It's hard to believe, but, while he READ everything on the boards, the lovable Barsky wasn't able to POST for some time. A couple of years, actually.
Don't ask.
Anyway, now he's back, and he's got lots to say. Read some of his answers to your questions here, and visit the MESSAGE BOARDS for more.
More Answers From Dave:
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Question: I was wondering how many ideas you have filmed that never aired due to either lack of content or just meeting your expectations once you were done. And whatever happened to that whale autopsy technician job that was listed for a while on the opening credits? By the way, awesome job on the show. I can always count on D.J. for a great show. Thanks for all you guys do!
-- sheridives
Answer: About that whale. Well, timing is everything with dead whales. When we first started researching the show we knew this would make a good segment, so the idea was turned into Discovery with a stack of about 100 others before we even aired. When the main title sequence was produced at the network, someone just said, "That's a good one and weird one!" And of course they were correct and threw it in the open of the show.
But we've been chasing it ever since. One turned up in California early on, but we were in St. Louis or somewhere ... Months later we were alerted to one in Oregon and were all ready to go. The scientists we were going out with were worried about decay and birds destroying it before our arrival so they hired the local "guy with bulldozer" to bury it, forgetting to tell him not to tear it apart in the process ... intact would be the only impressive way to shoot it.
Then last September we were in Maine with a couple of thousand slime eels when one turned up in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. We could not get there either. Until this January, we were told, despite my skepticism, that it was still intact having been frozen all winter. It sounded great, but the biologist we were going to go out with was not in the area, nor could he get there until we arrived. But he was assured by locals it was out of harm’s way across the bay. The day we arrived on Unalaska, Doug and I went to scout it. I could not wait! I thought this would be the centerpiece of our Alaska trip. What we found ...
Back story link: http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5681920639/m/4341961569
Thanks!
-- Dave
Question: I have many questions and have looked through most of the MB [MythBusters] trying to find answers. While I have learned many things there are just some things I am not finding so I am sorry if any of these have been discussed before.
1.) Who actually picks the jobs? Is it Mike or collaboration?
2.) What thought process goes into picking a job? Meaning what things are looked at when choosing a job?
3.) What pre-production steps are done in preparing for a job?
4.) Worse mishap while on the job?
Thanks!
-- necy77
Answer:
Here are your answers:
1.) Mike has nothing to do with selection. The jobs are found or picked from the Web site by our researchers. Eddie Barbini, executive producer, Ed Rhowedder, supervising producer, and myself weed the good from the bad. Final approval comes from the network.
2.) We want these basics: Process, other [than] just cleaning dirt. Some sort of uniqueness, whether it’s the job itself, or location. And some form of dirt or hard work. We also look for character, but that is hard over the phone.
3.) Once the researcher writes a "pitch sheet" for me, the Eddies and the network, and it is approved, a segment producer will flesh it out and then pass it on to me, with all the story points. I make a single call to line up a time when I can scout before the shoot to see how the day will play out best.
4.) Would have to be the $100,000 diving lesson in the alligator swamp.
Thanks for watching!
-- Dave
