TOP SHOT
Premiere Episode Review
Watch TOP SHOT Premiering JUNE 6, Sunday Night at 10 PM EST on HISTORY CHANNEL
June 2010
By Shawn Marazine & Lena Lamoray
HISTORY CHANNEL TOP SHOT PRESS RELEASE: Whether it's William Tell using a crossbow to shoot an apple off his son’s head, or Annie Oakley using a hand mirror to make a shot with a rifle slung over her shoulder, history is filled with legendary tales of amazing marksmanship. Now, HISTORY is tapping into these inspiring feats of sharp-shooting for its first-ever competition series, TOP SHOT, premiering Sunday, June 6 at 10pm ET. Sixteen of the nation’s most skilled marksmen have been carefully selected to compete in the new 10-episode series. Some have professional shooting experience, some are amateurs –all will showcase breathtaking timing, speed and accuracy in their quest to win the $100,000 prize package and title of “Top Shot.” The winner will ultimately have to be skilled in everything from muzzle-loading muskets and modern pistols to slingshots and throwing knives. The series is hosted by actor, adventurer and athlete Colby Donaldson, a born competitor whose experience as a contestant on Survivor brings a unique perspective to HISTORY’s first elimination series. Each week, contenders will face both team and individual elimination challenges until one winner remains. In the series opener (Sunday, June 6), contestants are immediately divided into two teams and then compete in a “Rifle Relay,” an obstacle course using standard-issue rifles from four different wars. In the elimination round, two contestants go head-to-head in “The Long Shot,” a long-distance sniper challenge which will send the first person home. In episodes 2 and 3 (Sunday, June 13 and Sunday, June 20), contestants’ skills with the pistol and bow and arrow are put to the test. From muzzle-loading muskets to throwing knives, every challenge will focus on weapons, technologies and techniques of different eras in history as high-speed HD cameras capture the skillful execution of each test in extreme slow-motion. Contestants vying for “Top Shot” include professional shooters and world-record holders, but there are also amateurs, including a Wild West entertainer, a historical firearms collector, and a radio gun show host. They range in age from a 22-year-old rifle prodigy to a 47-year-old retired New York cop. There is also one female in the group, the first female in the history of the Chicago Police Department to become “Top Gun” of her graduating class.
TOP SHOT is much more than show about marksmen but about how each contestant adapts to the tests that are bestowed upon them and if they can prevail under the pressure. COLBY DONALDSON does an extraordinary job hosting the show and keeping the contestants in line. The contestants are divided into two teams, the red team and the blue team and they must work together in order to come out on top. With each test the red and blue teams need to get familiar with the weapon that will be used in the challenge in a limited time allotment and also become attentive to their team’s weakest links to strategize their approach to each trial. Each contestant must adapt to a weapon that they might not be familiar with and go through an obstacle course in order to reach the intended targets. The premiere episode explores the use of riffles while the second week we will get to see the teams show off their pistol firing skills. There will be a new weapon every week consisting of everything from muskets to throwing knives, nothing will be left out of the arsenal. The voting process takes no prisoners and each contestant knows who wants them to go home. A conglomerate of marksmen in the same house knowing who voted for them to go home, I’m just guessing that this could get pretty ugly or perhaps this will transform into a happy sitcom. That is why you must watch every week!
I will admit I am not a weapons buff but the HISTORY CHANNEL always seems to surprise me with shows that I thought I would not be interested in that end up turning out to become not to miss television shows in my house and I am compelled to watch each week to see who will shoot another day. As a professional photographer myself, I have to say the camera work alone is worth watching in this beautifully shot series. You will see slow motion photography of the bullets hitting the targets and exploding all in HD. As long as there are no exploding bunnies I am very content watching weapon experts duke it out to see who is the TOP SHOT. Even if you are not into firearms or other weapons you have to respect the show for the sake of competition and recognize all the skills that it takes to be the TOP SHOT winner. I have my favorite contestants already so now it’s your turn to choose. Watch TOP SHOT on the HISTORY CHANNEL on Sunday nights at 10 PM EST starting JUNE 6!!
Premiere Episode Review
Watch TOP SHOT Premiering JUNE 6, Sunday Night at 10 PM EST on HISTORY CHANNEL
June 2010
By Shawn Marazine & Lena Lamoray
HISTORY CHANNEL TOP SHOT PRESS RELEASE: Whether it's William Tell using a crossbow to shoot an apple off his son’s head, or Annie Oakley using a hand mirror to make a shot with a rifle slung over her shoulder, history is filled with legendary tales of amazing marksmanship. Now, HISTORY is tapping into these inspiring feats of sharp-shooting for its first-ever competition series, TOP SHOT, premiering Sunday, June 6 at 10pm ET. Sixteen of the nation’s most skilled marksmen have been carefully selected to compete in the new 10-episode series. Some have professional shooting experience, some are amateurs –all will showcase breathtaking timing, speed and accuracy in their quest to win the $100,000 prize package and title of “Top Shot.” The winner will ultimately have to be skilled in everything from muzzle-loading muskets and modern pistols to slingshots and throwing knives. The series is hosted by actor, adventurer and athlete Colby Donaldson, a born competitor whose experience as a contestant on Survivor brings a unique perspective to HISTORY’s first elimination series. Each week, contenders will face both team and individual elimination challenges until one winner remains. In the series opener (Sunday, June 6), contestants are immediately divided into two teams and then compete in a “Rifle Relay,” an obstacle course using standard-issue rifles from four different wars. In the elimination round, two contestants go head-to-head in “The Long Shot,” a long-distance sniper challenge which will send the first person home. In episodes 2 and 3 (Sunday, June 13 and Sunday, June 20), contestants’ skills with the pistol and bow and arrow are put to the test. From muzzle-loading muskets to throwing knives, every challenge will focus on weapons, technologies and techniques of different eras in history as high-speed HD cameras capture the skillful execution of each test in extreme slow-motion. Contestants vying for “Top Shot” include professional shooters and world-record holders, but there are also amateurs, including a Wild West entertainer, a historical firearms collector, and a radio gun show host. They range in age from a 22-year-old rifle prodigy to a 47-year-old retired New York cop. There is also one female in the group, the first female in the history of the Chicago Police Department to become “Top Gun” of her graduating class.
TOP SHOT is much more than show about marksmen but about how each contestant adapts to the tests that are bestowed upon them and if they can prevail under the pressure. COLBY DONALDSON does an extraordinary job hosting the show and keeping the contestants in line. The contestants are divided into two teams, the red team and the blue team and they must work together in order to come out on top. With each test the red and blue teams need to get familiar with the weapon that will be used in the challenge in a limited time allotment and also become attentive to their team’s weakest links to strategize their approach to each trial. Each contestant must adapt to a weapon that they might not be familiar with and go through an obstacle course in order to reach the intended targets. The premiere episode explores the use of riffles while the second week we will get to see the teams show off their pistol firing skills. There will be a new weapon every week consisting of everything from muskets to throwing knives, nothing will be left out of the arsenal. The voting process takes no prisoners and each contestant knows who wants them to go home. A conglomerate of marksmen in the same house knowing who voted for them to go home, I’m just guessing that this could get pretty ugly or perhaps this will transform into a happy sitcom. That is why you must watch every week!
I will admit I am not a weapons buff but the HISTORY CHANNEL always seems to surprise me with shows that I thought I would not be interested in that end up turning out to become not to miss television shows in my house and I am compelled to watch each week to see who will shoot another day. As a professional photographer myself, I have to say the camera work alone is worth watching in this beautifully shot series. You will see slow motion photography of the bullets hitting the targets and exploding all in HD. As long as there are no exploding bunnies I am very content watching weapon experts duke it out to see who is the TOP SHOT. Even if you are not into firearms or other weapons you have to respect the show for the sake of competition and recognize all the skills that it takes to be the TOP SHOT winner. I have my favorite contestants already so now it’s your turn to choose. Watch TOP SHOT on the HISTORY CHANNEL on Sunday nights at 10 PM EST starting JUNE 6!!
