The risks of drilling, both physical and financial, are at the heart of truTV's Black Gold (tonight, 10 ET/PT). It follows West Texas oil rig workers fighting the clock and a budget in the search for oil.
"Drilling for oil … is fascinating and dangerous at the same time," truTV executive vice president Marc Juris says. "When we looked at the characters, the stakes and how relevant this world is, in terms of the role oil plays in our lives, it hit on a lot of emotional targets."
He doesn't believe hostility to high oil prices will transfer to the roughnecks and drillers. "They represent what this country is all about," he says. Black Gold "is about American oil, not about being dependent on foreign oil."
Black Gold is reality's latest tough guy, one of a growing genre following workers who pursue dangerous, physical jobs. It comes from producer Thom Beers, whose shows include Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men.
Juris says the show fits truTV's goal of "telling stories about real-life people." The name change for the cable channel formerly known as Court TV reflects broadened offerings, though daytime court coverage continues under the brand In Session.
Tough-guy shows have multiplied with the format's success in attracting viewers, particularly young men. "Since younger men watch the least amount of television of any adult age group, if you can get a show that attracts them, you'll see a list of advertisers signing up," says Brad Adgate of ad buyer Horizon Media.
Mike LaMonica, an owner of a company that contracts two of Black Gold's rigs, says he initially didn't want to take part because of Hollywood's depiction of oilmen, such as Dallas' J.R. Ewing and There Will Be Blood's Daniel Plainview.
But he thought a series might educate viewers about the oil business, as Deadliest Catch had done for crab fishing, and he heard good things about Beers' company from actor Matthew McConaughey, whose brother Rooster supplies pipe to LaMonica's company. "Rooster had Matthew check (them) out. He said, 'Yeah, these are good guys.' "
Big money is an obvious reward, but drilling is a gamble for investors. Even with advanced technology, they can come up dry, says LaMonica, who used his life savings to start the company three years ago.
Black Gold records accidents as well as drilling successes and follows the workers as they unwind — in some cases, to excess — after long, draining days in the sun.
LaMonica, an engineer who has worked on rigs, says drilling's dangers are real. "Safety is No. 1. We don't want anybody hurt," he says. "I've still got burned into my brain when I watched a guy get killed in front of me several years ago.
"He'd only been in the oil industry three days. It was pure inexperience that killed him."
Original Source : http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-06-17-black-gold_N.htm
