Last Sunday's scrap heap challenge involved the NERDS cutting apart what look like a good condition series III Land Rover. I wouls suggest that if this were are real scrap heap, the Land Rover would not be there as it is probibly worth B#1500+!!!!

Is the 'scrap heap' a set up, or does it realy exists - if so where as I would like some bits for my Land Rover!

Alex

-- Alex Brearley (a_brearley@hotmail.com), November 13, 2000

Answers

the scrap heap is a channel 4 put together, it is not a real scrap heap where you can purchase parts. they obviously conveniently put parts necessary to construct the challenges.

-- Gareth Thomas (taff27@connectfree.co.uk), November 17, 2000.

well u can kiss my hairy ass it is a real scrapheap so there

-- sam (mc_donalds_boy@hotmail.com), November 19, 2000.

Hmm... so real they just managed to find a V8 with gearbox (that didn't work) in a large metal tube at just the right height to slide into their trailer! After all a V8 would have kicked the other teams areses if the gearbox hadn't have been tampered with for safety reasons (too damn powerful). Opps - did I let it slip...

-- Alex Brearley (a_brearley@hotmail.com), November 23, 2000.

It is NOT a real scrapheap. Read the blurb on the official website. They throw it together, film a series and then pull it down.

All the interesting stuff for a specific challenge is planted - full rolls of Mylar film? Working steam engines? Yeah right...

-- Marc Bell (m@r1striker.freeserve.co.uk), November 23, 2000.

right thats it! The facts are that yes it is a specially constructed scrapyard, solely for the purpose of the show and yes specific thing are put in for specific challenges. Having said that I was a bit dissapointed with this years show, a combination of too much stuff for them to find and the appointment of the specialist let the show down. In the grand final wasn`t it a bit co-incidental that they found a pipe the exact size off the bearing they were using on the bike.And on the windmill one , i do believe that one of the teams was advised by Cathy Rodgers that the judge felt the blades were too big. Come on guys go back to the way the first series was, remember if its not broke then dont fix it

-- graham parkinson (grambie_uk@yahoo.com), November 26, 2000.

Carrying on from the point about the appointment of an expert, I must admit I too feel this is probably overkill. The challenges are set, but the expert is possibly briefed on what the `plants` in the scrapyard will be, and forwarned about the shooting schedule etc.

As an applicant for the next series, we had already had our team of 4 sorted, but due to this new change in the last series one of our team now feels decidedly let down at not being able to contribute (we ended up pulling straws in case anyone is wondering how we narrowed it down).

The first series was far better in format, although all due respect to the production crew and designers of Scrapyard for a thouroughly entertaining show.

-- Simon Archer (trick@thepitlane.com), November 29, 2000.

The experts have always been appointed, and in fact have submitted a solution in advance. The point of the show is to teach science. The competition is to keep the kids watching. Its also fun for the teams (and showing technology as fun is also a good thing for the kids). If teaching a specific subject means planting something, teaching wins.

Stuff was always planted. In the original pilot, they even kept a count "3 engines and 2 fans found, 1 engine and 5 fans left". What they have done better in prior years is "distressing" the stuff planted. Two years ago, the land rover they put in the yard had most of the body removed, and some of what was left "textured" by the set prep crew before filming - to make it look more like a pre-wrecked vehicle. This year, they didn't bother.

-- an insider (B1ff@bit.net), November 30, 2000.

According to the NERDS' website the junkyard they use is a section bought that is next to an adjoining junkyard. The only things they plant are items neccesary to comlete the challenges 9such as remote controllers for the arial bombing. The only other things planted are items that can't be legally, or safely made. such as tanks for compressed air, or propellors which, if they brake while spinning, could cause considerable damage. (they even keep the records for those items)

-- Stuart (breeched@hotmail.com), December 09, 2000.

Hi Guys, Well you could say that this is from the horse mouth. The scrapyard WAS real, well still is actually but now the only difference is the Scrapheap Challenge/Junkyard Wars is no longer located there. What happened is that the real yard in London's East End had a seperate area for the filming. The real scrapyard has since been bought out by a new owner and they no longer wished for the film set to be there because they were desperate for the ground space.

The whole set is presently in storage and will be reintroduced at the NEW scrapheap/Junkyard location ............ so that raise a whole new question doesn't it ! but I shall refrain from answering that one.

Merry Christmas to all you Scrapheal/Junkyard lovers throughout the World.

Steve G Expert for the Chaos Crew and designer of the 'Muncher' Expert for the Megalomaniacs and designer of the '??? ???????' (This has not yet gone out stateside, hence the question marks)

-- Steve G (Expert for the Chaos Crew and the Megalomaniacs (garfirth@globalnet.co.uk), December 19, 2000.

this is really part of a scrap yard, bost things are pipes and stuff, the stuff that is seeded is only to make the challenges fair so both teams can make something. EX: sky rockets, rocket engines in perfect working order, steam engines, V-8 in a tube!!! the parts are seeded, but they are altered, so the teams have to make them work. like the V-8 the brothers found was probalbly tampered with, if only they checked the engine, found it only went in reverse, and took out the gear box and replaced it. Also i do agree that the experts do know what they will build before hand, so that the yard can be seeded acordingly. also the producers keed huge lists of whats in the yard. like engines, boilers, and even compressors. also the stuff is all cetified not to be dangerous. Becouse if somebody is seriosly injured they can expect a huge lawsuit, dwindling contestants an even more seeded yard, and so people will stop watching, so its all cerified, and if somebody comes up with an uncertified part, that is potencaly dangerous, the expert will come up with a reason not to use it, or off camera will tell them to simply put it back.

-- George taktikos (getak@shorecrest.org), February 01, 2001.

"Potentially dangerous" happened to us with building our air cannon to use for the pumpkin launching episode. The "tank" that we used, a piece of eight inch pipe had been pressure tested and certified, and we were required to use it. It had previously been used for the rugby ball launcing episode, which we knew nothing about, as it had not been shown in the US at the time we were filming the pumpkin launching show. The same for the yellow plastic pipe, which I thought would work well, we could not be allowed to attach it to the steel part of the cannon, as there was no way to certify the joint as safe. Here at home we would use it without hesitating. I am happy that you are enjoying the shows, no matter where they are filmed. Waddy/ "Wreckspert" for the "Rusty Juveniles"

-- Waddy Thompson (cthomp3851@aol.com), February 02, 2001.

What everyone is unaware of is that British television is often edited to be something it is not. Examples would include: 1) The handmade scrapheap 2) In the episode where the Beach Boys built a steam engine, the Beach Boys pit stop was actually later in the race than the show led us to belive, The NERDS had already won while the Beach Boys were in the pit working on their vehicle. In fact, the crew did not tell the Beach Boys that they had already lost because they wanted to shoot more footage of them frantically trying to fix their vehicle. 3)The first season had an episode involving shooting cabbages and whatnot at a castle wall. During one shot, we can see that the team with the trebuchet has already hit the wall in the background. The show is edited in a way that leads us to belive that they do not score untill later in the game. This way, there is more excitement, and we belive that the team with the trebuchet still has a chance. 4)One does not even need to point out the biases implied against the american team The NERDS. But I will point out a few....The Fireboat Episode!!!... The Brothers in Arms paddles suddenly grew to outrageous size. The NERDS fire is blazing out of control, while the Brothers is barely a spark. The barrier was moved closer to the fire so the Brothers stream could even reach the fire. The NERDS bax was clearly crimped closed. (These impications were pointed out to me by someone involved with the show -a team member-, so do not take them lightly. 4)How could anyone work with the cameras in their face? An un-named source says that they are asked to repeat their actions in front of the camera. 5)Why after 10 hours, is it sometimes still light outside, and sometimes dark? 6)Why is it raining or dark in one shot, and then bright or sunny in the next? 7)There is the obvious salting of the yard, something they point out as obvious in the American versions, but expect us to believe in the british versions.

All of these are just implications, but I felt like picking at everyone's brains. And there are more, these are just some that I could come up with while sitting here in the warehouse with little to do. So put that in your Pope amd Smike it.

-- www.geocities.com/kablamotheclown (kablamotheclown@yahoo.com), February 02, 2001.

what does it matter if the scrapyard is set up... it is still a class program. PLUS it would be quite crap if they didnt have the right parts to build there project.

-- dom hornsby (domdan2@hotmail.com), February 20, 2003.