Black Rucksack – The Gear, The Lifestyle and The Pastimes of Men

Pete and Myka on adventure...

Warehouse 13 is SyFy’s 2009 ratings phenomena and is coming back today, July 06, 2010 at 9e/8c, with a vengeance.  Featuring Eddie McClintock (on Twitter @EddieMcClintock) as United States Secret Service agent Pete Lattimer and Joanne Kelly as agent Myka Bering, the show focuses on the trials and tribulations of the two agents as they attempt to gather and protect mysterious ‘artifacts’ from falling into the wrong hands.  Ultimately, they serve as Warehouse 13’s curators and keepers, weaving their way through history and mystery.

The show is equal parts adventure, mystery and comedy all rubbed in a little bit of suspense and science fiction.  Truly, it is one of the most enjoyable dramas currently being produced. You absolutely do NOT have to be a sci-fi geek to enjoy this show; it’s accessible to anyone who enjoys a good one hour weekly drama.

Five Reasons To Watch Warehouse 13:

• Adventure and comedy in a perfect mix, not seen since Indiana Jones.
• Eddie, Joanne and Allison – All three are young, fun, and wicked smart.
• The artifacts are based in history… with supernatural tendencies, of course.
• It’s got soul…
• The entire supporting cast is strong and noteworthy.

Investigate, Gather and Protect

I was a casual X-Files fan, so it is easy for me to love this show.  On the other hand, my darling girlfriend is a watcher of The Hills, Desperate Housewives and many other shows of that nature.  She happily enjoys Warehouse 13 and she would absolutely attest to that fact.  Despite our very different taste in entertainment, we have common ground with this show.  Warehouse 13 is a welcome diversion from the mundane and has something for everyone without even having to try to accomplish that feat; it’s inherent in the writing.  Want more proof of its accessibility and entertainment value?  It enjoys a near 50/50 split viewership between men and women… a sci-fi, nerds-only show on SyFy could NOT manage that.

There are many reasons Warehouse 13 succeeds in entertaining, among those are its strong supporting cast.  Joining Pete and Myka at the Warehouse are Allison Scagliotti (on Twitter @allisonscag) who plays Claudia Donovan, the Warehouse’s resident tech-expert and Saul Rubinek as Dr. Artie Nielsen, the director of Warehouse 13.  The cast is rounded out with C. C. H. Pounder as Mrs. Irene Frederic, a shadowy and influential figure and Roger Rees as James MacPherson, nemesis of Warehouse 13 director Artie.

Spoiler Alert:
Season 2 picks up tonight after the explosive ending of Season 1.  Is Artie alive?  What has been unleashed in Warehouse 13?  Expect to see relationships and a betrayal explored through Season 2!

Bottom Line:
-Watch it.  Tonight.  Go on an adventure.

If you want to catch-up on the series (and support Black Rucksack) get the Warehouse 13 – Season One DVD’s from Amazon!

Bear necessities...

Watching Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls is almost like being on an adventure but from your home. The host of the show, Bear, is mind-blowing to watch as he goes through many extreme challenges in some of the most remote places on Earth.

Man vs. Wild just wrapped up its third season with a jaunt through the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Amongst his other terra-triumphs from season three are the Yukon in Canada, Belize and Hells Canyon in Oregon, USA. Bear perfectly balances information and entertainment all whilst eating things most of us will never have to eat and facing tough physical challenges.

In some cases, Bear enters into a situation to demonstrate specific survival techniques.  His shelter craftsmanship is quite impressive as is his climbing ability. Though there are a lot of things that you’ll learn from Bear, it is important to keep in mind that a key part of survival happens before you even embark on the adventure; research is critical to going into the field.

Enjoy this show… it’ll take you around the world and you’ll be able to glean some knowledge from it as well!

Man vs. Wild
Monday at 10pm ET on Discovery

Photo By: abc.go.com

Editor’s Note: This is Black Rucksack post 25! If you have any suggestion for us, e-mail us at rucksack |at| blackrucksack |dot| com!

There are very few television series that actually strike me. In fact, generally I avoid watching television so I can focus on other hobbies… grillin’, gear, hockey, etc. One television show, however, causes me to stop what I’m doing every Wednesday at 10pm… Life On Mars.

The premise of Life On Mars is that in 2008, Detective Sam Tyler was hit by a car and knocked-out. When he awoke, he found himself in 1973, without any idea of how he got there. Now, he struggles episode by episode with trying to get back to his own time, while working for a tough boss, old style cop Gene Hunt, at the fictional 1-2-5 precinct in New York City.

The show is mostly a cop drama that is intense and unforgiving though, there are some minor sci-fi elements. Life On Mars also covers dirty cops, mobsters, hate crime, fast women and hot rods. One other addicting feature of this show is its understanding and appreciation of ’70s rock and beyond. The series premier featured music by David Bowie, The Who, The Sweet and the ‘Stones… perfect, right? You can find a list of music from every episode at the Life On Mars website. Watch this show… you’ll be glad you did.

Life On Mars
Wednesday at 10pm EST on ABC