"Steampunk'd" is a competition show in which ten contestants, called "makers", vie for a prize of $100,000--winner take all. Each week they divide into teams and design a room that will become part of the set, which looks like a dollhouse, waiting for its installations. Teams had to design a steampunk kitchen for the first episode.
Jeannie Mai is the host. Three or so judges determine the winner of each competition.
If your understanding of the term "steampunk" is somewhat vague, you are not alone. But it centers around the design sensibilities of the Victorian era, when steam was the predominant source of power. As the show explains, there are various styles of steampunk, such as post apocalyptic and wild west. In the first episode, they were supposed to use a retro-futuristic style--a style that posits a (Victorian era) past in which the future had already occurred. Yes, some of these substyles can be confusing, even for the contestants.
There is a "punkyard" for the benefit of the makers, filled with every manner of contraption and doodad. Creativity is a steampunk designer's greatest attribute, and the makers have to envision how the materials in the punkyard can be used or modified to contribute to their vision of a room's design. In the best creations, there is a unified vision that conforms to the thematic guidelines given them.
The guidelines can include quirky specs that appeal to the imagination of every designer. In episode one, they had to include a Rube Goldberg-like device that accomplished a common kitchen task. In episode two, designs had to include an "element of surprise" with a secret function.
I thought the first episode was disjointed and showed very little of the actual fabrication. Episode two was more enjoyable. Personality conflicts are on display and they sometimes interfere with a team's best results, but this is common for shows of this genre that use teams, like "Skin Wars". I am grading the show a tepid "6" and hoping that future shows are even better.
Update 9/24/15: I am upgrading this show to "7" because it has become more interesting in recent weeks.
Jeannie Mai is the host. Three or so judges determine the winner of each competition.
If your understanding of the term "steampunk" is somewhat vague, you are not alone. But it centers around the design sensibilities of the Victorian era, when steam was the predominant source of power. As the show explains, there are various styles of steampunk, such as post apocalyptic and wild west. In the first episode, they were supposed to use a retro-futuristic style--a style that posits a (Victorian era) past in which the future had already occurred. Yes, some of these substyles can be confusing, even for the contestants.
There is a "punkyard" for the benefit of the makers, filled with every manner of contraption and doodad. Creativity is a steampunk designer's greatest attribute, and the makers have to envision how the materials in the punkyard can be used or modified to contribute to their vision of a room's design. In the best creations, there is a unified vision that conforms to the thematic guidelines given them.
The guidelines can include quirky specs that appeal to the imagination of every designer. In episode one, they had to include a Rube Goldberg-like device that accomplished a common kitchen task. In episode two, designs had to include an "element of surprise" with a secret function.
I thought the first episode was disjointed and showed very little of the actual fabrication. Episode two was more enjoyable. Personality conflicts are on display and they sometimes interfere with a team's best results, but this is common for shows of this genre that use teams, like "Skin Wars". I am grading the show a tepid "6" and hoping that future shows are even better.
Update 9/24/15: I am upgrading this show to "7" because it has become more interesting in recent weeks.