I learned today about a reality show on the Discovery Channel called The Colony.I'm not a fan of reality shows, or television in general for that matter, but this one caught my attention because it's supposed to simulate life after a global catastrophe. I'm thinking reality television meets Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road.
The first season followed a group of 10 people stuck in a Los Angeles warehouse without water or electricity. Gangs roam outside and threaten to steal their resources. The colonists are left to fend for themselves and must figure out how to collect, purify and store water, build a fish net to catch food, and make soap, among other things.
The trading/bartering was of particular interest to me. I often wonder what would happen if we had a currency crisis and must trade with others for the things we need. It appears that there were a few notable trades in the first season:
Trade #1 - The colonists traded an air compressor and a jackhammer for a ten kilowatt generator and five gallons of gasoline.
Trade #2 - The colonists traded 157 oranges, eight cans of food, one bag of flour, and one bag of salt for two chickens, one jug of cooking oil, one box of toiletries and nine yuccas.
Trade #3 - The colonists traded two solar panels, two tires, a bag of salt, a box of baking soda, and a kiss from a female colonist for ten gallons of propane, five gallons of gasoline, twenty gallons of water, one pound of beans and a jar of peanut butter.
The second season is scheduled to air starting on July 27. It was filmed on ten acres of abandoned neighborhood on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, an area which was decimated by Hurricane Katrina.
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