Moonshiners on Discovery Channel

[bferullo]

How does this show make sense? Moonshiners on camera...would the law enforcement just bust them? Can you get more scripted "reality tv"?

although I will say i am checking it out just because I watch almost all things brewing/distilling/history there of on TV.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Wolfhound180]

I'm watching it now also. No idea.

 

[bferullo]

yeah that's what i don't get. these guys are now in camera doing things illegal. has to be "scripted" for "education" or something.

entertaining nonetheless for the little factual tidbits

 

[kh54s10]

Let's see they really don't expect law enforcement will see this?????

 

[two_hearted]

Was wondering this myself when I saw the preview. Does it seem scripted?

 

[kh54s10]

That guy looks like he has been consuming too much of his product!

 

[bferullo]

all reality shows are scripted IMO. but this one is still amusing so far.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Does local law enforcement have jurisdiction to arrest over federal crimes? Unfunded mandate? When the treasury dept sends over it's revenuers ... that's when it hits the fan ... or when there appears to be illegal aliens, whichever comes first. ;-)

 

[brettwasbtd]

I thought about this as well. My thinking is that the moonshiners they are following on tv have already gotten in trouble with the law and have agreed with discovery/law enforcement to be able to make the shine and film it. The money made probably goes back to the county and stuff haha

Pretty Interesting though. I also have a problem with camera crews on things like this. Like that Mantracker show... you know the camera people are tipping off the mantracker more often then the people themselves...

 

[the_bird]

From what I was reading, it took them a LONG time to find 'shiners who were willing to be on the show, for the legal reasons. Sounded like the reasons they had for appearing on the show were genuine, but methinks they may have drunk a little too much of the moonshine's heads over the years.

As I recall, the people who appeared on "Sister Wives" (the show with the polygamists) did run into some legal trouble, like... immediately after the first episode aired.

 

[JonM]

Is that teenager even old enough to agree to be shown on TV doing this stuff? Seeing that kid made me pretty uncomfortable.

 

[Airborneguy]

I'd imagine that it's "set up" Local authorities most definitely have jurisdiction over distillation, as localities have their own laws governing alcohol production which they can easily enforce. I remember a history channel show about bootleggers where the "moonshiner" they used had already been caught and prosecuted and was allowed to perform for the cameras. Likely, that is the case here.

 

[TxBrew]

How does this show make sense? Moonshiners on camera...would the law enforcement just bust them? Can you get more scripted "reality tv"?

although I will say i am checking it out just because I watch almost all things brewing/distilling/history there of on TV.

Thoughts anyone?

Reality is a term used to signify shaky cameras and manufactured drama.

 

[Berniep]

Hate the fake drama in these shows. Would much prefer a standard documentary format.

Notice how he was careful not to add all the ingredients to the fermenter. So he hasn't made a mash yet. I will be interested to see how they handle the actual run of the still.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Reality is a term used to signify shaky cameras and manufactured drama.

I have no use for <del>Jerry Springer</del> , er, reality TV shows ... to put it politely.
I recall during the writers strike a few years back, people saying that networks were going to be relying on the reality type shows during the strike and probably thereafter. At the time I did not think that would happen as the TV shows affected were well liked and had devoted audiences ... something that advertisers like.

Well ... I've plainly "bumped up against the cold hard facts that set me straight".

The reality shows are cheap to produce, don't require writers with more than a 6th grade education, and apparently appeal to enough viewers who are willing to be fed swill that they have been quite successful. Fine with me tho, I just spend less time in front of the tube for it.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

... but there is a type of show that some might classify as reality that I have enjoyed. They are the series such as Frontier House, 1900's House, and Manor House (not surprisingly 2 of these 3 were produced in Britain). These shows are where people are put into historical surroundings to live for a number of months. It's not so much the style I like but the content.
The exception was the U.S. produced Colonial House, which I could not stand ... wildly trashy and sensationalist ... like a horrible soap opera on steroids.

 

[JonM]

... but there is a type of show that some might classify as reality that I have enjoyed. They are the series such as Frontier House, 1900's House, and Manor House (not surprisingly 2 of these 3 were produced in Britain). These shows are where people are put into historical surroundings to live for a number of months. It's not so much the style I like but the content.
The exception was the U.S. produced Colonial House, which I could not stand ... wildly trashy and sensationalist ... like a horrible soap opera on steroids.

+1 to 1900 House! I loved how the Dad (a police officer) had to ride a horse to work and wear the olde-tyme uniform.

 

[SenorPepe]

I have no use for <del>Jerry Springer</del> , er, reality TV shows ... to put it politely.
I recall during the writers strike a few years back, people saying that networks were going to be relying on the reality type shows during the strike and probably thereafter. At the time I did not think that would happen as the TV shows affected were well liked and had devoted audiences ... something that advertisers like.

Well ... I've plainly "bumped up against the cold hard facts that set me straight".

The reality shows are cheap to produce, don't require writers with more than a 6th grade education, and apparently appeal to enough viewers who are willing to be fed swill that they have been quite successful. Fine with me tho, I just spend less time in front of the tube for it.

If you recall, the mother sh!t that spawned all this crap was Cops. It was designed to create content in response to the writer's strike of 1988.

 

[lex990]

Many states it is legal to have a running still as long as it is registered with the govt. and taxes are paid on the volumes distilled. I would say this has been done on all stills on that show and they script in those guys to make em seem like they are the lost boys of shinin

 

[Jacob_Marley]

+1 to 1900 House! I loved how the Dad (a police officer) had to ride a horse to work and wear the olde-tyme uniform.

Yup. Great stuff.
Also, Victorian Farm, Victorian Farm Christmas, and Victorian Pharmacy as well as all of the above including 1900 House are mostly all viewable on youtube.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

If you recall, the mother sh!t that spawned all this crap was Cops. It was designed to create content in response to the writer's strike of 1988.

I didn't realize that Cops was a response to a writers strike too. People like to see others misfortune ... personally I don't enjoy it one bit.

Cops has that "watching a trainwreck" effect, but I find the show very, very sad. To me it pretty much underlines some horrible costs to society.

I would never want to be a cop. Many of my friends are cops ... at one time my dad was a cop ... I had worked around cops for a good portion of my life ... but I've seen how it changes people. Cops are either dealing with people who have had something done to them, or are doing something to them. Self-preservation means they *must* at some level regard every other person other than another cop as a potential enemy or threat. The number of police officers I know that did not get into law enforcement to work out personal anger and control issues, and that remained true to their altruistic reasons for getting into the field without becoming jaded to their own detriment ... I can count on one hand. It's a rough line of work. And unlike firefighters or EMS, are often not seen as "the good guys in the white hats" in spite of their incredible level of service.

I must say, I liked the old tv show Rescue 911 ... but that's because back in the 1980's I was a firefighter and paramedic in the Detroit area and often abutting (or in) its worst areas, for quite a few years. I still find emergency services interesting.
I could do without the show cops tho.

 

[Berniep]

Many states it is legal to have a running still as long as it is registered with the govt. and taxes are paid on the volumes distilled. I would say this has been done on all stills on that show and they script in those guys to make em seem like they are the lost boys of shinin

Not likely. There are all kinds of requirements for the distillng site alone that would rule out a creek bottom right away.

 

[nukinfuts29]

Guys come on, its obviously fake. They didn't even follow proper process. They aren't making shine and I'm sure they took care of the legal aspects with slight of hand and tricks.

Sent from my Galaxy S 4G using Home Brew Talk for Android

 

[GodsStepBrother]

Since Popcorn Sutton&#8217;s documentary &#8220;The Last One,&#8221; there has been a huge interest in moonshine. The documentary is gaining a big following. This is TV just trying to bank off of these people, I am sure they have licenses to produce liquor.

This is part four of the documentary, very interesting guy. He was caught after this documentary and then killed himself before serving his prison sentence.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAAehMnLaEU&feature=related]Part 4- This Is The Last Dam Run of Likker I&#39;m Ever Gonna Make - YouTube[/ame]

 

[tv187u]

Messed up, sorry for any miss information.

 

[GodsStepBrother]

The guy that discovery is following is "Popcorn"'s grandson or son. So I would assume that he is doing this under the same guidelines popcorn had to follow.

I haven&#8217;t seen the show , and didn&#8217;t even know it existed. I am sure discovery would have covered their a**es so the grandson can distill on TV.
That is weird, they are about to release (if they haven&#8217;t already) a version of Popcorn&#8217;s whiskey. It&#8217;s the wife and some other investor that are making his recipe legally.

edit: I am not sure but I think the documentary is what lead to him becoming a suspect and lead to him going to jail. That and the fact he had over a crap load of whiskey in his possession.

 

[nukinfuts29]

I haven&#146;t seen the show , and didn&#146;t even know it existed. I am sure discovery would have covered the a**es so the grandson can distill on TV.
That is weird, they are about to release (if they haven&#146;t already) a version of Popcorn&#146;s whiskey. It&#146;s the wife and some other investor that are making his recipe legally.

Hank Williams Jr is one of them

Sent from my Galaxy S 4G using Home Brew Talk for Android

 

[Pumbaa]

That is weird, they are about to release (if they haven’t already) a version of Popcorn’s whiskey. It’s the wife and some other investor that are making his recipe legally.

It's been released and is available for sale LEGALLY in Eastern TN as we speak . . . been thinking of making a special weekend run to get me some

 

[GodsStepBrother]

Let us know if you do try it, I have never tried moonshine. One of my co workers is from Kentucky and said he hated it. He loved Whisky and Scotch, but said he could never get used to moonshine.

 

[nukinfuts29]

Let us know if you do try it, I have never tried moonshine. One of my co workers is from Kentucky and said he hated it. He loved Whisky and Scotch, but said he could never get used to moonshine.

Maybe he had single pass stuff. My fav is Blueberry, persoanlly. Thouh I have no idea wink wink where to get it.

Sent from my Galaxy S 4G using Home Brew Talk for Android