MovieChat Forums > Huell Howser Discussion > His 14 best shows

His 14 best shows

posted 7 years ago by stevewyzard (1749)
6 replies | jump to latest

In chronological order:

1. San Pedro Rock House, 1994 - Visiting 214
2. China Clipper, 1998 - Cal Gold 906
3. Trestle, 1999 - Cal Gold 1006
4. Coastal Cactus Garden, 2002 - Visiting 1021
5. Busch Gardens, 2004 - Cal Gold 6011
6. Christmas Star, 2004 - Cal Gold 122
7. Church of the Open Door, 2007 - Downtown 110
8. Nike Missile Site, 2007 - Golden Parks 159
9. Norconian Resort, 2007 - Cal Gold 9009
10. Catalina Arabian Ranch, 2007 - Cal Gold 9003
11. Citrus Packing House, 2007 - Visiting 1511
12. Zzyzx, 2008 - Golden Parks 160
13. Oil Islands, 2008 - Cal Gold 10002
14. San Diego East Village, 2009 - Cal Communities, 112

[–] brux (14840) 7 years ago

Really miss this old guy's shows. they were great. I would not say any shows were better than the others because he was always the same cheerful positive upbeat guy who always got people talking and tellings stories.

[–] stevewyzard (1749) 3 years ago

Here's 5 more (not in chronological order):

15. County USC Medical Center, 2010 - Visiting 1705
16. Trade Tech, 2007 - Downtown 112
17. Wrigley Botanical Gardens, 2006 - Golden Parks 139
18. Firefall, 1996 - Cal Gold 706
19. Crystal Cove, 1995 - Visiting 321

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

He lived near me. I'd see him at a local burger joint on occasion. Just as nice and affable as he is on the show. May he rest in peace.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I'm sorry, he seemed like an absolutely lovely person, but as a travel host he sucked!

Without fail, he'd go to interesting towns, and pick the least interesting or attractive thing in the whole town to focus the show around. Like he'd go to some coastal town and ignore the beauty spots, the stunning places to walk or drive or to see wildlife, the unique shops that sell cool stuff, and he'd focus the show around the oldest and dullest restaurant in town, and spend half the show listening to some waitress talk about spending fifty years filling coffee cups!

Which was really sweet of him, but dude, people don't travel because they want to meet waitresses.

[–] stevewyzard (1749) 3 years ago

Even though I will watch his shows until my final day, I have to agree with you. The funny thing about the Huell Howser phenomenon is that his shows (such as the episodes I've listed above) could be really, really good almost in spite of Huell himself. If he found the right people to interview or the right places to visit, they could be unforgettable. If he didn't, the shows could be downright embarrassing. For all the acclaim Huell received as a "journalist", it was pretty obvious that while he did do some research before each show, most of the time he was just "winging it" and hoping it could all be edited into something coherent. There is a long list of "What were you thinking?" episodes I will never watch again because I simply can't believe the people he's interviewing are a) sane, or b) being serious. Amazingly, some of these are his most popular episodes.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Even though I think he sucks as a travel TV host, I can see how someone could love his shows. He really was incredibly sweet and enthusiastic about small things, he's completely genuine and is really excited about whatever he's putting on camera, however mundane it is. I mean a TV travel host needs to offer the fantasy that you're traveling with a pal, and if I was traveling with Howser I'd be going out of my mind, I'd end up yelling that if we don't leave now it'll be dark by the time we can get to the Rainbow Bridge leading to Valhalla (or whatever I want to see), and he'd smile sweetly and say that we can't leave now, the saleslady at the old feed store wants us to have dinner with her grandchildren!

My favorite TV travel hosts are Michael Palin and Anthony Bourdain, who go way cool places and who have great senses of humor. And Bourdain can get "us" into all the top restaurants, while Howser would plant us at the oldest diner in town...