since you all seem to be so crazy about the genial host of Extreme Trains, maybe you could make some suggestions about future series he could host. Like Extreme Trains Magazine with Matt running about the Kalmbach offices bugging those fine folks while pumping his arms and shouting things that make little or no sense to anyone but the under 25 crowd! Maybe Extreme Autopsy or Extreme Landscaping- the sky is the limit!
Not sure we call it crazy, but most of us believe he is way over the top in his method of expression and handling of his duties regarding hosting…
I have not seen show. But I am a railfan and a 45 yr+ veteran of radio and television. So if railfans say he is over the top, then he must really be over the top!
He’s like a Lab puppy with a gutful of amphetamines, and not extremely knowledgeable (as far as I can tell). I hit the mute button periodically during the show.
Extreme Trains is a fantastic show, and details things about trains that most people have no idea about. Put one of us monotone rail fans as host on the show, and the channel remotes would change so fast it would stagger satellite transmissions!
I like the host. He loves trains, and does a good job sharing the information. This show is displaying for a mass audience the viability and necessity of quality rail, passenger and freight.
If you want boring details, then keep coming to this forum. Railnuts like myself find the forum and the magazines fascinating. My family and my friends think I’m crazy. But they kind of like Extreme Trains, finally understanding a bit of my fascination with railroads.
Please consider encouraging the History Channel, instead of sounding like a bunch of whining geeks!
That guy is way too enthusiastic about the industry. Like in the episode where the crew visited the construction of the third main on Cajon, the maintenance of way workers looked pretty annoyed. I’m 15 and I think he’s a little over the top. You would think he was the adult version of the kid in "I Love Big Trains.’ To make the series have more of a documentary touch to it, have maybe Kevin Keefe be the host.
I haven’t seen the show yet, but it sounds like the host might be related to that guy who does the commercials. I didn’t know one person could have that much enthusiasm…
The video is well done. If something leaves you puzzled, I guess you can ask your question here.
It brings back memories of watching the Cubs years back. Harry was entertaining. Steve Stone described with great depth why things were happening. If it was Stone’s turn on the radio, mute the TV and turn up the transistor.
I haven’t seen this show either, but it sounds like this fellow may be a graduate of “The Robin Leech School of Television Hosting”. Remember “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”?
AgentKid
There are many knowledgable rail fans on here and many of them have watched {several of the shows}, so simply take a look at the dozens and dozens of comments they have provided.
That will give anyone questioning the show…what these railfans here really believe of the performance of the host of Extreme Trains as well as the video provided that makes up the programs. Much of the video is informing and interesting to watch…and some not well presented.
Mike Rowe would have been perfect for the show.
As to your comment about him being knowledgeable, there is no way you could know how much he knows about trains. If you hit the mute button, why not just watch a regular train video if all you like is moving trains, not the information associated with the trains…
The host of Extreme Trains imay be a little too hyper for my personal tastes, but my tastes don’t really matter. What matters is how he goes over with normal people (ie., people who aren’t railfans). And here I have to agree 100% with you - he does a good job for the audience at which the show is directed. He’s just the kind of host needed to make the subject matter interesting for the great mass of people who otherwise don’t think very much about railroads. The best teachers are the ones who can entertain their audiences while they share information.
Except they are artificially sped up to four times their real speed… [:-^]
Scum Mudd: I agree with you fully! Never thought of it that way, but now that you pointed it out, it seems obvious! Well said! [tup]
I agree Mike Rowe would have been perfect, or maybe Mike Rowe’s writers.
Let’s not overlook how TV gets made. The basic step of any show is creating the storyboard/plot line. Once the basic premise of the episode is decided, then the necessary visual shots are planned and dialog is developed (by the writers - not the ‘talent’) to cover/explain what the scene is displaying. When the scenes are shot ‘for real’ it is up to the talent (Matt) to provide the kind of ‘performance’ that the director of the scene desires to see. If the director doesn’t like the way the first take came out, they will shoot the sceen again, and again, and again until the director gets what he wants.
We can rag on old Matt all we want. Matt is only giving the director the performance that the director wants with the lines that the writers have provided.
Gentlemen, please read the post at the beginning of this thing! I was hoping to see what other types of reality shows you folks think young Matt could host. A little humor and some imagination would be nice, I think.
I think he’d be perfect for something about fire trucks, emergency squads, dangerous rescue equipment.
His over-the-top enthusiasm jars on regular rails, you can tell by the looks on their faces. To anyone, it gets to be a job and I’m sure when he’s back working as a conductor in Maine, he doesn’t act like that.
Wonder how he got that gig, anyway.