What happened to the Velocity Channel?

[EDIT: Zombie thread restarted by new guy. Be nice to him....doesn't seem to be a canoe.]

It's all nature shows and reruns of that grump Boyd Coddington.

NO KIDDING! It seems like the "car" channels start out pretty good and then get ruined by some moron looking at a spreadsheet that promises more ad revenue if they just air progressively more retarded content.

I was hoping that was were the Speed Channel content ended up once they disappear.

I do like Wheeler Dealers.

T

But a whole day of Wheeler Dealers?

I thought Boyd died.

And, yes, a whole channel of Wheeler Dealers, but Mike and Edd are going to have to get crackin' on some new cars.

I'm wondering the same thing about Velocity, and I too like Wheeler Dealers. The fact that the whole show ISN'T written around hawking their sponsors products, like most the other car shows that have turned into infomercials, in itself makes it worth watching. Now get cracking on your motor!!

They're going back to showing what was on HD Theater. I knew that once it went to Velocity, it was going to get good ratings for a short while until they started continually running reruns. Now I think they're scrambling for viewers.

They need to work on some new shows. I'm glad they've got Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers, and Chasing Classic Cars. I even like the new episodes of Overhaulin'. Cafe Racer is a cool show, but I think that was a limited run series. I even watch the Mecum auctions from time to time. I just think they need to try harder than old episodes of American Hot Rod (I couldn't watch that show for 10 minutes).

Part of the problem is that there is too much crossover on the Discovery Networks. Shows like Fast and Loud, should be on Velocity, not Discovery.

fast_eddie_72 wrote: I thought Boyd died. And, yes, a whole channel of Wheeler Dealers, but Mike and Edd are going to have to get crackin' on some new cars.

Boyd died some years back. Doesn't mean he can't be a dick from beyond the grave.

It is silly season for them. Happened last year too. Come January there will be new shows.

Appleseed wrote: But a whole day of Wheeler Dealers?

Actually yes! That way I can fill up the DVR and watch one a day for weeks!

That seems to be the way of any technical and/or specialized show that gets a toehold; the network assumes that the best way to "leverage" that item is to lower the specialization/technical level in order to broaden the number of people who will watch it.

For all I know it works for a little bit, but then the specialized crowd who watched it initially no longer find it useful, and apparently it quickly dilutes to the point where it may not go over anybody's head, but also no longer is of any interest to anyone...

All shows eventually get reduced to "When Deadlines Attack!"

Not that I've watched Velocity Channel. It's just a really annoying recurring pattern.

Ranger50 is correct - there will be new shows in January.

I spoke with Wayne Carini (Chasing Classic Cars) and he is busy working on new shows for the upcoming season.

What about Cars.TV? I see that it will be included in the Verizon Fios package I just ordered for my new place. I agree that it's a lot of reruns but I don't mind leaving it on that channel when I do work as long as Boyd isn't on.

Discovery is getting ridiculous with their line-ups. Amish Mafia... really? I mean really? What happened to teaching America a thing or too about history, science, etc? It's almost as bad as MTV.

History channel is almost as bad, History2 is where you have to go to watch actual educational and interesting shows. The problem is AT&T Uverse is one of the few providers of that station.

TLC - The learning channel my ass. The only thing I've learned from that channel is to not watch it.

The smithsonian, science, and nat geo channels are the only respectable ones left and their problem is that there are a million commercials.

I was seriously contemplating not ordering tv with Fios and just doing the internet, but my future wife going to be working and going to school from home she would enjoy having that option.

Was Boyd the "dick" or was it really the shop mgr guy.

In reply to dean1484:

Duane was the a-hole, only because his butt is on the line if something wasn't done. But then again, when Boyd says you can get it done in 3 weeks while the shop is covered up already, makes him the dick.

dean1484 wrote: Was Boyd the "dick" or was it really the shop mgr guy.

Pure dysfunction all around that shop. Had to start from the top.

So how freaking tough would it be for some of the guys here to do a "reality" show and simply post it online? Seems to me that you could have a pretty interesting program with extraordinarily low production cost...

With the exception of Wheeler Dealers, all such shows seem to have artificial deadlines created simply to pump up and/or create drama.

EvanR wrote: With the exception of Wheeler Dealers, *all* such shows seem to have artificial deadlines created simply to pump up and/or create drama.

Yeah, I definitely noticed that: "X car has to be done before Y show and it's only a month away", "We're running it up to the last minute", and my favorite: "We've got two hours to get the car done and we still have a days work ahead of us"

Yeah, the concept of these mega dollar builds being thrown together in the 11th hour is a bit unsettling. I wouldn't want my megadollar build coming down to that.

I figured Velocity would go downhill (to the lowest common denominator), but I didn't expect it this soon. I'm hoping it is indeed just a dead spot for the overlap of seasons. Cafe Racer is due for another season and Wheeler Dealers is back this week.

They also just added Legendary Motorcars last week. Peter Klute as Wayne Carini. Worth the watch, but the first one seemed a bit scripted in terms of the "eccentric" client.

Fast N' Loud belongs on Velocity for sure. That show is AWESOME, too. The taste level of the cars they build is just phenomenal.

With the impending death of Speed, I hope Velocity survives.

gamby wrote: Yeah, the concept of these mega dollar builds being thrown together in the 11th hour is a bit unsettling. I wouldn't want my megadollar build coming down to that.

I'm glad it's not just me. I'd never take my business to a shop like that.

I think Velocity should buy Racing The Rock and show that. Heck, pick up the rights to the Truths in 24s too.

Keith Tanner wrote:

gamby wrote: Yeah, the concept of these mega dollar builds being thrown together in the 11th hour is a bit unsettling. I wouldn't want my megadollar build coming down to that.

I'm glad it's not just me. I'd never take my business to a shop like that.

+eleventy billion

These are almost always ugly builds with no real craftsmanship beneath the pretty veneer. Cheap materials, shabby welds, no thought to the design process, only a focus on the finished product.

Have you ever seen what an 80's conversion van looks like in the junkyard? Even that crap looks better than those mega-buck "customs".

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: Yeah, I definitely noticed that: "X car has to be done before Y show and it's only a month away", "We're running it up to the last minute", and my favorite: "We've got two hours to get the car done and we still have a days work ahead of us"

The best is that Desert Car Kings (or whatever it's called). They take junkyard cars, but junk yard engines in them and give them a fancy paint job (hey, you think you guys might want to replace those 40 year old brake lines?).

They have the "the car MUST be ready for the auction" like the other shows, but the absurd part is it is their auction (junk yard auction) and they have one EVERY TWO WEEKS.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I even watch the Mecum auctions from time to time.

You've probably seen me driving cars across the block at Mecum in Indy then.... This year coming year will be #4.