Debriefing on the  first episodes of "diggers" TV Shows from ACRA-L. 
Mike  Polk 
Sagebrush  Consultants 
Ogden,  Utah 
-----Original  Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]  
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Doershuk, John  F
Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 8:51 AM
To:  [log in to unmask]
Subject: ACRA-L - Report on National Geographic  Channel "Diggers"  
Dear  Colleagues: 
I watched both of  the 30-minute episodes of "Diggers" broadcast yesterday 
evening, although I  barely made it through the second half-hour as I found 
it becoming repetitively  boring (and chock full of ads -- more on these, 
below). The show is typical Natl  Geo style -- beautiful locations, good 
camera work, well-edited. But the "stars"  -- the self-styled "Ringmaster" and 
"King George," are buffoons-I shouldn't  doubt that serious metal detecting 
folks will not appreciate the caricatures.  These two spend a great deal of 
camera time relating their enthusiasm for  finding "juice," "nectar," and 
"roundness," all their terms for the buried  "treasure" they excitedly dig up. I 
didn't think their "discovery rush"  translated all that well despite their 
over-the-top efforts to whip the audience  into a pot-hunting frenzy. 
There's also plenty of reality TV side-show antics,  such as silly bets between 
the two-e.g., who comes up with the oldest  item-leading to the loser having 
to complete a du 
mb stunt like riding a bicycle off a dock  into a freezing cold lake while 
in drag or licking a jellyfish washed up on the  beach (I kid you not).  
Happily, there  was zero mention of archaeology or science, and no effort 
at all trying to  legitimate this activity as anything remotely educational 
or additive to general  knowledge. The term "artifacts" was never used and 
"context" or why it's  important was never brought up. The most damaging 
thing, I think, about this  show is that no effort was made to document where 
anything came from or  discussion of associations-each discovered item was 
handled piece-meal. Of  course, "the past" and "history" were repeatedly invoked 
as cool, interesting,  but ultimately, simply a source of cash. In the 
first two minutes, the tone was  set and the rest of the dialogue was 
unwavering: "we're obsessed," "a thousand  ways to cash in," "wild west loot -- we're 
going to get digging" [the first  episode started in Montana -- "Old 
territorial prison grounds"], "so join the  search," "let's plunder this pokey." On 
and on. 
This show is 100  percent metal detecting with digging limited to 
near-surface garden troweling --  although one piece (from a South Carolina 
plantation setting), had them  unearthing an item from almost a foot below the 
surface. The show was very scant  on details about where they were collecting, 
although terms like "we were  invited" and the "the owner wants us to find" 
were carefully inserted. The first  episode was shot in Montana -- as noted at 
the old  territorial prison where the "director"  expressed the hope they 
would find "graves" as rumor holds that some inmates  were interred on the 
grounds (they weren't able to locate any). Then they  switched locations to a 
large private ranch (Chevallier). The second episode was  set in South 
Carolina, first on James Island, "scene of many Civil War battles,"  and then a 
brief stint on a beach of undisclosed location where modern coins and  a ring 
were found, and then to Fenwick Plantation where Revolutionary War and  War 
of 1812 buttons, 
bullets, and coins were recovered.  Having spent the past two years in an 
(on-going) struggle to preserve against  planned development the only War of 
1812 battlefield known in Iowa, it turned my  stomach to see these two 
cavalierly pock-marking what was clearly a battlefield  context with good 
integrity, selectively removing the metal items they happened  to detect-there 
wasn't even a semblance of concern shown for the benefits of  being systematic. 
In each episode, they pocket their take -- no mention of  showing or sharing 
with landowners, and then they sell some and the rest is  apparently kept, 
although again no mention is made of recording provenience or  any such 
concerns. There was a disclaimer added at the end of the episode about  
following local regs and getting landowner permission. This hardly mitigates the  
main message of the programming that comes through loud and clear: the past is 
 there for the taking, help yourselves like we do, preservation isn't even 
worth  talking 
about. 
Cash, in the end,  is what this show is about on two parallel levels. First 
(and foremost re why  made and shown) it's about advertising revenue. 
Consider this list: Verizon,  iPhone S, Nationwide, GEICO, Mazda, Acura, Volvo, 
Sam Adams, Heineken, and CSX  Rail -- these are the majors. What strikes me 
as especially telling is that the  personas Ringmaster and King George 
project is anything but a Heineken-drinking,  Volvo-driving, iPhone-using 
demographic. I'm not sure what to make  of the combination of bozo-behavior on a  
seemingly respectable, education-oriented channel like Natl Geo, but maybe we  
are witnessing the descent of Natl Geo into the realm of unabashedly 
"whatever"  programming. For the moment, they are a preferred venue for Heineken 
and Volvo,  but maybe in a year or two it will be Bud Light and Chevy. 
Secondly, the  expressed driving motivation for Ringmaster and King George is the 
cash value of  the items they recover, plain and simple. I thought I might 
learn  something about the how-to aspect of metal detecting,  pros and cons 
of different equipment, etc., but this really wasn't the point any  more than 
being concerned about adversely impacting nonrenewable resources was  the 
focus. Ironic that both CSX Rail and Mazda ran ads focused on the importance  
of preserving the environment -- CSX promotes "Nature is spectacular -- 
let's  keep it that way" while Mazda tied themselves to "The Lorax" movie that 
is  recently out (or about to be released).  
To close this  overly lengthy report, I'll never intentionally watch this 
program again as  there is simply nothing of value to it, not even mindless 
entertainment. I hope  this is the general response, and Natl Geo drops it. 
After all, they can readily  profit from their programming like "Doomsday 
Preppers" or "American  Weed." 
John  Doershuk 
State  Archaeologist 
University of  Iowa 
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