It was a damp and cold night in the city of London when two guys from California decided to do a Diggnation show at the Excel Convention Centre…
Over 1,000 Diggnation fans, myself included, made our way to the convention centre located in the Docklands area of London. Taking advantage of Kevin Rose attending the Future of Web Apps conference, both Kevin and Alex held a Diggnation episode at the venue. Also present were Alex’ co-hosts from the Totally Rad Show, Dan Trachtenberg and Jeff Cannata, along with Steve, their camera man, who had lost his passport the day before.
Jeff, Dan, some random guy and Alex
Jeff and the London Correspondent for the blog
Before the show I was able to personally meet the hosts of The Totally Rad Show and exchange a few words with them. I must say I felt very strange meeting them, since seeing the show I felt familiar with them, but at the same time they were complete strangers. I started to feel very awkward. However, Alex, Dan, Jeff and Steve were all very friendly to the legions of fans that wanted to meet them.
Around 7:30 PM on the 3rd of October the 118th episode of Diggnation took place, and I have to say that it probably is the best show they have done so far. The jokes just kept on coming. The only reason the show ended was because they ran out of tape.
One of the interesting things that happened during the show was when Kevin asked the audience about their opinion about the PS3, with the audience responding with a bone chilling booing of the product. The reason behind this might be the fact that a PS3 costs £400 (US$800) in the U.K.
The crowd’s favorite was the Nintendo Wii, followed by the X-Box 360.
Once the show ended the crowd just descended on them, with security having to intervene to let them get off the stage. It’s funny to think that Alex and Kevin are like rockstars, or maybe in this case, geekstars.
Also at the show I was able to meet Jay Adelson, CEO of Digg, who told me that he has been a fan of John for a long time and finally got to talk to him properly when he was at the CrankyGeeks (Episode 79) show. Also present at the venue was Wil Harris, former editor of Bit-Tech, who is now working on a U.K. version of Revision3 and has also been a guest at CrankyGeeks (Episode 29).
Me and a fearsome looking Alex
Thank you Kevin for not doing the Shocker sign ;)
Dan, me and Jeff
Be sure to download the episode when it comes out, it really is quite good, if not the best one yet. Also check out The Totally Rad Show if you like either movies, TV, Games or Comics.
I can’t wait until the episode comes out tomarrow. Get a membership at revision3 and you can get it every friday and it’s now in 720p H.264!
drunken idiots.
#1, Your eloquence has left me in a state of shock! (not really).
Who are the drunken idiots?
Are you including me by any chance?
I love these guys. They are slowly changing the way young folks are getting entertained, moving them from the tv to the computer screen.
Love the humor, the reviews, the craziness.
Keep going guys!
Take a minute and watch diggnation. The identity of the drunken idiots will be obvious.
They strictly abide by the “The only thing to fear is running out of beer!” motto.
“They are slowly changing the way young folks are getting entertained,”
They are slowly turning into corporate slags…. the very thing that turned people onto them and off the TV!.
Dont get me wrong, think I’ve watched quite a number of DN so far if not all of them and since about ep90ish? the adverts and bullshit filler is becoming ridiculous….. what? did people stop submitting stories to digg?
Sorry guys I’m sure that event was a blast but man… they are selling out faster than congress.
#4, If you had met them in person you wouldn’t say that about them. They were cool and also quite drunk ;).
Diggnation blows.
That’s all I have.
Ian, I totally agree with you. The show just seems to be getting worse lately. I miss The Broken type of material.
Nice writeup.
#7, what’s wrong with making money? There’s no way they could afford to do the show without sponsors. there’s about 5 minutes of advertising each 45 minute episode. Is that really so ridiculous?
11.
Come on man! THIS IS THE INTERNETZ! EVERYTHING IS FR3333! You gotta fight the system! 😛
People tend to get riled up over the meaningless little things. Remember when Ask a Ninja started using sponsors? It was just a 5 second clip at the end of the episode that said “This ask a ninja was brought to you by *insert movie/tvshow/company*” and people nearly shit a brick over it. 😀
I have no problem with DN or any other ‘broadcast’ making some money but seriously… compare the episodes to see… One SC advert they were pimping southern comfort, and then drinking beer? what the fuck, if that wasn’t a product placement what is? atleast drink the fricking stuff
I’m thinking it started getting worse after the ‘go daddy’ event. It wouldnt irk me so much if it was Dvorak pimping his stuff but come on…. these script kiddies are supposedly ‘oh, so anti-corp and hip’ and yet even THEY are selling out….
Its like a reality TV version of Waynes World 😛 🙂
“there’s about 5 minutes of advertising each 45 minute episode”
What about the times its 15 minutes of advertising and its a 33 minute episode? I cant be bothered looking it up since I’ve deleted them but your sometimes fortunate to get 30 minutes of content.. and that has also only been a recent thing.
The main criticisms of diggnation are of Digg.com, mainly the content submitted to it. Also, if you don’t like that diggnation is sponsored by Southern Comfort, which is a product they don’t used and/or endorse in their regular lives, I’m glad you visit Dvorak.com or any other website that doesn’t endorse what they advertise. The fact is, Diggnation is on the web and continuing to produce episodes because it is entertaining. I happen to find it very funny and informative each and every week, and I would like it if you didn’t shit on it. What would be better is to have a response to it in the form of your own podcast. Produce the podcast that diggnation SHOULD be, and I’ll be impressed.
“I happen to find it very funny and informative each and every week, and I would like it if you didn’t shit on it.”
I would like it more if I was the president of the world…. but I’m not so I get over it 🙂
I know they are great guys but they are seriously letting down their roots.
Eric, I would never consider myself a fantastic writer … but you could formulate your argument a little better. Without trying to understand you, I could suggest your just being an apologist … but your right about the content submission — does digg need editors? Or maybe they should just kick off all the 12 year olds?
Maybe Diggs own popularity is contributing to its own demise … or maybe I’m just being an elitist bastard.
Lots of questions with even more individual opinions. Wonderful world we live in eh?
Hi there,
I’m the random guy in the 2nd photo! Meeting the TRS guys was fantastic, they must have had their picture taken with nearly everyone there, all 1000-odd of us, and they never got tired of it.
There were true stars, and the Diggnation taping was so much fun. I feel so glad to have been a part of it.
Keith
#17, Nice to meet you Keith!