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Guys

Not sure how many of you there are that regularily watch "Dogfights" on the History Channel. But it looks like this series is being thrown aside for a more "Reality" type show that is now the favorite on the air ways to the mind less herds.

Several of us are trying to get the program re-instated by writing letters to the History Channel management through the "Dogfight" forum but with little success.

Now we are channeling new efforts through www.heynielsen.com that shows the interest of different programs to potential advertisers for possible support and/or investment in those programs.

If the interest is there to perserve the history of aerial combat in some of the greatest air battles fought as told by the people who were there may I suggest you view the Dogfight forum and its offerings at www.historychannel.com and then determine if you'd like to add comments to the hey nielsen campaign.

Thanks

Snake-1

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This is terrible news. I thought this type show was the reason for the History Channel's existence. Maybe the Military Channel will pick it up; I also saw an episode on History International this week.

Thanks the heads-up. I have already posted my objections on the HC forum and the Nielsen forum. Do you have any indication that the HC execs are concerned with the Nielsen site?

Agreed, Dogfights IS a historical show that the History Channel SHOULD be showing.

What does truckers driving over ice, or two guys learning different ways to beat the crap out of others have to do with history?

I have a 5 year old that was glued to the TV while we watched Dogfights together. He will actually ask to watch Dogfights on DVD versus other Disney, or cartoon movies. (Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree Wink

)

Edit:
I can't get into www.heynielsen.com Question

Quote:

This IP is being shared among many domains.
To view the domain you are looking for, simply enter the domain name in the location bar of your web browser.

Maybe the F-16.NET community is hitting it too hard? Shrug

Hope they don't think this is a DDOS attack!? Doh

Thats so sad. They were really pushing the show. They even came out with a video game online. It wasn't doing badly in the ratings. It was actually pretty high up on the ratings. But the bottom line is, we don't know the financials. According to a buddy of mine who is a graphic engineer, the graphics and things they were using aren't exactly cheap. So maybe the amount of money spent was more than what they were making off of the show. Well, if they really do get rid of it...i suggest a salute and a playing of taps for one of the greatest shows the history channel had on.

One more thing...the history channel has really started to walk away from history and has been concentrating more on the BS stuff like "mega disasters" and "Nostradamus" crap. They have essentially forgotten what it means to actually do shows about the stuff in the past that goes by the name of History. As a historian, and a history teacher, it almost brings me to tears. It's a show that brings many kids (including myself) to find history interesting. Its quite sad what the history channel has done. I think a petition should be started to make the history channel do history shows and not BS reality shows and shows about the "possible future."

Guys

To answer a couple of the questions above.

Right now we do not know what the benefits are with posting our feelings on www.heynielsen.com. But we do know that trying to talk to the leadership at the History Channel through either individual mailing to the HC, and multiple postings on thier forum hasn't even generated a reply to their intensions in the furure. But MAYBE it will catch the eye of advertisers looking for a vehicle to display their products. I'm told that this is common with Nielsen.

Yes, I imagine the computer generation would be a costly endeavor. However, they must have known that before they even produced the first season. And if the interest is there maybe the cost can be justified.

Yes the History Channel is getting further and further away from History and more into reality or trash shows. And it is sad and has been stated and re-stated in the Dogfight Forum. But again no one seems to be listening.

Therefore, we want to use every vehicle or avenue of approach to get both Dogfights back on the air and get the History Channel back to History. But we need help from those interesting in the same goals. Any additions to either the History Channel Forum but more impotantly the Nielsen bunch could be a great help.

Snake

Anybody remember when the Military Channel was Discovery Wings? Back then, you could turn it on and be just about guaranteed to see something about airplanes. These days, you might see some ancillary mention of airplanes when they discuss the latest weapons or something like that, but there are very few really airplane-related shows on that channel now.

Since the Military Channel and History Channel are both owned by Discovery, are you really surprised that they're going in the same direction? I'm not.

Back in February I used the "Dogfights" contact link to recommend they contact a local P-38 Pacific theater ace who flew with Bong, McGuire, and even Lindbergh. Obviously, being a WW2 vet, it's important to get with him before long if his memories (still amazingly fresh) are to be preserved. I never got a reply of any kind. Crying or Very sad

Sadly, the promise of cable TV is being ruined by a mass market mentality that is the very opposite of what was planned.

And, are computer graphics of this quality really that much more expensive than sending production crews to live on the "ice road" for months?

I agree. History channel is moving bit by bit away from history, I'm not agreeing that it was the most powerful show, and I believe there was some contreversy about the acurasy of some of the content, especialy the disputes about alot of the middle east dogfights. BUT still that was an awsome show

The loss of this program is just part of the collateral damage being done by the liberals in this country due to the problems in Iraq. Those of us old enough to remember the country's attitude towards the end of the Viet Nam War will recognize this problem. Anything associated with the military is under attack. (At least they are NOT greeting the GI's at the airports, spitting on them, and calling them "baby killers, etc!) The movement in San Francisco to band the flight demonstrations of the Blue Angels in October is just one example.
Maybe the History Channel could start showing the programs on the Military Channel? That is if the economics permit.
If not, then back to the old favorites -books. There is a relatively new book I have heard about, "Debrief: A Complete History of U.s. Aerial Engagements - 1981 to the Present" (Hardcover). I saw it for fifty dollars on Amazon. I read at another web board, that it is book that has interviews with the pilots who been in dogfights since 1981.

Adrian

The show was halfway through the season already, and they didn't even bother to finish it. So sad. History Channel is turning into garbage with shows like Ice Road Truckers and Human Weapon. What exactly are we learning from truckers driving on ice, bickering at each other? Or two dudes getting a crash course in a martial art so they could try to put up a fight? Has anyone actually learned the actual history of the martial art styles they've showcased? There's so much history there, yet you don't learn any of it. Enough with the reality show BS. We get enough of that from NON-LEARNING channels. I don't know about you guys, but I sure do miss the "Hitler Channel" days.

Enthusiast Joined: May 18, 2007 Posts: 42 Status: Offline

I totally agree! There is almost no history left on the History Channel! Mad

Still waiting for the promised response to my inquiry about "Dogfights" using the History Channel's website. What new "history" program will they feature next - the history of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears? Mad

Hmmmmm...Britney's cuter, but Paris is richer. Heck--they can both eat crackers around me!

Enthusiast Joined: Aug 18, 2007 Posts: 97 Status: Offline

Can't believe the History Channel is CANCELING "Dogfights"! That was the best show on that channel (and curiously - NO mention of cancellation, postponement, putting the show on hiatus or anything in that vein on history.com/minisites/dogfights/). I was depressed when the Discovery Wings! show ran out of steam. Does anyone think posting a complaint on my blog and trying to get an email petition going will make any difference? Any ideas?

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Dogfights on the History Channel