Extreme Weather Meteorologist Reed Timmer, IMAX and 3D filmmaker Sean Casey and Sever Weather Engineer Tim Samaras who make up the Storm Chasers primetime show were sadly canceled from this Falls Discovery Channel lineup.
Although no confirmation directly from Discovery, Tim Samaras all but confirmed it on his Facebook page this week. Tim finished his post with..
One will never know where myself, Reed and Sean will appear once again. I will say that it was an absolute pleasure to be featured in the show along with such great talent.
Reed had been quiet until he also updated his Facebook page with the following today…
Just wait until you see the rebranded and revamped web presence we have planned for 2012. Won’t need television once this deploys.. 6 year master plan is finally going to start coming to fruition by March. DOMINATE the storm.
He also Tweeted…
Just don’t worry we’ll be back in some capacity I’m sure. Maybe just online webisodes.
While Reed seems to still be a little unsure about the fate of the series, even the shows Wikipedia page has been updated to reflect the cancellation saying it occurred on January 21, 2012.
According to multiple blogs, the show seemed to suffer from a couple production choices like moving the show from Wednesday’s to Sunday’s which put it up against Sunday Night Football on NBC. With the vast majority of the show being viewed by younger men… that’s a tough matchup to win. According to some data the show also suffered from being a niche show… while the show had huge ratings within the middle of the country, it had much less traction on the East and West coasts which obviously has the nation’s highest populations.
On a personal note… I’m hoping Discovery changes their mind or the reports are completely false. Sadly that probably isn’t the case. I’m really going to miss the show. It was one of the few shows I made sure to DVR every week and got pumped about each Fall. Reed alluded to a new web show and revamp of his TVN website which is great to hear as the website definitely needs an updated look. One problem though with a web version is the production value will probably go way down as they won’t have the money to produce a high quality version which includes the emotional factor that was a huge part of the current show and focused on relationships between team members.
If they do go that route I’d love to see a revamped website which includes easy to find videos, updated chasing info and tracking, integrated streams of their social media accounts, a great blog/commenting system and the ability to watch old episodes of the show. Hey Reed – If you need help doing this, let me know. I also have a site I planned to develop that would incorporate all of this, but now that this news is out, I’ll take a wait and see approach to see what the guys come up with.
Hopefully another network will pick up this great show with a huge dedicated following, but until that happens make sure to check out their websites and follow along with them on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Reed Timmer (TVN Team)
Tornado Chasers Web Series
TornadoVideos.net
Facebook
Twitter @ReedTimmerTVN
Sean Casey (TIV Team)
Tornado Alley IMAX Movie
Facebook
Twitter @SeanCaseyImax
Tim Samaras (Twistex Team)
Twistex.org
Facebook
Twitter @tim_samaras
This is crap! I cannot believe this got cancelled. I look forward to this show every year. Discovery, you guys are crazy for letting this show go. I hope another network wants it because it is very informative in how to stay safe in situations like this. I may not wanna watch discovery anymore. If you're gonna let a show like this go then your station is not worth watching.
Yep. Definitely disappointing. You can now follow Reed and Team Dominator at http://tvnweather.com/ where they offer weekly webisodes of their new online show Tornado Chasers.
I will miss the show however it was just a matter of time till someone got killed.
They changed the night and confused viewers. I live in NH and know several other people who had the exact same experience of setting the DVR and then NOTHING. They didn't re-air the season in a predictable or accessible way. It wasn't available on demand either. Discovery killed a hit show with poor scheduling and incredibly poor marketing. They need to bring it back.
I agree. I'm hopeful that the Weather Channel might pick them up. They need some better programming. For now you can watch their web series "Tornado Chasers" at http://TVNweather.com.
The loss of a great show mirroring the decline of a once formidable channel. Who here thinks watching hillbillies make moonshine, buying and reselling garbage or Amish Mafioso wannabes even come close? Looks like The Discovery Channel is more interested in investing in surfboards rather than shows with some interesting value.
You're absolutely correct sir. Their programming is going way downhill.
I love the show. I can't understand why it was deemed necesary to cancel? Seems like every show I like gets put in the bin.
I guess too expensive to produce and not enough viewers on the coasts. You can watch their web series at http://TVNweather.com for now. Their production value is getting better with each show, but not nearly as good as with Discovery. Hopefully The Weather Channel or someone else picks them up.
This was our favorite show…shame on you Discovery channel…