scrapheap challenge

I stumbled across this show accidentally as I was flicking channels on the DSTB. It's on the ABC 2 channel at around 6.40pm

Great show. Highly recommended. How can a show like this go by totally un-noticed for the last 8 years!

Every episode two teams each have 10 hours to buid a machine that accomplishes some predetermined task.

Episodes so far have been....

-building an amphibious vehicle

-building a tractor pulling machine

-building an excavator

-building a tug-boat

Great to see that shows such as this continue on in the tradition of "The secret life of machines" , mythbusters, etc...

Which made me wonder if there are any "real" scrap heaps in Melbourne where one could find a range of mechanical bits and pieces. I'm guessing not, as a lot of stuff is recycled and melted down rather quickly?

Reply to
Phil in Melbourne
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Mythbusters the other week was a special on all the places where they get their "junque". And most them were just around the Bay Area. Other cities in the US probably have the same or more. We have hardly anything like that here! Some scrap metal yards often get lots of usual machines and what-not.

Dave.

Reply to
David L. Jones

Phil in Melbourne wrote >

It's been shown in Germany for years ! (dubbed into Krautspeak, of course...)

So has Mythbusters....

OZ TV is severely limited, over here (Germany) I get 32 free channels.

Reply to
fritz

"Phil in Melbourne"

** Totally agree.

The mad poms have excelled themselves with this one.

** Only appeared on Aussie TV this year.

...... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

ABC2 have been playing out the first 3 seasons every week day for the last month or two - I think the first season was from 2000 or so. A bit of trivia: The female host for the first two series was also the executive producer and show creator. She was replaced in the 3rd series which we're seeing now. The male host was Kryten in Red Dwarf. The second season was shot in the US in parallel with the US-branded version - Junkyard Wars. They used the same fake scrapheap and most of the challenges were the same for the UK and US version. The best bit about the US version is that the host was Henry Rollins - if you don't appreciate the awesomeness of this, I pity you. For the 3rd series they moved production back to a new set in the UK.

As I mentioned, the scrapheap is "fake" - it's constructed from scratch with a lot of reinforcing of piles for safety. The yard is also "seeded" with critical components, and there is obviously a level of coordination to ensure that the 2 teams take distinctly different approach. Finally, a stunning amount seems to happen in the last half hour - yesterday they managed to rig the hydraulics for a 3-cylinder excavator from scratch in about 10 minutes...

Kind of cheating I guess, but makes for a great show :)

Reply to
Russ

Well there was a whole programm filmed here in NZ !!

And at least 2 shows that have featured Kiwis...

One of the best was the Kiwi with the pulse jet engine ....

The joy of Scrapheap' is that they showed you everything where in Mythbusters they hold out...

The last Mythbusters they tried to beat a speed camera, they couldn't, interesting that Jeremy Clarkson could !!! at from memory only 140Mph ...

I am sure if you used eMule you could fine lots of them ...

Max

Phil > I stumbled across this show accidentally as I was flicking channels on the

Reply to
max

The novelty soon wears off!

Reply to
ian field

An excellent show, I saw most of them before when living in the US. they were on the discovery channel as "Junkyard Wars". There are 9 british series and 5 series of the american equivalent in all, details at :-

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Keith

Reply to
keithr

At least SHC is better than Brainiac - *rap variation of Mythbusters. (except for busty chicks blowing things up and testing floatation)

Glenn.

Reply to
glenbadd

Give me Kari Byron from Mythbusters over any of those Brainiac bimbos any day!

Dave. (wearing my Mythbusters T-shirt today)

Reply to
David L. Jones

"David L. Jerkoff "

** For anyone interested, a few moments on Google will turn up some very " tasteful " pics of the presenter gal ( Lisa Rogers) presently on SHC.

....... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

the

There can be no argument that Mythbusters is technically the best show. They actually seem to have some scientific expertise on hand (the Asian guy), and at least attempt to be scientific, in the way of engineers.

Brainiac is just a comedy show, they are not even pretending to be serious.

BTW, that Lisa on Scrapheap is by far the best looking female host IMHO.

Reply to
fritz

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the

Most people laugh at the supposed "science" content, but they do an OK job I think. You can punch holes in a lot of their stuff, but that's often half the fun. I like it when they revisit myths they screwed up.

Grant is an EE.

It's not even comedy. Mythbusters is far funnier IMO. Richard Hammond is much better on Top Gear, another show that works brilliantly because of the chemistry between the hosts like in Mythbusters.

But Kari is hotter because, well, she's a Mythbuster. And she's got creative talent too (art and sculpting).

Dave.

Reply to
David L. Jones

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on the

years!

Sometimes, but Brainiac is more out-and-out comedy.

Top Gear is really just Clarkson, the others are usually reduced to the sideline. Hammond plays the short-arse clown, albeit very well. Doesn't drive very fast cars very well, though, eh ?? Came to a screeeeeching halt !!! Fortunately, the brain damage was not detectable..............

Who cares about talent when you look like Lisa ? Dunno if I'm out of touch here, but Lisa has something that Kari lacks. Outright super-sex appeal !!!!! Hey, has aus.electronics become a male-dominated-domain, eh ?

Fritz

Reply to
fritz

I never found myself laughing, just cringing!

sideline.

Yes, Clarkson tends to dominate, but the show would be useless with just him. Just like Mythbusters would be hopeless with just Jamie or Adam on their own. James May is hilarious as the hapless Capt'n'Slow, and the Hampster takes the brunt of Clarkson's jokes.

halt !!!

Hey, he held that blown tyre at 400km/h for a good quarter of a second!

But hot looking chicks like that are dime-a-dozen.

Nothing sexier than a chick with brains and talent though. Kari wins hands down!

I married a scientist who has been in Cosmo, so I get the best of both worlds ;-)

There were females here at one stage? :-/ I must have blinked!

BTW, Mythubusters fans may like the movie "The Darwin Awards". Watched it the other week and it was much better than I was expecting. Very funny, and Jamie and Adam do a very short cameo as the owners of a surplus store.

Dave.

Reply to
David L. Jones

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