Remember when the Travel Channel was about travel?
 

Have you watched the Travel Channel recently? Found anything worth watching? I saw Lonely Planet on at about 11 pm CST on PBS?!?!?! That was once one of my favorite shows. Now it is all "Secrets of...." or some such rubbish, or at least that seems to be on when I flip past. Maybe I'm just not watching at the right times. Have you come across any good TC shows and, if so, what and when? thx.

I am with Jimmy.<BR>The travel channel's programs are garbage.<BR>My husband and I get a kick out of "Vegas Week"- we thought Vegas Week was every week by their programming.<BR>I like some of their Top Ten and Worlds Best, but that is about it.<BR>The only destinations that are covered in depth is Vegas and Cancun. <BR>I used to love TC but now I just surf on by.<BR>

I thought it was just me getting screwed by my satellite company for being on the West Coast. By the time I put my little on to bed and settle in, about 9pm, Las Vegas is about all they ever have. I loved Lonely Planet, but even that is hard to find on my local PBS channel.<BR>

I thought it was only me.. I use to watch the travel channel all the time. Now it rarely has anything of interest.<BR>I find much better travel videos at the library.

The good programs on the travel channel were pre-buyout by the Discovery Channel people. Now it is the same as their other channel. Isn't one enough? M.

My husband and I joke all the time how it is now the Las Vegas Channel with a bikini on the side!<BR>Food Network has become more travel oriendted now. There are some very good shows showing the Chefs travelling around the world looking for great food and isnt that a big part of it anyway??<BR>Check out "Follow that Food", "A Cooks Tour" or "Mario Eats Italy". You get to see amazing scenery and food at the same time!

Yes, I've seen one Food Network travel-food show (the host has an earring, though that may describe several, and often includes his brother during the outings). Pretty interesting.

I agree.<BR><BR>And Iron Chef recently had a special set in a French castle. More travel on the food network!<BR><BR>The guy with the earring is Tony. He does A Cook's Tour. Excellent show.<BR><BR>The guy with his brother is Mario Batali.<BR><BR>I do wish the TC would get back to more regular travel programming.

Hoooorrraaaayyyy It's not just me. I used to love the Travel Channel, my husband and I would watch it all night long. Now it's a recycling bin for the Discovery Channel, I too try to catch old Lonely Planets on PBS. It's time for the Travel channel to sail into the Burmuda Triangle, or should we send it out to Vegas and Implode it like all the the other obsolete things in Vegas

I agree with the other posters, my husband and I always joke how it's "Vegas Week" again. It seems that the shows they play during primetime don't have much to do with travel anymore. I always liked watching Lonely Planet, but can hardly find it anymore. I agree that Food Network has some shows that are more travel oriented. I've found that the Travel Channel plays travel shows in the mornings weekdays and during the day on weekends. Noontime is always Vegas though. I'm sick of Vegas!

Couldn't agree more with the negative reviews of the Travel Channel. Just more of the g-d dumbing down of everything we try to watch. Helloooo Travel Channel, I hope someone is reading this. But that assumes that anyone there can read. And judging from their programs I have my doubts. Just surf on by, the bastards.

The food channel has a show about eating in cities for $40 a day or less. Last week, they aired one on eating in Rome. It was very enjoyable.<BR>It seems to me that every time I tune into the Travel channel, they are in Las Vegas. Enough is enough.<BR>

Used to be great. No more. Makes you wonder how they make any money, since none of us think there are many good programs left. So who watches it? Teenagers?

Ditto to all of the above. The Travel Channel is no longer worth watching. <BR>On the food channel besides the ones mentioned we also like Thirsty Traveler. Last week he was in the Champagne region. Food 911 was in Tuscany several weeks ago. We also enjoy Burt Wolf on PBS.

A number of years back, I only saw the travel channel sometimes when on the road (I didn't get it at home), and really enjoyed the shows. A couple of years ago I switched to satellite TV - one of the reasons was to get the travel channel - and agree with other posters - I can't stand all of the haunted this and secret that programming. Almost none of the prime time stuff is interesting to me. In the daytime there are what I call some "regular" travel shows, which I get to see only on occasion - if I am home during a weekday.

Go on their website and complain like I do. Maybe if they get enough mail, they will go back to the old format. Click on "About this site" and see "contact us" and send an e-mail about the shows you'd like to see. It may not help but it couldn't hurt!

The Travel Channel is now just an advertising tool for the Las Vegas hotel industry. There should be a "paid advertisement" label on all the programs.

I agree very much so about the Travel Channel - Where's the Travel!?! <BR>I watch the Food Network more now than ever - I get more travel ideas from them.<BR>I like Thirsty Traveler - A Cook's Tour with Tony B.,... There are more (the only one that gets alittle tiring is any of the Jamie Oliver shows from England - Give me the Two Fat Ladies any day!) <BR>I have wrote to Travel Channel - but I see no changes yet. Also Food Network is a different ownership than Discovery/Travel Channel -

I used to be totally addicted to the travel channel. Now I rarely find anything to watch worth watching. Vegas Week was fine the 1st 20 times they had it. Last week I saw they were advertising some horrible show on deadly swarms of bees, snakes etc. <BR><BR>Can we somehow fill this thread up and forward it on the the channel?<BR><BR>I know there are enough people really interested in travel to justify proper programming like they used to have.<BR><BR>I have noticed most of the good travel shows they have are now on very late at night or during the day. IMO most people who travel, work to make the money to travel and cannot sit up all night to watch a show and are most likely at work during the day.<BR><BR>April

You're completely right about the Travel Channel. The other night they had on something like "UNSOLVED HOLLYWOOD MURDERS." Plus the guy that does the voice overs on the "Top Ten Resort, Beaches, etc" sounds like Casey Kasem Jr. doing the top ten countdown.Regarding the Food Network - how about less Emeril and more Mario?<BR>Joe G.

Yeah, me too. I love the Food Network's My Country, My Kitchen. Also, Bobby Flay's Food Nation and The Best Of are more interesting than anything the Travel Channel has.

Cable tv stinks!! Remember when MTV actually played music videos?

I agree with these sentiments. The TC is awful! Who the heck is running this station? Their head of programming should be fired. At it's best, they offer an assortment of infomercials, top heavy on Las Vegas; at worst, it's a dumping ground for programming leftovers.<BR><BR>For what it's worth, I've emailed the TC ([email protected]) and expressed my opinions directly to them as well as providing the link to this travel talk forum.<BR><BR>

Well I see we all agree TC sucks. As others have said, when it was first on cable we were addicted to it. Watched it constantly, with the shows of Rick Steves, Burt Wolfe (which was actually a food show but always built around a special destination), and all the others. Then, it all changed to what we have now. "TOP TEN KILLER BEES" "TOP TEN MAD GUPPIES ON VACATION" "TOP TEN VEGAS HOTELS" "TOP TEN TOP TENS" oh ny god will it never stop? TC is absolutely not about travel anymore and the name should be changed to TOP TEN TRASH channel.

I've noticed on our local PBS station that Lonely Planet has been repackaged as "Globe Trekker." At first I thought they were new episodes with the same travellers but I've seen some shows I originally saw on Lonely Planet. It's something I guess...

Yes, DebiC, I love watching "Mario Eats Italy" on the Food Network. I remember a great show that he did in Bologna, Italy. Mmmmm!<BR>

Jimmy,and everyon, you are abosulely right. I will complain. The show I liked on the Travel Channel was Dice Man about two British guys. They would name 6 destinations and assign a number for each and then role the dice and go where the dice came up. Then they would choose their hotel, activity, etc. by this method, often asking locals for suggestions. It was so fun to watch the ultimate impulse trip.

If I see Samantha Brown peek into another bedroom, bathroom, or closet and act as if it was the first one she ever saw, I am going to barf all over our 27" Panasonic. Gettouttaheah!!!

I toally agree with all of you. I just went to the web site and complained. I suggested they go to this web site and see all the complaints. Please everyone complain and maybe they will change. Thanks

LOL harrumph! I actually saw Lonely Planet today on the travel channel! It was the woman (can't think of her name) and she was in San Fran...I'm partial to Ian myself. It came on at either 4 or 5 pm est today.<BR>And whatever happened to Alby Mangels (sp)?

Patti, thats interesting how you mention the lonely planet series has changed its name - its now called "Pilot Guides' here in Australia for some reason - including the old episodes. Like Kim, I'm also quite partial to Ian ;-)...although Justine is pretty good too.

I complained long ago, for all the good it did. I guess the new programming is making them more money (ads), but it really shouldn't be called the Travel Channel now. The channel will have achieved perfection when we see a bikini-clad ghost riding the roller coaster at New York New York in Vegas. Whatever you might think of Albey, at least he was adventurous and made me want to get out and see the world. Lonely Planet was fantastic. I could never get enough of Ian in Mongolia!! I rarely ever watch now and used to watch 2-3 hours each day.

I agree with everyone completely. Last year I e-mailed the channel many times requesting a review of the changes in their programming. Guess what? Not ONE response, ever. Hopefully someone out there in Cableland will realize that they have cut off a huge untapped market and create a channel with actual "travel" shows. Or maybe TC will fire all those programmers who think we should be interested in constantly seeing bikinis and casinos. As for "Top Ten" the Travel Channel is now at the top of my list for channels I don't watch.

Melanie,<BR>I LOVED the dice show! I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it.<BR>

Has anyone else seen the BBC show "Holiday Swaps"? It's fantastic! The premise is to exchange the typical vacations of 2 groups and see how they cope with doing something completely different than their norm. I would LOVE to see a midwestern couple swap their annual Vegas trip with a northwest couple who usually backpack in Mongolia or go gorilla trekking in Uganda on their holidays!

Chris: Are generalizing that people in the Midwest are the kind that go to Vegas, while people in the Nothwest go to more exotic locales?

I think that Chris statement means that the people in the NW must do some rather weird stuff for vacation.<BR><BR>US

Well, I'm originally from the Midwest and have a lot of relatives/friends who do go to Vegas every year...

Chris: Maybe the common denominator is not the midwest, but your friends/family! I'm just kidding. I think Vegas is ok for what its worth. I sinceredly doubt the majority of Northwesterners vacation in the exotic locales you have mentioned, though. That said, location is everything. If you are in the Midwest and want to go somewhere for a weekend on the cheap, your options may be limited. On either coast, your options are expanded.

Yes I do! I used to spend all day Sat watching the "world" go by and it inspired me fulfill my lifelong dream to travel! I really miss the "old" Travel Channel but it seems like everytime I find something I like on TV they change it. That's life!