14 DAY TRIAL // Though it failed to be a commercial success as a feature film, the idea of the Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker” will be turned into a reality television show for next spring, called “Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan.”
G4 has already secured the necessary approvals and contracts to start shooting for the bold reality show that will follow an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit through training in the US and then on missions in Afghanistan, The Hollywood Reporter says.
Production is set to start in the following months, just in time to have the show premiere next spring on the network. The inspiration for it was “The Hurt Locker,” the producers behind the new project explain.
“There is simply no way to comprehend the incredible amount of pressure and split-second decisionmaking these individuals must undertake in the worst possible physical conditions without riding along with them as our cameras will do,” G4 president Neal Tiles says.
“This is a rare opportunity to showcase the work of the courageous men and women on the front lines and share with our viewers all the real-life drama, teamwork, danger and triumph that goes along with this specialized job,” Tiles adds.
While Tiles is not oblivious to the fact that the show marks a clear departure from the network’s shows so far, he insists it has nothing to do with showing off or running for the “position” of deadliest and most dangerous jobs ever.
Instead, it’s about depicting courage and luring in a new segment of the audience: the male demographic.
“We’ve always said the young male demo has extremely varied interests. Both G4 and the Navy like this for the same reason; it appeals to the tech side of G4’s demographic,” the network’s president says.
However bold and admirable, the project could end up blowing up in G4’s face, Entertainment Weekly believes, because it takes entertainment and carries it past a limit that should not be crossed under any circumstance.
“The Hurt Locker” was fiction, EW says, and, as well as we know that even “reality” TV is still fiction, it’s wrong to use the conflict in Afghanistan and the people risking their life every single day just to boost ratings.
“It’s foolish to judge anything this early (Bomb Patrol is set to air next spring), but it’s hard for me to picture how a show about soldiers engaged in a life-or-death activity – in the midst of a highly controversial conflict – will manage to not be incredible offensive to every single human being who has ever lived,” EW writes.
“Now, perhaps I’m a pessimist, and I shouldn’t worry about a future where the different branches of the armed forces all compete for ratings with their own reality shows. (Possible titles: Marine Madness, Air Force: Explosions in the Sky, In The Army Now, and Submarines: We Still Use ‘Em!)” the same report further says.