the country. Don't encourage this guy.

 

[Bilgewater]

Well, I think the least we could do for Severancetv is to put together a TF updated Gilligan's Island.

Who would be cast though?

Now I don't want any tears before bedtime as the casting is not set in stone, however perhaps the following may have that right chemistry so necessary! So........(drum role)

The cast of characters:

Gilligan ...................... Northern Spy, please step this way

The Skipper' .............. Art...come Art don't be shy

Thurston Howell III.......Moonstruck yes,yes,yes

Mrs. Lovey Howell.........Janice 142, this part is so you

Ginger Grant .................WifeyB Hmmm,OK from the top

The Professor................RT Firefly simply born for this part

Mary Anne................... Janet HYou are Mary Anne!

I would ask the cast not to speak to the producers till the contract details have been finalised.

 

[SCOTTEDAVIS]

Don't encourage this guy.

Strange, I can't see even the least bit of encouragement in my post.

 

[Northern Spy]

Can't wait to see the reappearance of floating wrecks populating every anchorage in the country. Don't encourage this guy.

My thoughts exactly. Already hard enough for honest boat loving liveaboards. Don't need the association to tax dodgers, criminals, or no income society dropouts who live aboard in squalor.

 

[meridian]

I think a great show would be go to any busy boat launch on a summer weekend where all the trailerable boats are. That would be a show...You could film a full series in 2 days.

 

[Northern Spy]

Well, I think the least we could do for Severancetv is to put together a TF updated Gilligan's Island.

Who would be cast though?

Now I don't want any tears before bedtime as the casting is not set in stone, however perhaps the following may have that right chemistry so necessary! So........(drum role)

The cast of characters:

Gilligan ...................... Northern Spy, please step this way

In real life (whatever that is) I've never been repeatedly beaten with a hat by a fat guy, so I might not feel comfortable in that role. In fact, I look, act and dress more like the professor... RT wanna swap?

 

[Billylll]

Honestly there isn't much reality in reality TV.
It's a show the closer to the 3 Stooges the better.
Bill

 

[Northern Spy]

I'd argue that reality TV has a bit of a Pygmalion effect (self fulfilling prophesy) on society. The dumber the shows get, the dumber the audience gets.

 

[Billylll]

I'd argue that reality TV has a bit of a Pygmalion effect (self fulfilling prophesy) on society. The dumber the shows get, the dumber the audience gets.

Bingo, ding ding ding we have a winner!
Bill

 

[SaltyDog]

Okay then. NS gets my vote for professor based on his latest posted observations.

 

[CPseudonym]

It seems that to make it sell the folks must somehow be in-bread, low information morons that make their own moonshine while wrestling gators and entering their obnoxious spawn in adult stripper contests.

If the above are the desired parameters the OP needs to get off the web and buy a plane ticket to SFO. Hire a skiff and find Richardson Bay on a chart. 2 hours cruising around that anchorage with a small stack of hundred dollar bills oughta net you enough willing participants for 3-4 boats for your pilot episode.

 

[Northern Spy]

There are lots of older hermit type people living on old Samson ferrocement boats in nooks and cranny along the BC coast. But even with their unique philosophies and hygiene habits, they probably wouldn't provide lasting entertainment value to those viewers who are accustomed to unsafe, opinionated, beer-bellied get 'er done gold miners and tow truck operators.

 

[Underway]

Strange, I can't see even the least bit of encouragement in my post.

The intent was to agree whole heartedly with your post and add to your thoughts. Poorly constructed post on my part...sorry.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Bryan:

Go to Marathon, Florida.

>snip<

There are liveabards of all kinds in Marathon: the compost toilet, grow your own... types and the air conditioned, semi luxury types. Whether anyone will talk to you is another question.

David

That is a great idea. The Keys are where he should be going for "talent" and location scouting.

 

[Steve]

I nominate the French couple who ripped off the dockmaster in I believe it was South Carolina, then took off for bahamas to run aground and into arms of the law. They would be in the next slip to or anchored next to Nightcap, the loon from Vanuatu, or whoever it was that "hijacked his computer"

 

[janice142]

Well, I think the least we could do for Severancetv is to put together a TF updated Gilligan's Island.

Who would be cast though?

Now I don't want any tears before bedtime as the casting is not set in stone, however perhaps the following may have that right chemistry so necessary! So........(drum role)

The cast of characters:

Gilligan ...................... Northern Spy, please step this way

The Skipper' .............. Art...come Art don't be shy

Thurston Howell III.......Moonstruck yes,yes,yes

Mrs. Lovey Howell.........Janice 142, this part is so you

Ginger Grant .................WifeyB Hmmm,OK from the top

The Professor................RT Firefly simply born for this part

Mary Anne................... Janet HYou are Mary Anne!

I would ask the cast not to speak to the producers till the contract details have been finalised.

Before considering this prime spot in my burgeoning career, I decided to take a gander at "Rescue from Gilligan's Island" (just happen to have that DVD aboard) and, well,

I am honored.
You may be my agent Andy.

 

[MartySchwartz]

Years ago (hate to admit how many) I saw a piece of graffiti that has stuck with me all this time. It went like this:

Drugs are for those who can not handle reality
Reality is for those who can not handle Drugs
TV is for those who can not handle either

Just never thought I would see a blog where that would be appropriate!

Marty.......................

 

[jwnall]

I nominate the French couple who ripped off the dockmaster in I believe it was South Carolina, then took off for bahamas to run aground and into arms of the law. They would be in the next slip to or anchored next to Nightcap, the loon from Vanuatu, or whoever it was that "hijacked his computer"

 

[ghost]

Don Berry is long since passed, but he was the one guy who made the "off-grid" lifestyle seem romantic. His writings are worth the time to read them. Very entertaining. Got me through a boring winter at work many years ago. That said, if you read between the adventures, most of us would not choose the life. Some of the characters he wrote about at still living in Eagle Harbor just outside of Seattle. There has been pushes over the years to get rid of them, but I believe a few still persist.

Magic Harbor

Something tells me this is not the right bent for a reality show. I think the cruising lifestyle is what you really want. I followed some blogs many years ago before that was all too common of some folks doing the great loop starting south down the Pacific coast, then through the Panama canal, then the big loop. THAT was exciting. Waiting for days for the next check-in, trying to follow weather and such. Shouldn't be too hard to find a few cruisers of that sort, they tend to hang out in SSB checkins and such if you do your research.