Abandoned

TOTALLY couldn't stop!!! It's an eye opener, though!!

The tag line for Abandoned on the Viceland web site is: "Skateboarder Rick McCrank explores abandoned places with the people who love them long after the lights have gone out." However, the show is a lot more than this.

This is a powerful and poetic TV series. Rick goes to abandoned places - shopping malls, houses, towns, race tracks, etc - and reminisces with people who went to the places and enjoyed them in their hey day and lament their loss. Often these people are still looking after, protecting, or at least keeping an eye on and witnessing the destruction caused brainless vandals. Sometimes these people are speaking out and trying to save the place today before it deteriorates beyond the point of no return.

And then Rick magnificently enjoys the place one final time - sometimes as it is being torn down around him - by skating around the place, and performing amazing skateboard tricks.

By skating around the place, Rick helps the place "go with music" - going out with one final bang, one final celebration of what it once was. An approach very close to my heart.

And at the end of each episode, a superbly fitting song is played while showing highlights and close ups of key people from the episode.

Songs I have never heard before, by artists I have never heard of - and every song has fitted the video perfectly. I love each episode and each song ! Amazingly powerful and moving.

I think this is easily the best thing on TV. Only 4 episodes have been on my local TV so far, but I have watched each episode about 5 times now. Can't wait for the next episode each week.

And I enjoy tracking down the names and artists for the songs used in the wind up and ending credits of each episode.

Moose O'Malley, Australia

This was such a well done series. It really brings home what we are facing in our country. I am someone who pays attention to the news, reads, is thoughtful about politics and, yet, I had no awareness of what was happening in many of the areas in this series. It made me sad and frustrated to see that the media and those in power are so good at hiding things they don't like to talk about. Rick McCrank was an excellent host. His subtle sense of humor and nonjudgmental manner were perfect. Such a nice change from the screaming heads of the main stream media. I am sad that this show does not seem to have more than one season.

To quote a song title from the '80s, "You Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Gone", the series goes beyond the ongoing cycle of build/use/abandon/repeat to explore the effect is has on real people who relied on and/or loved these bits of land and architecture before they became obsolete or out of fashion.

This show takes the decaying results of what were primarily business decisions and puts a personal, human edge on them - mostly disappointment at the demise of something that was used or loved for years, then removed from their lives unceremoniously. It has a pathos untapped by other such shows, and is a pleasure to watch - unassuming and simple, without staged drama or dire predictions. Give it a try - many of you will be glad you did.

With a genuine, charismatic host in Rick McCrank, this shows is one of the most entertaining pieces of television I've seen over the last few years.

McCrank adds some great, real humour while digging into the brass tacks of how these areas became abandoned, and why the few have chosen to stay.

Outstanding. 10/10.