New Showtime Reality Series "Lock 'n Load"

I saw a ad for this show last night and told my friend who is also a NESer about it. He has Showtime I don't. but if it ends up being good I may be looking at cable packages.
 
Quoted from the Herald

Lock ’N Load: D

Talk about a misfire.

Showtime’s new unscripted series “Lock ’n Load” centers on a family-run gun shop outside of Denver.

Show creator, co-executive producer and “star” Josh T. Ryan welcomes the sometimes funny, mostly average folks who pass through his store and does his best to make sure they leave a-packin’.

That’s pretty much the show, but you might need some aspirin after watching a half-hour episode.

Ryan operates a firing range in the shop’s basement, and just about every conversation with a customer is underscored - and sometimes obscured - by thunderous booms. Nobody seems to notice, but you will at home.

“Lock ’n Load” supplies ammo to those on both sides of the gun issue.

Many of the customers who approach Josh’s counter are looking for some personal protection. To a woman who was frightened by a visitor at her door, Josh cocks a rifle and says, “The sound is the international sound to get out.”

Others will be horrified by the number of parents who bring in children to wander the store and handle the weapons. A few customers appear to be hoarding.

“911 is a mop-up crew to take pictures of your dead body laying in your house,” says one defiant gun owner.

In the second episode, one man identifies himself as a postal worker and requests the most “Terminator”-like weapon Ryan stocks.

(Showtime served up six episodes for review, which was either wishful thinking or a punishment for a crime yet to be charged.)

Ryan has a ready smile and packaged patter for everyone who approaches his counter. Handing a Glock to a customer, he advises, “If you’re gonna aim, we ask you just to aim at the duck. The duck is already dead.” Trying to make a sale, Ryan asks one guy, “What’s up with the bank roll? Where’s the cash?”

“Don’t have a job yet,” the guy replies.

“Well, that’s why you need a gun,” Ryan says, smiling.

When Ryan finally gets out from behind the counter, he goes to an open-air shooting range. A woman identified as Ryan’s grandmother also works at the shop, but she’s barely a bit player here.

Ryan, whom the press materials reveal is also an actor, comes off as a more exuberant version of “Cheaters” host Joey Greco. He does his best to coax his customers to talk to the cameras, but they don’t have much of interest to say. After you’ve watched 10 minutes, you know the show.

The entertainment value? I’m drawing a blank.
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Pilgrim said:
As a slight aside, the History Channel's show of the same name with R. Lee Ermy is showing the M16 vs the AK47, this Friday 10/23.

I'm going to watch.
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Great show - I think it's gone into reruns for the time being though... I didn't see any new episodes queued up...

They've done:
rifles, shotguns, blades, tanks, helicopters, machine guns, missiles and pistols IIRC...

As for the showtime show, it looks like a minor variation on the theme of Pawn Stars... yawn...
 
There was a Positive (!) review of it in today's Glob. Part of the review mentioned that it may come as a shock to some of Showtime's base demographic that there are regular people that like to own and use guns....

The only worry that I have is that the main "character" is a salesman at the gun shop, who's actually an actor without a gig, doing this job to pay the bills. If he's an actor that shoots, well....fine! If he's acting for the show....that's another matter.

Opinion reserved until I see the show. Of course, anything short of foaming-at-the-mouth-rednecks purchasing a gun will be quite a surprise to many of our neighbors, I think![wink]
 
MisterHappy said:
The only worry that I have is that the main "character" is a salesman at the gun shop, who's actually an actor without a gig, doing this job to pay the bills. If he's an actor that shoots, well....fine! If he's acting for the show....that's another matter.

Opinion reserved until I see the show. Of course, anything short of foaming-at-the-mouth-rednecks purchasing a gun will be quite a surprise to many of our neighbors, I think![wink]
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+1, I'm not sure about this host. I'll decide when I see it.
 
Well all we can do is hope that this is as fair and balanced as it seems to be. As usual, the lib crowd is of course going to play the kid card, we will never get away from that, it is one of their oldest and most effective tool, look how well it has worked thus far. I will watch it, and base the opinion on what I see. Actor or not, so long as he does his job on camera or behind the counter, and does it right, like he should, then I couldn't care less.

Cross our fingers that this puts the actual truth and proper perspective on 99% of lawful gun owners in this country.

I'll make a $10 bet that, Showtime, if their is a season 2, will try to get some serious wingnuts to buy guns, and turn this show into what we all fear.
 
I'll be either watching this tonight, or DVRing it and going up to Harvard.... watch guns, or shoot guns... hmm....
 
Already looks like a bash

The preview looks like it takes aim at us being a bunch of idiots.
 
I didn't think it was that bad actually. The host guy is a little "actor-ish" and you can kind of tell he's trying to fish for answers about why people want guns.

When we have a kid, my wife now wants a picture of the family holding the family arsenal
 
Stratocaster1422 said:
I didn't think it was that bad actually. The host guy is a little "actor-ish" and you can kind of tell he's trying to fish for answers about why people want guns.

When we have a kid, my wife now wants a picture of the family holding the family arsenal
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I agree with the "main guy" coming off as a paid actor or something. Every person that came in he would lean over and ask, "So......what are you going to do with it huh? Be a mall ninja?" Way too cheery to be a gun store employee but that's just my opinion.
 
drumenigma said:
I agree with the "main guy" coming off as a paid actor or something. Every person that came in he would lean over and ask, "So......what are you going to do with it huh? Be a mall ninja?" Way too cheery to be a gun store employee but that's just my opinion.
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It could just be that he is from the mid-west. [smile]
 
he seems phony... Since when do Business owners challenge new custmers they never met to compete for money....and what are the chances that person is a pro who was just being untruthful in their experience...
 
I haven't seen the show, but there was a short write-up in the magazine section of today's Globe, and I thought it was pretty neutral.
 
Boston_Shooter said:
he seems phony... Since when do Business owners challenge new custmers they never met to compete for money....and what are the chances that person is a pro who was just being untruthful in their experience...
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I think the guy is legit, but I also have no doubt that at least a portion of the show was staged for TV. All reality TV shows are mostly staged. After watching the show, my opinion is pretty neutral. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I'm not so sure I'll go out of my way to watch it. I'm already familiar with what it's like to go into a gun shop, any time I desire to experience it I'll just go to one. On the other hand I'd probably save money if I watch the show instead. [smile]

It just goes to show that a guy in Colorado can get a reality TV show without faking his kid taking off in a balloon. [laugh]
 
The point of this show is not to impress the likes of us, he's just preaching to the choir. I think the point of this show is to maybe help prove to all the antis out there that a gun shop isn't filled with gangbangers and rednecks. They want to show that normal every day Americans frequent gun shops, own guns, and shoot guns.

I'm sure people that clean sewers and deal with nasty, cruddy, disgusting jobs all day don't enjoy watching "Dirty Jobs" on discovery. Me, I sit at a desk all day and enjoy the show.

Was some of the banter funny and good for a chuckle? Sure. Did it have to do with guns and not just some liberal anti-gun drivel? Definitely. I'll be watching the entire season and probably have my anti-gun socialist in-laws watch it.
 
The problem with this show is that if they show all the mundane transactions with boring people like me it won't be very good TV.

So it will either be:
1) biased and entertaining
2)fair and boring.

But it can't be fair and entertaining.
 
USMA-82 said:
Just saw the Showtime trailer - the one with Billy-Bob kissing his AR-15....

This looks like a film version of the book "Armed America." Let's see how may whack jobs and hillbillies we can cram into one place, while appearing to be "fair and balanced."

More of the same, I'm afraid.
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Kinda like that "people of Walmart" email thread that went around last month - highlighting the few "weirdo's" shopping at Walmart that gives it the stigma but what about the tens of millions of us (clearing throat) normal people that shop there?

Yeah...in a time where sex, violence and weird shit sells we're not likely going to be well represented on this show....but we'll see!!

[smile]
 
After seeing the show...

My thought is that, for most anyone on this Forum, it's not going to be that informative (and will be a species of torture for those who want stuff that is ok at The Shootist that's a no-no here....[smile])

The main guy is obviously playing to the camera, and, IMHO, comes across as a bit intrusive (e.g. challenging the woman to a shooting competition - I HOPE he lost two bills!....and asking the young woman if she could pull it on someone)...but....

For people that think that a gun store is a gateway to hell, infested with lunatics, weirdos and Nazis, this may open an eye or two. However, were I a True Anti, instead of seeing a nice family-that-shoots-together, bringing the next generation into the tradition, I'd be thinking that it was horrible. ("How can you expose CHILDREN to those Evil GunS?!?!?!) Of course, a True Anti isn't going to be convinced by facts, much less this show.

As long as they don't start doing a lot of selective editing, and nutball-recruiting for dramatic effect, it's possible that a few less-closed minded folks may see the light....
 
Its been a while but I'll post anyways, loved the show. Now I have Family which were anti-gun asking me to take them shooting. Sad there were only 6 episodes. Even though it didnt give any of us normal shooters much to get excited about, it did well with a lot of anti-gun people I know. In that regard I felt it was a success overal
 

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