History channel cancels Dog Fights Show

[GF_Mastiff]

Please help keep this show running thanks.
http://boards.historychannel.com/category.jspa?categoryID=800000014

the show http://www.history.com/minisites/dogfights/


Have a famous dogfight you'd like to see? Please email us at dogfights@digitalranch.tv! Disclaimer

[Foo'bar]

Pretty OT, uuh?

[GF_Mastiff]

Pretty OT, uuh?

isnt there dog fighting IL2?

[tagTaken2]

I'm really in two minds about this... I enjoy the combat footage, and the pilot interviews, but the 'digitised' recreations, and intensely voiced commentary make me gag. Ditto the dumbing-down and significant Allied/US bias.
I'm aware that the show is for a wider audience than ME, so I guess I'll give it a boost. Kinda like supporting arcade flight sims for the trickle-on effect.

[crazyivan1970]

Not a big fan...sorry 8) But i agree, some footage is great!

[DKoor]

Nothing against this..........

Always good to see aero stuff gets attn.

[RockStar]

I really enjoy this show, I would hate to see it end. I'll check out the link above.

[RXMAN]

Got them all on DVR :D . Time to transfer to DVD I guess :idea: .
Two 8 hour DVDs will cover both seasons :wink: .

[4./JG53_Wotan]

Personally, I never cared for the show and am not surprised that it may get canceled. There were serious issues with the accuracy of the some the episodes going back to the original 2 hour premier / pilot. I wasn't too impressed with the CGI either - it was decent but in the end it seemed more like a cartoon rather then a historical recreation of 'the best dog fights' (btw I don't consider bombing ships 'dog fighting').

Wotan

[Gibbage]

I liked the show, but it seemed to dumb down the technical aspect of the aircraft too much for me. This was done for "public consumption" sure, but it left the people who were really interested in the historical aspect of the aircraft, like us flight simmers, a little wanting. Im sure we can ALL agree that it did spur forth a lot of entertaining threads at the Zoo ;)

[R0NNC0]

It had it's flaws, but I can't recall any other show that interviewed Al Vraciu, Ham McWhorter, Jeff DeBlanc, or Jim Swett among others. It's too bad McCampbell passed a few years ago. It would've been great to hear his take.

[T_O_A_D]

I think it's an awsum show for one reason only, It has interviewed some of our Best pilots with thier best stories, and put them in my living room so I can hear and see their faces and voices. All the rest is just icing on the cake. We are running out of time to capture these men from WW2 so keep the cameras rolling, and get more many more on film please, from all sides and theaters of the war.

[Y0RGO]

Personally, I never cared for the show and am not surprised that it may get canceled. There were serious issues with the accuracy of the some the episodes going back to the original 2 hour premier / pilot. I wasn't too impressed with the CGI either - it was decent but in the end it seemed more like a cartoon rather then a historical recreation of 'the best dog fights' (btw I don't consider bombing ships 'dog fighting').

Wotan

You could not care for the show when it shows gErmany lose on dogfighting, yes?

[fly_zo]

Personally, I never cared for the show and am not surprised that it may get canceled. There were serious issues with the accuracy of the some the episodes going back to the original 2 hour premier / pilot. I wasn't too impressed with the CGI either - it was decent but in the end it seemed more like a cartoon rather then a historical recreation of 'the best dog fights' (btw I don't consider bombing ships 'dog fighting').

Wotan

You could not care for the show when it shows gErmany lose on dogfighting, yes?

typical reaction :roll:

[DHC2Pilot]

Here too, I've got mixed emotions of the cancellation. The actual combat footage was always interesting, as well as the interviews, however as stated before the accuracy of the script was sorely lacking in every episode I watched (I lost interest after the 5th episode. And I couldn't stand the computer generated nonsense they had on there especially when they tried to explain some of the maneuvers. I'd much rather watch Wings of the Lufwaffe or Wings of the Red Star. Now, if the "Wings Of...." series would just start covering the Brits, Italians, Japanese, etc. we'd be all set - they'd have no end of planes to cover.

[Robert]

It had it's flaws, but I can't recall any other show that interviewed Al Vraciu, Ham McWhorter, Jeff DeBlanc, or Jim Swett among others. It's too bad McCampbell passed a few years ago. It would've been great to hear his take.


That's the significance of this show in a nutshell. TOAD stated it well too.

Personally my gripe about the show wasn't it's content. We know it was basic stuff placed for the masses, and not the fanatic or the knowlegable. My complaint had to do with the editing and presentation. Every 5 minutes or so there was a commercial. Upon coming back the first minute or two was a rehash of the previous segment. Boring, repetative, and ultimately that's what made it unwatchable.

The content was capable of reaching who the producers aimed it at with no problem. It's editing and contstant repetition killed it. I quite often got the feeling they were cutting corners to preserve money, hense the repetition.

I bought season one for my 9 year old nephew. If season two comes out I'll do the same. Two things have spurred his interest in WW 2 history. IL2 and Dogfights. His dad has taken him to quite a few museums at his request to see airplanes of WW2 because of of these two. I plan on taking him to the air show in Reading PA this June. I told his dad/my brother about it and if I can't make it he'll take him. (Actually a third thing helped spur the flight bug. Wings of War. Who'd a thunk it?)

[Von_G]

I recorded most of the first season, watched em once.
Quite enjoyed them, in spite of the innaccuracy and hyperbole, but probably wouldnt watch em again.
My 14 year old lad on the other hand, has watched them multiple times and I am sure they are the reason he has started to get interested in IL-2.

So I agree with Robert. They may be a little thin for us hardcores, but I would support the show because it interests the younger generation in something important that happened long before they were born.
New blood is essential if flight sims are going to continue to be viable as products.

[Erkki]

Was pretty odd humour to me... :grin:

[choctaw111]

Yes, the show has its flaws, and for those of us who are serious about this kind of thing, we were horrified by some of the inaccuracies...however, this show has certainly brought many new people into this genre, into Il2 and ultimately into SoW:BoB. Anything out there that will cultivate new simmers into our little niche is greatly appreciated I think.

[mondo]

My only gripe with it is that it was a bit gung ho America and didn't really feature any one from any other countries unless they were being shot down by an American (this isn't an anti america rant but just how I saw those episodes). It would have been nice to feature some of the 100+ kill German aces who flew in Spain right up until the last days, Russian aces or maybe some of the British nightfighter aces.

[GF_Mastiff]

My only gripe with it is that it was a bit gung ho America and didn't really feature any one from any other countries unless they were being shot down by an American (this isn't an anti america rant but just how I saw those episodes). It would have been nice to feature some of the 100+ kill German aces who flew in Spain right up until the last days, Russian aces or maybe some of the British nightfighter aces.
As it being an American show I can see why, but aside that; yes, I believe a more robust series would have been in order.

[denbf109]

very nice foo--- you make real good a/c skin too

[Rjel]

I can't imagine the complexities in producing a show like that. I haven't any idea how much time it might take to do the CGI. It looked like quality stuff, easily better than most recent movies that had aviation segments.

As to the American content, that horse has been beaten to death already. There were several episodes that featured stories other than those of American pilots.

[Robert]

I just watched the Germans most dangerous mission episode online. It's the one where 109's purposely crashed into B 24 Liberators in Feb-March 05.