Space Station May Host Wave of TV Shows and Films (nytimes.com) 11
Who wants to be an astronaut? If the answer is you, there's a reality TV show, appropriately titled "Who Wants to Be an Astronaut?", that you ought to apply for. From a report: The Discovery Channel is seeking to cast about 10 would-be astronauts to compete during the series' eight-episode run next year for a seat on a real-life trip to the International Space Station, followed by live coverage of the launch of the winner on a SpaceX rocket. "We'd like a diverse group of people that each have their own story, why they want to go to space, why they're worthy of going to space, what their back story is," said Jay Peterson, president of Boat Rocker Studios, Unscripted, one of the companies producing the show for Discovery. That person will not be the only amateur astronaut destined for the space station next year. So many tourism and entertainment efforts are preparing trips there that it could begin to look more like a soundstage for television shows and a hotel for the wealthy than an orbiting research laboratory.
Many who work in the business of space believe that is a good thing, even if trips to orbit will remain out of reach of all but the wealthiest passengers in the near term. "This is a real inflection point, I think, with human spaceflight," Phil McAlister, NASA's director of commercial spaceflight development, said during a news conference this month announcing that the agency had signed an agreement with Axiom Space, a Houston-based company, to fly the first mission of private astronauts to the space station. "I'm very bullish on the tourism market and the tourism activity," Mr. McAlister said. "I think more people that are going to fly, they're going to want to do more things in space." Although the International Space Station may stay up in orbit at least until 2028, in the future it will not be only space station. Russian space authorities last month declared their intention to leave the I.S.S. in the coming years and build a station of their own. A Chinese orbital outpost is expected to come online in the next year or two.
Many who work in the business of space believe that is a good thing, even if trips to orbit will remain out of reach of all but the wealthiest passengers in the near term. "This is a real inflection point, I think, with human spaceflight," Phil McAlister, NASA's director of commercial spaceflight development, said during a news conference this month announcing that the agency had signed an agreement with Axiom Space, a Houston-based company, to fly the first mission of private astronauts to the space station. "I'm very bullish on the tourism market and the tourism activity," Mr. McAlister said. "I think more people that are going to fly, they're going to want to do more things in space." Although the International Space Station may stay up in orbit at least until 2028, in the future it will not be only space station. Russian space authorities last month declared their intention to leave the I.S.S. in the coming years and build a station of their own. A Chinese orbital outpost is expected to come online in the next year or two.
ISS has no copyrights and can use any movie (Score:2)
ISS has no copyrights and can use any movie they want up there with no need to pay for any rights.
ISS degraded to tv/movie set (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
If hollywank is willing to pay enough to make it worthwhile, then take the money. Make some history on someone else's dime.
Lost in Space, Reality Edition (Score:1)
Siri: "Danger Danger, Will Robinson!"
As much as I want to like it, Discovery is sh*t (Score:4)
The current Discovery CEO is going for the ultra-reality shows that are practically filmed live (think more "big brother live" and less "survivor" - the former is less scripted while the latter is still highly scripted and edited).
Given the prevalence of endless episodes of shows like North Woods Law (which is basically practically live feed from a cop's body camera) and such, documentaries and even edited reality shows like Bering Sea Gold, Deadliest Catch, etc barely get one airing a week, while you can catch every CSI on it.
As much as I'd want to enjoy this, it's going to turn out poorly with people ratting on each other and alliances and other crap that happen on modern reality TV that makes it unwatchable. And given the style of programming currently on Discovery, it's going to be no better than what the networks pass off as reality. Just another Big Brother style show, but in SPAAAACCEEE!
Face it, it's only fortunate most of it happens on Earth, because you know no one's above sabotaging the fake space suits or equipment just to get someone to fail and expelled. By episode 2 we'll see talks on who's gonna sleep with who to screw over someone else.
I'd love to say they're hiding the normal Discovery content behind Discovery+, but I refuse to sign up for streaming services while I still enjoy cable - either air the damn thing on cable with your streaming service, or I'll find it another way. Plus, Discovery+ isn't actually available in Canada and the streaming rights are split so many ways, it's a bit mind-boggling.
People may have hated Mythbusters for various reasons, but that kind of programming is still way better than the live reality shows they have today.
Awesome but... no thanks (Score:2)
The ride up. The ride down. Back pain, nausea, the smell of the station while you're there, loss of visual acuity. I'm sure the view is awesome, but I'm pretty sure it's not worth the price for most.
I'm holding out for the near-space balloon trips that are supposed to be happening any time now. You look out the window, it'll look like space to the human eye, but you aren't orbiting, you're floating. So you have gravity, and it's a gentle trip both up and down.
Nearly the same view with none of the drawb
Dated Material Pre-Built Into Every Movie (Score:2)
stupid (Score:2)
Predicted winners... (Score:2)
Would it be too cynical to point out that a couple of young, good-looking winners could make a massive amount of money with their video record of the historic founding of the 200 Mile High Club?
Asking for a friend. And a friend of a friend.
What a waste of oxygen (Score:2)
I'm trying though....
Yeah, no, nothing comes to mind. One can hope they open the wrong fucken door and end the series abruptly. Fuck I would watch that.