New? Tornado Chasers show tonight on Travel Channel

[Bill Hark]

Back in 2003, Pioneer Productions did 3 one hour shows on tornadoes and storm chasers for the Travel Channel. The episodes included "Tornado Chasers" featuring a number of chasers including Jeff Piotrowski, Scott McPartland, Gene Rhoden, myself, and George Kourounis. There was great footage from the 2003 season.
The other show was called "Tornado Tours" and had a number of tour groups including Cloud 9. The third was on "Scientific Storm Chasing.

Although bought by the Travel Channel, I don't think they ever aired in the USA as the Travel Channel was moving to more usless poker shows. They were aired in 2004 in Canada.

I found out that the show, "Tornado Tours" under the heading Travel Channel Secrets was aired at 7PM EDT and will be aired again at 2AM EDT early Thursday morning. Check your listings.
Unfortunately, the "Tornado Tours" episode was only aired once at 6PM EDT (under the heading, Destination USA) and is not scheduled later in the evening. I don't know about the Scientific Storm Chasing.

Set your VCR's/TIVO's as I don't know when Tornado Chasers will be rebroadcast. As for the other shows, you're probably out of luck. Enjoy the poker.

Bill Hark

 

[Angie Norris]

Hmm, wonder if a "few" well placed letters and emails would be useful.....
Thanks for the heads up, Bill...setting VCR now

 

[Andy Wehrle]

I don't think they ever aired in the USA as the Travel Channel was moving to more usless poker shows.

Enjoy the poker.
[/b]

I am enjoying the Professional Poker Tour right now, and I plan to enjoy (or tape and enjoy another time) the tornado show when it is repeated at 1:00 AM CDT.

EDIT: I thought the show was quite good, at least it wasn't some more "megadisaster" scenario type crap. Some excellent footage and interviews with some names I recognized from this board (including you Mr. Bill ) and it ended with a reenactment of Jeff Piotrowski and Brian Stertz's death-defying encounter with an F3 tornado in September 2001.

 

[Terrence Cook]

I saw the show on last night "Tornado Chasers" althought it was made cheaply it was very cool and even better to see stormtracks own Bill Hark and Jeff Piotrowski (sorry if spelled incorrectly). Awesome to see you guys out doing your thing. I believe it was Jeff who had a humorous reaction to a downburst, you could tell he wanted the production crew to get something good on tape.

Great stuff... I certainly hope they air the other two!!

 

[Tim Gonyo]

Insane footage of Brian S. almost getting killed by that one tornado as he ran to a farmhouse for shelter.

Insane footage of Brian S. almost getting killed by that one tornado as he ran to a farmhouse for shelter.

 

[George Kourounis]

Thanks for posting that Bill. I remember when we filmed that show back in 2003.

During part of the shoot, we were with the Pioneer film crew just northeast of Amarillo and we didn't realize that wew were near the Pantex nuclear weapons dismantling facility. Boy did we ever get a surprise when the guards showed up carrying machine guns! Of course this happened on a day when the terror threat got elevated from yellow to orange.

They held us there for almost an hour and checked out all of our I.D. (There were numerous non-Americans in the group) but eventually they let us go.

Just another surreal experience out on the Plains. Too bad it never made it into the show...
Ahh, good times.


George Kourounis
Host - "Angry Planet" - Outdoor Life Network
Website:
www.stormchaser.ca