Using coveritlive.com software, TTAG triple-teamed Top Shot All Stars Episode 1 in a carefully coordinated snarkfest. [Replay after the jump.] Only it’s hard to be sarcastic about something that makes watching paint dry seem exciting. Top Shot’s new non-format format—aim at stuff and shoot it—was to suspense what Peter North is to Shakespeare. (Or something like that.) Not to say Top Shot’s now-abandoned Survivor-style format was riveting, but at least the [scripted, edited and faked] interpersonal interplay gave us something to laugh at. The lack of same highlighted the fact that the program’s “personalities” are so bland it’s Top Shot All Snores. In short, the guns were dull (and sounded identical), the competitors soporific and the teeth guy phoned it in. The only thing that could have rescued the show would have been real mortars. So, do we do it again next week?
Yawn.
Top Shot is reality TV and there’s nothing ‘reality’ in reality TV. Too much sally-pants drama and not enough shooting.
Giving my ferrets a good scratch on the head is a far better use of my time.
John
I watched the first two seasons of this and while I love the shooting and the different weapons (non-firearms not so much), my only thought at the time was, “How is it possible for them to make such a potentially interesting show so goddang BORING?” Enough with the soap opera and the introspection at “the house”. I don’t care! This format sucks, it has always sucked and it will ways suck. When your producers get their heads out of their a$$es and come up with an original (not Survivor light or UFC with guns) concept I may attempt to watch again.
It should tell you something when they replay the episode between 2am and 4am over the next few days.
It is difficult to make 16 people taking turns shooting at targets to be something riveting and exciting. I expect that, as the numbers get down, it will be a bit more interesting.
That said, I remember all the complaints in previous seasons by people who “just want to see a shooting competition”. Well, that pretty well describes last night’s episode. I wonder how happy they are.
Perhaps because we had different expectations, my wife and I both enjoyed last night’s episode. As exciting and dramatic as many of the others? No, not by a fair distance. Better than nothing? Yep.
While I am sick of all the tannerite explosions in Red Jacket episodes, I am also extremely tired of all the whining from gun guys about gun shows. Look, they are reality TV, and they are not perfect, but they portray guns and the guys around them in a favorable light on cable shows that reach allot of people. My wife likes Sons of Guns because of the drama, I like it because they build interesting historical guns from time to time. I enjoy Top Shot the most because it pits skilled shooters against each other with interesting guns and shooting situations that I would love to participate in. I myself love competing in 3gun matches and watching Top Shot recreates that experience for me. I am not a fan of the Real World shenanigans between shooting times, but it is needed for some fans. Stop knocking all of these shows as they bring in new shooters. Otherwise we will get what we are asking for, no shows.
Needs to be thrown on the garbage pile that is “reality” TV.
Frankly, reality TV is nothing more than scripted TV with really bad acting.
I’ve distilled our household down to over-the-air antennas and internet for our TV viewing needs. I’m willing to pay for everything I watch under two circumstances:
1. – No commercials
2. – No blackouts or restrictions on the content. I’ve paid for it, I want to watch it when and where it’s convenient for me.
I have little use for ad subsidized crappy television.
-ted
Watching a shooting competition is by definition is BORING ! It is all about internalized stuff. Concentration, fine motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, breath control. Yup, all the things that make for riveting TV. Personally I do appreciate that, and get a kick out of Zins making a great shot with a SA Army. But 99% of people today need an adrenalin shot to see value in anything. Now if it doesn’t end in a nuclear detonation, a pile of shell casing like from a GAU-2B A 7.62 mm mini gun, and writhing climatic orgasmic grand mal seizures, it just ain’t cool. Hence all the faux FPS Russia crap with tannerite.
The only way I could even stomach the original show was to record it and skip over everything except the shooting when I watched it. It also had the benefit of cutting the time down to about 15 minutes. Didn’t want to see all that fake “interpersonal confrontation”.
And history was made last night as Greg littlejohn became the first guy to be eliminated 3 times. Real good selection for all stars when you put a pistol in his hand that’s when the drama begins, will he or won’t he shoot.
I would rather watch 3-gun nation. Why doesn’t a sport channel pick that up. Guess I will have to stick with digital cable to get the Outdoor channel. Too bad it airs on Thursdays during IPSC league.
I’ll be there.
I could see Peter North in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Or parts of him, anyways.
This version of the show will probably be pretty boring until the field is whittled down. You can’t have a very interesting or complex course of fire when there’s – what? – sixteen contestants to go through.
The only “top shot” on this show is Brian Zins.
I thought I was the only one who thought it was boring. 🙂 I have no idea what is interesting about watching many people shoot the same gun at the same targets. I ended up working on my blog and did not watch most of the show. Do not think I will be recording future episodes.
I am also tired of Sons of Guns as they seem to be manufacturing drama lately as all reality shows tend to do. Let’s face it, there is not much drama at places of work most weeks.
I am for ANY and EVERY show that highlights shooting sports and bring guns to the forefront of public attention in a positive light. Even 1st person shooter video games and weird Cajun gunsmiths have created pro-2A people and voters. Top Shot is better than most, boring or not. At least they care about marksmanship and safety. But if the rest of you would rather watch the Jersey Shore or CNN, then more power to you. I will continue to support anything that helps promote guns and the 2A.
Hey, it is a show about responsibly shooting all kinds of guns and it is airing weekly on a major network. I’ll take it, especially after some networks cancelled or put silly warnings in front of their firearms related programming. Anything that shows the average person that guns when used properly are nothing to be afraid of.
It is funny how people complaint about the drama in previous season and now some are complaining because of the lack of it. Definitely you cannot try to please everyone ever… You will end up losing LOL.
Anyway, for those who think that the show is fake/script and all that, I have to say that they are far from right, and of course, you can believe whatever you want but the reality is, what you see, what you hear from us that is what happened, I am not an actress, and I am very bad at faking stuff, what you see is what you get from me.
So anyway, thank you all of you who watch the show, whether you like it or not.
Good night.
Gabby Franco
As one of the “ORIGINAL” haters of Top Shot and its format on this site, and also being a contestant, as well as a heavily edited contestant, as well as calling Pilgrim Films and its producers and editing staff out in public, million dollar NDA be damned, I think I have room to speak with Gabby as well.
It does not take a detective to figure out that none of the actual winners, which I would call “all-stars” did not return to defend thier status. They were brought on as instructors or to make guest appearances. But not to compete. Ask yourself why?
Pilgrim Films did hardly any advertising for this season and it shows in ratings for this season versus previous seasons. History nor Pilgrim films cares. The show was made, they got the cast they could get together based on availability and those who wanted to go back on a reality tv show and released a sub par product. This is the last and final season for sure and it will go to the shelf along with Ice Road Truckers and Cupcake Wars and any other show.
As Gabby mentions though, the people on the show are people just like you. They like guns and competing in local USPSA and IDPA matches to winning titles for this country. They are told to sit here and go there and do this and do that. They have zero control over how they are edited, what weapons they fire and how the end content appears to the viewer or how the challenges are created. All of that is soley on the shoulders of Pilgrim Films and their staff. So please balme the company for giving you a horrible product, but not the contestants. Any of you who have been to a local, regional or world level competition KNOW that shooting is boring. Shooters are like golfers. Everyone is polite to one another, we all know we support the same things, and we all know it is very boring to watch others. But once the timer goes off and you yourself are shooting, it is one of the best sports/ hobbies/ professions to be part of (plus you think everyone esle is watching you like it is the coolest thing ever). But in reality they are getting ready to reset steel or paste up stickers or change targets or make sure they have all their mags jammed and memorizing the stage. So next time you are at the range, film yourself, add some rock music in the backround and get some Crest Whitining Strips and make your own episode and the result will be the same.
Blue Team Season two.
Thanks, Ashley, for both being a good contestant and above all for your service to this country.
No problem Nick, I just call it like it is, some people in modern times do not like a that approach. Sometimes the gentle/ kinder approach is necessary. I do not posess one though.
Sidenote: Red jacket fire arms will break up and the daughter and her man will spawn off thier own show just like Orange County Choppers did with the father/ son drama to keep the show going. You heard it here first.
Glad to see you’re well Ashley. Praying for your safety if you still get deployed.
FLAME DELETED if you ever shoot guns or know anything about weapons period, you know how hard it is to do any of that stuff. Not to mention it is much more exciting then your average shooting contests witch , witch might I add is a sport watched worldwide and has contests all over the world, oh and did I mention the Olympics. oh yeah and top shot was the most watched show on tv last year. I bet not a single one of you jack asses could beat a single one of those guys on that show. some of those competitors are ranked world wide, one of them is the ranked the 1st in the world. if you guys think this is boring or just plain stupid then go shoot your bb guns in your back yard.
Annoying host. Why are they carrying backpacks everywhere and how much gear could they possibly need at any one shooting? Probably 25 pairs of shooting glasses in those packs.
They are supposed to be able to walk off the set as they are sent home.
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