5 replies to this topic

[T.R.]

'Ice Road Truckers': Dave Redmon opens up about reality television
Source: HULIQ.com
By Mechele R. Dillard
2012-01-24

Dave Redmon of The History Channel's popular Ice Road Truckers and IRT: Deadliest Roads spent an afternoon with Huliq reporter Mechele R. Dillard recently, discussing his view on the "'reality' of reality TV," presented this week in an exclusive series of articles on Huliq.

With the popularity of reality shows today, many fans struggle with their love of the shows, and the conflicting “reality” that the shows are not always what they appear to be. And, not surprisingly, no one understands this truth better than the shows’ talent. Dave Redmon, formerly a star of the hit History Channel reality shows, Ice Road Truckers and IRT: Deadliest Roads, has been fighting to get an insider’s view of the reality show out into the public view.

“I’m going to put a few things in perspective for people still stuck on the ‘reality’ of reality TV,” Dave says in the opening of a series of videos he recently placed on YouTube. In this exclusive six-part interview series with Huliq, he makes it clear that he is determined to fight what he refers to as the “long arm of The History Channel.”

Dave believes that the reality genre got its foothold during the Writer’s Guild strike. “There was no new content on TV,” he explains. Producers and network executives, he thinks, collectively said, “Mmmmmm … we can grab this and start making these reality shows; we don’t need writers. We can hire these guys to do these shows, and put a whole show together for what it costs to hire one cast member on a regular show.”

Reality shows abound on television today, on a variety of channels. Some give unheard singers a chance at fame and riches; others follow stars, showcasing their daily lives and the many developments, good and bad, they deal with day-to-day; some give a voice to problems faced in society, such as addiction and obesity; and, a large number bring to light various industries that the average person may not have previously given any thought to before becoming fascinated with a weekly soap opera/reality series. Mining, fishing, taxidermy, even bigfoot hunting, all have been subjects of reality shows. In Dave’s case, the subject was his career of 25 years: trucking.

Dave was “discovered” from videos he had placed on YouTube, discussing some of his experiences as a long-time trucker. The History Channel was looking for an explosive personality, he said, to stir the pot, and they found one in him.

Part 1 Continues
Part 2 ~ Dave Redmon talks India, Bolivia, and Season Five unrealities
Part 3 ~ Dave Redmon dishes on goody-goody trainer Tony
Part 4 ~ Dave Redmon says producers wanted catfight between Lisa and Maya
Part 5 ~ Dave Redmon discusses destructive nature of reality TV
Part 6 ~ What's next for Dave Redmon after 'Ice Road Truckers'?

[Blue]

Nice find. I'm not a big fan of the show and not a regular viewer so some of the specific incidents really don't ring a bell with me. I don't know if everything he says is true, but it really wouldn't surprise me if a lot of it is.

Aside from the IRT specific stuff, I think the interview does give you a bit of an insight into the "reality" program industry. You could probably apply some of it to most of these shows.

[Traderdick]

I really don't have any reason to doubt what he says, I've thought for a long time that heroes and zeros are made by the editors of these "reality" shows and the real story is usually on the cutting room floor...If you watch too closely, you may see many changes in wardrobe during one supposed incident...and lots of commentary done after the fact...

To misquote a well known individual, somebody stopped payment on THEIR reality check...

[OldGal]

This is what we believed all along ... even when we were over on THC forums ... the reality is in their paychecks and that's the only truth to these shows.

[jakemac]

According to Dave, even the paychecks weren't always reality.

[jakemac]

Dave is still adding videos to his page. He's just added #9 and is starting to talk about how the 'firing' scene at Carlyle went down. Defiantly worth keeping track of this link.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=g-all-u