Storm Chasers on Discovery Channel

If I ever have the time and money, I'm going to take a couple of weeks in the Springtime and go sign up with one of those storm chasing tours that roam the midwest during the heart of the tornado and severe storm season. I think that would be a kick. Until then I'll have to be content to watch others do it.

Tonight a new series debuts on Discovery Channel - Storm Chasers. From the show's website:

The Great Plains encompass 700,000 square miles of flatland, which is why the region is also known as "Tornado Alley." Each spring, changing weather patterns create a recipe for catastrophe. Colliding air masses crash into each other with devastating force, producing deadly twisters that ravage human life and property.
Every year, a motley collection of scientists, enthusiasts and eccentrics brace themselves for another season of storm chasing. Their goal is to spot one of Mother Nature's deadliest and most violent creations: the tornado. But for our team, seeing a tornado is not enough ... The team hopes to achieve the impossible and actually go INSIDE one of these storms!

It airs at 10pm Eastern and Pacific time (or 7pm if you have DirecTV like I do).

By the way, today would have been a good day to chase with severe weather breaking out all over the midwest.

UPDATE 10/25: I've watched the first two episodes now and for the most part it's good TV, though I think they're spending too much time on the little personality clashed between the filmmaker and the scientist. It's a reality show to be sure, but it doesn't have to have all the little soap opera dramas when there's so much good storm footage that could be used.

I also have to question the addition of "the girl", some free lance writer with no storm chasing experience whatsoever who was put in the position of driving one of the vehicles. She adds the "cute" factor, but she doesn't know what she's doing and I think that position could have been better filled by an experienced chaser. She was definitely a made-for-TV addition.