From the elementary school kids bum-rushing the dodgeball courts to see a lunchtime throwdown to the most affluent Vegas high rollers sitting ringside at the MGM grand, Americans love watching a good fight. Myself included, as I found out while getting hooked on Discovery channel’s ineffable “Fight Quest.”
“Fight Quest” is a reality show where two Americans, Jimmy, a professional mixed martial arts fighter (and UCLA grad), and Doug, an Iraq war veteran and professional bodyguard, go around the world learning from and competing with different schools of combat, from Kali to Hapkido.
I could go on and on about the beauty of one-on-one combat, but what makes this show really great is the fact that it’s more than just two dudes trying to destroy each other, although there is a good amount of that. These extra elements are precisely what is missing from network reality shows, and as a result, “Fight Quest” is far better than the tripe peddled on the major networks. In short: Discovery Channel is killin’ this.
Normally the thought of mixed martial arts fighters conjures images of raised trucks, misplaced masculine aggression and obnoxious “Tapout” stickers, but surprisingly Jimmy and Doug are completely amiable guys, totally respectable of their teachers, and with no visible ‘roid rage. What a novel idea: likeable people on a reality show. Of course, most reality shows with large casts do have likeable people, but they’re usually cancelled out by a preponderance of imbeciles. But a show with solely likeable people? Unheard of.
Second of all, as I have ranted about before, “Fight Quest” still has a focus on competition rather than manipulation or interpersonal squabbling. Admittedly, this isn’t the type of reality show that ends with someone winning a giant check after eliminating everyone else. But still, it isn’t about getting your jollies from watching morbidly obese people pull hot air balloons behind them like “The Biggest Loser,” or from “Big Brother’s” producer-encouraged hookups and their volcanic aftermaths. The show is about trying to master a form of physical activity and eventually challenging someone in it, which is a far more respectable aim than most shows in that it has some form of substantial competition with a minimal amount of manipulation.
Finally, another novel idea: You might learn something. TV executives and viewers both seem to accede to the unwritten law that education and entertainment are mutually exclusive, but it doesn’t have to be that way. While there is a lot of obvious escapist entertainment on “Fight Quest,” a viewer could learn a way to disarm a knife-wielding assailant via Hapkido or the history and methods of a martial art. In addition, the culture of the host country is explored more than in a cursory manner, as on “Survivor.” It doesn’t have to be heavy handed, either. It can be well integrated, which is what the Discovery Channel and its affiliates do so well.
“Fight Quest” is just one example of the high-quality reality shows being churned out by the good folks at the Discovery Channel, History Channel and TLC. Aside from “Fight Quest,” there is History Channel’s “Human Weapon,” Discovery Channel’s “Last One Standing” and “Deadliest Catch.” And although not really a reality show, we cannot underestimate the impact of “Planet Earth,” especially among the more chemically enhanced consumers.
In any case, most of these reality shows stand head-and-shoulders above anything on other networks, mainly because of their likeable hosts and contestants, focus on competition and good balance of information and action. Although martial arts may not be as palatable to some people as the subjects of other shows (my mom leaves the room for “Fight Quest”), hopefully Discovery Channel’s trend of reasonable infotainment will take hold on the networks.
Or at least VH1.
If you’d rather learn how to execute a jiujitsu armlock than watch Flavor Flav lose eligibility for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, e-mail Ayres at jayres@media.ucla.edu.