Warrior Challenge

[Ranger REG]

If anything it could be educated guesses, based on material and drawings they found.

It would be nice to consult with a living witness, but I doubt you could find anyone who has lived in the 15th century today.

As for the next episode (the Norse), I swear there will be some female participants this time around.

I was hoping that Warrior Challenge would also feature Samurai during the Battle of Sekigahara period, as well as Zulu warriors trying to fight the British Colonialism.

 

[MaxKaladin]

Will PBS re-air the Warrior Challenge series in the summer?

I personally prefer this kind of reality shows than the ones shown on major networks.

Already seen:

• Victorian House (UK)
• Frontier House (US)
• 1900 House (UK)
• Manor House (UK)

Still waiting for Colonial House and I believe they're going to do a Plantation House (this one may be iffy since it supposed to set before and during the US Civil War period).

I saw part of one from the UK about a family living in WWII London, complete with simulated air raids... (Siren sounded and they had to go to the bomb shelter until the all clear. They had speakers playing air raid sounds. One time they had people go in and trash stuff in the house to simulate a near miss. )

Where are you finding out about the upcoming ones?

Personally, I'd love to see some set further in the past, but I imagine that's not going to happen. Still, I think "Roman Villa" would go over well.

This is what "Reality" TV should be.

 

[Gizzard]

If anything it could be educated guesses, based on material and drawings they found.

Yes, it must be. The experts seemed (IMHO) to be on more solid ground in the Knights episode; they proudly showed a training manual by a German Master-at-Arms and mentioned that a lot of the tactics they would use were from there.

But I was less certain about the Pilum - though the expert was quite vehment about his interpretation of its purpose. (It's really hard to tell since our TV Romans did a pathetic job throwing Pilums. Judging by their efforts, the Pilum is best thrown a couple feet in front of your unit to perhaps trip opponents who charge you. ;-) Not that I could do better!)

I was also suspicious of the 20-mile march in full gear. Was this what everyone did all the time, or was it a special test equivalent to our modern boot camp? It certainly seemed to take a toll on a group of trained soldiers, so I had a hard time buying that Roman trainees were so much better.

And, of course, I was suspicious of the Spongium. The Spongium just seemed like a bad idea for a lot of reasons that I probably shouldn't get into here. Man has grappled with the issue that the Spongium addresses for several thousand years and I'd never heard of such a thing. I suppose the experts must have some textual or pictorial support for their interpretation; it's not exactly an intuitive usage.

 

[Ranger REG]

There have been sources that stated that a Roman legionary must be able to carry their full gear, although he could get help from his contubernium or tent-party (the Roman equivalent of a squad). But some of the prestige legions (at least those with rich patrons and tribunes) can afford support like wagons and beast of burdens.

As for the spongium, your guess is as good as mine. Personally, while Romans are known for the cleanliness, their hygiene is far more primitive to today's standard (if you can believe the hand-washing ritual in Gladiator), what with the public bathouses. Personally, using the spongium is the last resort if you can't find leaves, parchment or discarded garment.

 

[Mark]

Warrior Challenge - Vikings

Part 3 of four. British police officers and U.S. airmen square off as 9th-century Vikings, racing longships, wielding spears and even raiding an Anglo-Saxon village (the team that pillages the most wins that contest). Tidbits of Viking military and social history complement the mayham and marauding, but during a prefight training session one Brit wonders if he and his police colleagues are up to it. “We're basically peacekeepers,” he says, “and the Vikings were basically warmongers.”

 

[Mark]

Warrior Challenge - Gladiators

The series concludes with six Brits (two of them women) crossing swords as Roman gladiators at a restored Roman fort in Britain that was built around A.D. 60, during the reign of Nero. As the six are taught the fighting skills they'll need in training sessions, narrator Henry Strozier relates gladiatorial factoids. (For instance: “clowns” fought comic battles between the life-and-death contests; wild animals brought in to maul prisoners often had to be coaxed into action.) Then it's time for the combatants to pair off and square off. Says one, Royal Marine Alan Roberts: “I have one desire. I want to walk in and walk out of there [as] Russell Crowe.”

 

[WizarDru]

Incidentally, does anyone know what happened to Conquest? It changed time slots, or is gone currently.

Conquest is back. History Channel, like most base cable endeavours, plays games with their schedule. In fact, on Monday and Tuesday, they seemed to run a marathon of pretty much all the episodes. I know this because my Tivo tried to record all of them.

Warrior's Challenge is nice that they obviously have a bigger budget...but it's obvious that they also have different experts, and not everyone agrees on some topics. I also tend to believe that, given a choice between mentioning the normal usage and the occasional exotic usage, both shows will tend to mention the exotic (and therefore more interesting) usage, first. I enjoy them for what they are.

 

[Ranger REG]

Warrior's Challenge is nice that they obviously have a bigger budget...but it's obvious that they also have different experts, and not everyone agrees on some topics. I also tend to believe that, given a choice between mentioning the normal usage and the occasional exotic usage, both shows will tend to mention the exotic (and therefore more interesting) usage, first. I enjoy them for what they are.

I take it you mean the "factoid" historical experts. In all of the series, all of the participants are trained under the eyes of one Norman Waller.

Even he himself used a bit of creative license when he devised what I call the "gauntlet" for the gladiators to go through when there is no such historical evidence.

But overall, the series is pretty good and educational. Maybe they'll do more and call it Warrior Challenge II.