The Climb on HBO

Brad Johnsonwrote:

  Literally have no idea why Aquaman is on the show.  He brings nothing to it. 

Without Jason there's ZERO chance HBO would have ponied up the $$$ for this production. That's what he brings. It's true, though, that most of his footage is shot at his home wall in Topanga. 

Brad Johnsonwrote:

Literally have no idea why Aquaman is on the show.  He brings nothing to it. 

1. He's one of the executive producers

2. He actually does climb

3. Out of everyone on screen, he's the only one recognizable by the (primarily) non-climber audience.

he’s also ensuring that no dolphin streams illegally 

Yeah, okay I get why he’s on it.  But damn show him climbing at least.  

Brad Johnsonwrote:

Yeah, okay I get why he’s on it.  But damn show him climbing at least.  

Bro you missed that sick spray wall footie with Sharma in the first episode?!?

After seeing the first few over-cammed placements by the contestants, I thought for a minute that the pre placed gear might have just been stuck cams.

I'm surprised this is on HBO, seems off brand for them, felt much more a network ABC, CBS type offering. That said, I only watched the 1st two, and in the second one started fast forwarding through all the BS. I will watch the crack one, and maybe the FA (what the hell is that about, do they put up routes?). 

I'd like to see them in Josh. It wouldn't have to be a heady route (but that would be very watchable), put them on Swept Away, or Figures.

Climbing is fairly boring to watch and probably even more boring to talk about so the commentary is flat, but these types of shows aren't my jam anyway. Maybe it appeals more to civilians. I wish them success, unless of course it brings more people to take up climbing! LOL.

Brad Johnsonwrote:

Yeah, okay I get why he’s on it.  But damn show him climbing at least.  

On the 1st episode it showed him on a DWS roof. I was actually impressed, seeing as he's 6-4, 250. And the upcoming episodes preview looks like he's in the boat for more DWS. 

Season 2: MP Trolls Only! Lol. Sharma would be the first out, and then Tradi would take over as host. Aquaman would stay and watch his dream production go up in flames. Would be very entertaining, but impossible to out do, so no season 3 of course. 

petzl logicwrote:

he’s also ensuring that no dolphin streams illegally 

this is a very underrated comment

Heyzeuswrote:

I'm surprised this is on HBO, seems off brand for them, felt much more a network ABC, CBS type offering. 

The Climb is a HBO Max Production. Although all HBO content is on the HBO Max streaming platform, HBO Max productions are newer lesser quality content. The normal HBO stuff is still high quality. 

I just want to watch and listen to each climber saying over and over what climbing means to them.

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

Season 2: MP Trolls Only! Lol. Sharma would be the first out, and then Tradi would take over as host. Aquaman would stay and watch his dream production go up in flames. Would be very entertaining, but impossible to out do, so no season 3 of course. 

Now this I could get behind.

Route: Lifeline 5.10+, Potash Rd

Dramatis Personae and Storyboarding

- Marc801c and FrankPS fight over the one remaining lawnchair from which to heckle

- OLH brings homemade kosher brownies for everyone and then makes salacious comments about each male posterior.

- Chode Rider and Hank Hudley, representing the mutant teenager demographic, blow away the competition but then lose spectacularly in the 1990's pop culture trivia sudden-YGD elimination round.

- Tradiban misses the start of the comp because the hair products in his Socrates beard wig comes too close to this week's dumpster fire thread and ignites. Puppy Lover attempts to assist with a fire extinguisher but since the handle lacks Xbox buttons, he is unsuccessful.

- Jaggers undergoes cyborg plastic surgery and gets a rotary hammer drill implanted on each limb. OLH takes especial note of this.

- TRAD MAN arises from the e-grave and launches into a thirty-minute soliloquy about becoming consubstantial with virgin rock as a Sarah McLaghlan track plays softly. The contestants momentarily unite to banish him back to the netherworld by chanting spells from Freedom of the Hills, backwards and in Latin.

- Strong efforts ensue from Slim, HAFE, Long Ranger, Gumby and others but in the end, the episode is decisively won by Kyle Walker, who hikes the route in trailrunners.

F r i t zwrote:

Now this I could get behind.

Route: Lifeline 5.10+, Potash Rd

Dramatis Personae and Storyboarding

- Marc801c and FrankPS fight over the one remaining lawnchair from which to heckle

- OLH brings homemade kosher brownies for everyone and then makes salacious comments about each male posterior.

- Chode Rider and Hank Hudley, representing the mutant teenager demographic, blow away the competition but then lose spectacularly in the 1990's pop culture trivia sudden-YGD elimination round.

- Tradiban misses the start of the comp because the hair products in his Socrates beard wig comes too close to this week's dumpster fire thread and ignites. Puppy Lover attempts to assist with a fire extinguisher but since the handle lacks Xbox buttons, he is unsuccessful.

- Jaggers undergoes cyborg plastic surgery and gets a rotary hammer drill implanted on each limb. OLH takes especial note of this.

- TRAD MAN arises from the e-grave and launches into a thirty-minute soliloquy about becoming consubstantial with virgin rock as a Sarah McLaghlan track plays softly. The contestants momentarily unite to banish him back to the netherworld by chanting spells from Freedom of the Hills, backwards and in Latin.

- Strong efforts ensue from Slim, HAFE, Gumby  and others but in the end, the episode is decisively won by Kyle Walker, who hikes the route in trailrunners.

Hey now, how cum I only get male posteriors to salaciate over, hmmmmm???

Gotta get it where she can, eh? 

(That's what she said).

OLH™

Y'all really should pitch an MP personality version to them for season 2. Bring all sorts of subtext to the backstory. Ideally get Sharma and Meaghan to cry in defeat the way we'd get substitute teachers to back in my day. 

@FRITZ       

They'd make way too much money!

F r i t zwrote:

- Jaggers undergoes cyborg plastic surgery and gets a rotary hammer drill implanted on each limb. OLH takes especial note of this.

This had me dying   

Jason M:  Hey Chris, I have an idea I think we can make money from.

Chris S:  Rad.  How does this work?

Jason M:  Idk man, you're the pro climber, I'll just throw money at it.

Chris S:  Rad.  I'll work something out, pick some contestants, and over dramatize everything, including the conversations.  It'll be hilarious.  I'll have these people weeping over 8' sport  falls and boulder problems.  You'll see, it'll be great.  

Jason M:  Cool man, Send me what you come up with.

Chris S:  Hey I have all the contestants picked- do you want to vet them?

Jason M:  Vet them?  Fuck no.  I don't even want to meet them.  I just want to throw money at this project, throw in some stoner climber wisdom/banter in a conversation with you for the first 7 - 10 min of every episode, then I'm out.

Chris S:  Rad.

Of course it's super easy as climbers to make fun of the show, but remember it's just television. Honestly though I was with most of the show until the crack episode. Maybe the 5.10 looking IC splitter that takes only 2's and 3's is rated 12c because if you lieback it and tire your arms out it feels that way? Or perhaps there were some 5.12 face moves we didn't see? The 5.11a OW seems more true to the grade, but that still seems like a 5.10 IC crack. Did everything feel this off with the sport grades? I'm not much of a sport climber.

Heyzeuswrote:

I'm surprised this is on HBO, seems off brand for them, felt much more a network ABC, CBS type offering. That said, I only watched the 1st two, and in the second one started fast forwarding through all the BS. 

100 Foot Wave is an HBO thing and it was awesome.