Good morning from the second day of the 2013 Winter Press Tour for TCA. This is Cable’s last day of presentations, so we’ll be hearing from the Discovery Networks, Starz, Sundance, BBC America, and the Viacom Networks, plus breakfast with TVLand and cocktails with BET.
For those who were able to make breakfast, we were delighted
to be in the company of the Hot in
Cleveland cast, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty
White. A short message came about the upcoming episodes, and we saw a clip
where the girls are playing a Pictionary-esque game with a couple of gentleman
callers. The cast didn’t really make many comments, though White joked about
Elka being pregnant in an approaching storyline. Journalists who spoke with the
ladies seemed to focus on inquiring about the live episode which will air on Wednesday,
June 19th, at 10pm Eastern.
Velocity’s Kings of
Crash was the first full presentation of the day, which showcases
purposeful car crashes in Utah. Described as brutal, simple, raw, unrehearsed,
spontaneous, and highly emotional, the drivers keep coming back because they’re
addicted to the adrenaline rush. Panelists included producer Alex Campbell and
talent Gumby “The Mormon Maniac,” TJ McPhee, Mont Sweat, Ryan Sweat, and his
wife, Katy Sweat. Gumby, also known as the “Stormin’ Mormon,” explains that “safety
is the number one priority of the promoters and the drivers,” and that he wants
to show people that Mormons in Utah should not be stereotypes as restricted –
they certainly can have as much fun as anyone else.
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Velocity, Discovery Communcations |
Ryan Sweat has been involved in derbies for seventeen years,
and Katy began fourteen years ago, the day after having one of their five
children. Of the children (ages 18, 13, 12, 8, and 4), one of the daughters
likes to paint the cars, one son is very interested and knows about as much as
anyone about derby cars, and several of the children help in many ways,
including welding. This can come in handy, as it takes a minimum of 60-80 hours
and $6,000 - $10,000 to build a derby car. And, although the purses for winning
the derbies can get into the thousands of dollars, it is a hobby where spending
is high. Gumby subsidizes this a bit with his career in selling used auto
parts. Plus, in the summer, they drive to derbies outside of the area, though
the group hopes that this show will bring more competitors to the activity,
explains Mont Sweat, a carpenter.
Ryan Sweat went into some of the rules involved in their
type of demolition derby, where you cannot stay inactive and hope to be the
last car standing (which is how his brother, Mont, likes to play). Instead, you
must hit a can every sixty to ninety seconds (but not the driver’s door). You
also do not have to try to be the last car standing, as Ryan points out that “some
drivers go for the purse, some go for the crowd.” McPhee expands that idea by
talking about the “Mad Dog” award, which is presented to the hardest driver of
the night. Don’t be worried about the cars exploding, though, as Katy Sweat
pointed out that the vehicles are heavily modified, and the gas tanks they use
are not factory-issued; instead, they go behind the driver’s seat, which is the
area to be avoided in collisions. Still, the concept behind demolition derbies
remains unchanged. As Ryan Sweat put it, “every kid wants to break something,
we’re just showing them how to do it.”
Watch for Kings of Crash to premiere Sunday, February 10th, at 10pm on Velocity.
Watch for Kings of Crash to premiere Sunday, February 10th, at 10pm on Velocity.
4 comments:
this tv series sounds awesome!
finally, some reality tv thats REAL!
fake not real. was there
I was there too and have been to all these guys derbys---- there is nothing fake about this series.
I watched last night. I hope this series becomes the mpst popular on TV.
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