Great Lakes Warriors - History Channel

[Sherman]

I enjoy watching the scenery and trying to out beat my wife on what freighter we see with there names blocked out. Any true boat nerd knows the names. Can't figure out why the blocked there names: can anyone tell me why the did that? TIA

[Brent]

From what everyone on here seems to be saying is that the show is really bad. How many of these people have actually worked on a ship, tug or any thing else that floats. The show is not great, but give it a chance and maybe it will improve. What they need to do is show different tugs. Selvick towing barges up and down lower Lake Michigan is pretty boring and in fact it is boring. As for the language--these guys are not ministers or teachers, they are sailors and as such their language my offend a few people, they bleep out most of it, but if it offends you change the channel, nobody is forcing you to watch it. As far as the new third mate, college sailors get beaten up on some and from what I have seen and I have watched them all, this is pretty normal and in fact tamer then some things I have seen. The part in episode one of Pork Chop not being able to bring a small tug along side seems a little much. Students are required to be able to do certain ship handling maneuvers to graduate and basic things like coming along side is pretty simple. Sailing is usually pretty routine and who would want to watch an hour of some tug captain sitting in his chair while the auto pilot steers the tug. We could have an hour of the crew playing cards and watching TV, or better yet the engineering watching a panel of gauges and walking around the engineroom every 15 minutes. Give the show a chance and maybe it will get better. If you want to see what sailing is really all about but a raffle ticket for a trip on the Saginaw. Maybe you will win and get a first hand view of life on the lakes. If you don't win, atleast the money is going to a good cause.

[JohnH]

Episode 2 is available online here:

http://www.history.com/shows/great-lake ... de-mission

Don't wait too long, it probably will only be available through today (Thursday).

[Guest]

How was episode 3?

3 isn't on until tonight, 9 PM.

[johnjj]

I'm tired of all the negativity. Don't watch it if you don't like the program. I will admit the show is not perfect but is better than no show at all.

[Denny]

Darn I missed another one. That makes me 1 for 3 on the episodes as I caught the first one but missed the last two. I suppose that I probably didn't miss too much as far as episode number 3 as I am sure it was the same old stuff with not much new added for drama.

[Guest]

How was episode 3?

[guest K]

Nothing has changed in 51 years.

"When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better.
But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.
You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly commercials — many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you'll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it."

- Newton N. Minow
(Federal Communications Commission Chairman)
May 9,1961

[Randy S]

I am so crushed with disappointment! This series had a ton of potential, but apparently the producers are more interested in creating drama where there isn't any, than portraying the hard working men on the Great Lakes. The second episode was boring stuff. I agree with previous posts-get on board a laker- the Blough or the American Integrity or the Lee A. or a CSL boat-and follow an entire season on the lakes from fit-out to lay-up. As it's presented now, Great Lake Warriors doesn't get another minute of my DVR time!

In all reality, life aboard a Laker is pretty boring. Especially now since they gained respect for nature and are no longer hesitant to drop anchor in rough weather. You can only watch so many hours of a crew chipping, painting, hosing down, eating, etc etc before you are reaching for the remote. If you notice in most of these "reality" shows, the producers are after drama - either nature or man made. Without it, they don't have much of a show.

[Coalburner]

@ CoalBurner..

I was thinking it could possibly have been overheating/slipping clutches...Not that the fan would do a lot of good, but it did make a little more sense.

Having never worked on a clutch tug (only diesel electric), I don't know the result of slipping clutch disks, but that would show up in engine RPM vs shaft RPM indicators. Maybe they were cooling the governor, but those things are so rugged that they probably aren't effected by heat. I still think the plugged fuel filter from stuff in the tank stirred up by rough weather was the most logical reason. There are a lot of nasty things in the bottom of the fuel tank that can get stirred up in bad weather. That is why we draw off the tank with the upper connection.

[Guest]

OK how about some feedback from some one in the TV industry, that's me. I don't do reality shows, I primarily work on sports and some entertainment all live shows. I have been participating in this website for about 3 years and enjoy the information.

For what it's worth. Getting any kind of show on the air takes a ton of work and a ton of money. To get the money some one had to take a big financial risk. In order to get your financial rick money back you have to make air somewhere, utube don't pay the bills. And as a producer you have to accept those realities where you like it or not.

Anyway to make a long process short if you are lucky enough to jump through all the hoops alive and the stars all line up you might get one change to make air. That's one change, just one chance, seldom is there a do over, to make air.

So for all you neigh sayers the bottom line is the show needs to get viewers and the general viewer wants drama. Every show that is currently successful has drama of some kind or other either real or manufactured. If you question this how is the Documentary Channel doing? There is no Documentary Channel, get the point? Be it a show on the History Channel, Discover or Network drama sells and that's what viewers are buying with their viewing habits.

I, myself, would like a series on working on the Great Lakes, but we are a too small of number to make any advertiser's target audience. Sorry but it's about numbers of viewers and return on investment, not real reality.

[Wayne]

Guess I'm missing something here because no one called from the film company and asked what a person who has great interests in the Great Lakes wanted to see. This show is about tugs on the lakes. It is not about the ship/boats on the great lakes. If you have noticed they are not even showing any names. When the film crew came in to film, the weather had turned nice. They wanted to make the lakes look rough, but had deadlines. Like anything in TV, we can turn it off. If you don't like it contact the company. But instead of complaining, you might suggest ways to improve it. I can pick out different crew members I know just by watching these guys. Real or not, at least someone cared enough to do something about the lakes. I'll continue to watch in hopes it gets picked up and the film crew gets a chance to learn mor and make it better!

[LCNerd]

I am so crushed with disappointment! This series had a ton of potential, but apparently the producers are more interested in creating drama where there isn't any, than portraying the hard working men on the Great Lakes. The second episode was boring stuff. I agree with previous posts-get on board a laker- the Blough or the American Integrity or the Lee A. or a CSL boat-and follow an entire season on the lakes from fit-out to lay-up. As it's presented now, Great Lake Warriors doesn't get another minute of my DVR time!

[Mackcitybuckeye]

My wife and I tried to watch the second episode as we were disapointed with the first. Turned it off after a half hour. Just too much drama, yelling, cursing, etc. The Selvick crews are terrible. Intersting with the Duluth ice breaking and doccking of the Munson, but other than that, terrible. Why not follow a few ships through their season on the different routes? At least the scenery would be great, see the locks, ports etc. I'm sure most of us would like to see this than "the legend" look like a total fool.

[Jerry Lawson]

When you agree to be filmed, you have to sign a waiver allowing the film crew and the producer to portray you in any way that they should wish to. The fact that this young mate appears to be treated like a fool may or maynot be true. I personally believe that it is not the truth. It is simply the result of the creative license that the producers have. If you put this kind of foolery aside, you may be able to see the real story of Great Lakes Warriors, that the producer has so skillfully hidden.

[Randy S]

Does anybody remember "Lakeboat"? GLW reminds me of that. As for Capt. John and his comment on the new first mate having to earn respect, how can the mate do that when the captain calls him "Fat Boy" and "Porkchop" in front of the crew? Having been aboard Lakers for many years, I say that the language in this series was more of an exception than the rule. I'm not a prude but genuine people don't have to talk like that. Didn't happen in the USAF either.

You are entirely correct about the respect aspect of it. Especially when you have a guy hired to be a Mate, but spends most of the time as a deckhand. He is really in a tough situation - trying to discipline a seasoned crew, when he himself is as green as a Leprechaun.

Im not sure what the language is like out there now, but when I sailed in the mid-late 70s - American, USS and Columbia/Oglebay Norton - that type of language was 100% normal. Most of they guys couldn't go to the galley and order breakfast without a couple of $&^@%^$, 2 or 3 &@%#$ and at least one *&%# You are right - they don't have to talk like that, but they do.

[WA 4659]

@ CoalBurner...

I was thinking it could possibly have been overheating/slipping clutches....Not that the fan would do a lot of good, but it did make a little more sense.

[Ohio Mariner]

Well, I promised to watch Great Lakes Warriors second episode, after finding the first one unrealistic, uninteresting, and ugly. Well, I tried. I found #2 even worse that the first one and shut it off (for the final time) about 15 minutes into the show. Too bad; it could have been great.

[CosmicBlue]

Great Lake Warriors will begin airing in Canada on History TV on Mondays at 9pm est beginning August 27th.

I too would hope that new future episodes would show life aboard great lakes freighters, you can send comments on the series to History TV here scroll to bottom of page...
http://www.history.ca/history/faq.aspx

[DaveBr]

I really will not be able to watch any more. I have never seen such drama be it crew vs crew, or ginned up weather problems. If I would have known just how dangerous it appears to be to venture onto the lakes I would stayed ashore.