Some Educational TV Too

Looking back at all of my recent TV watching I wonder how my brain hasn't turned into a gray, mushy mass.   I actually get headaches now from watching too much TV, and recently I've gotten a lot of them.  The one way I've been able to justify my TV watching has been to incorporate some educational shows into my wide selection.  It's a good time for it too.  Football season is over, and there are no sports playoffs, so I don't have to watch Sportscenter ever day.  Plus, with all of the specials about the late Joe Paterno, forever one of my heroes, I try not too watch too much ESPN because it's just sad.  Anyway, I just thought that I'd share a couple of shows that I've recently got into.

Pawn Stars on the History Channel airs new shows at 10:30 pm on Monday nights.  The history Channel also shows reruns of Pawn Stars on a pretty regular basis.  This show gives an inside look on a successful pawn shop in Las Vegas.  What sets this pawn shop apart from others is that the owner, Rick Harrison, loves historical and military memorabilia, so a lot of people bring some very unique things into the shop.  Most pawn shops feature things like jewelery, weapons, and electronics, while Rick's shop has some of the most unique, historical artifacts that aren't already in museums.  People have brought him things like missile guidance systems, weapons from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, along with some interesting vehicles and gaming machines.  The amazing part about the show is how much knowledge the pawn brokers have about all of the items that come in.  Rick and his son Corey are huge history buffs, and often surprise customers with all of their knowledge.  The show also has some degree of humor with the cooky "Old Man" Richard Harrison, Rick's Dad, and Chumlee, who for all intensive purposes serves as the village idiot.  I highly recommend this show for it's educational and entertainment value, and I especially recommend it over other pawn shop shows such as Hardcore Pawn and Cajun Pawn Stars.  This show isn't all about the drama but more about showing how these guys use their superior knowledge and negotiating tactics to acquire great items for the price that they want.  Here's a clip to give you a warm up.  Oh, and seasons 1-3 are available on Netflix for instant viewing. 

Another show that has recently hooked me (pun intended) is River Monsters on Animal Planet.  This show follows biologist Jeremy Wade as he travels around the world, searching for fresh water monsters.  These huge fish usually attract Jeremy based on their reputation for killing and sometimes eating people.  Some of the fish that he catches are so big that it scares you to think that they could live in fresh water rivers and lakes.  It's also amazing how this guy is able to catch fish that are sometimes double his weight with just a rod.  Sure it's an industrial strength rod with very strong line, but it's still amazing to watch him battle it out with fish such as Sturgeon and Bull sharks.   The show entertains me because Jeremy shows his talents as an investigator long before he shows his skills as a fisherman.  Often times he ventures to remote areas where the locals revere these river monsters as mythical creatures, and Jeremy is forced to investigate and use science to see what he's actually looking for before he goes on to fish them.  I recommend this show to anyone who already watches animal planet, or to anyone who thinks that fishing for huge fish could be entertaining.  Here's a clip for you, and this show also has three seasons available for instant viewing on Netflix.