The Charge

A.K.A. Off the Couch with Dave Mordal.

The Case

That's the alternate title for Wreckreation Nation, according to Mordal himself. The basic thrust of the show is this: Dave Mordal travels all around America seeking out off-beat recreation outlets. These include crocodile wrestling, demolition derby, lawnmower racing, catfish noodling, vintage snowmobile racing, barstool sledding, cowboy gunslinging, rock crawling, live-action roleplaying, competitive tugging, Bigfoot paintball shootout, school bus racing, pumpkin chucking, mini moto, cardboard boat paddling, soap box racing, and a whole lot more. Each 40-odd minute episode features up to four separate recreation endeavors. Spread out over 13 episodes, that's a lot of shenanigans for your dollar.

Host Dave Mordal is an amusing guide through all this craziness. If he's familiar to some of you, it might his presence on the first season of Last Comic Standing way back when. He was a stand-out during that show and selecting him to run point on Wreckreation Nation was a good choice. He's self-deprecating, funny, and excited to get into whatever tomfoolery the producers have cooked up for him.

The sheer number of segments means that some are clunkers. Not all the "wreckreation" outings are super-great (still not seeing the draw in tugging). But fear not, lying just around the corner is another ridiculous misadventure.

I don't have a whole lot more to say. The show is fun, quirky, and there's a bunch of oddball stuff to see. It may not be the cleverest or intriguing series The Discovery Channel has to offer, but Wreckreation Nation delivers a bunch of hours of good times. Plus, a girl gets her face bitten by an alligator.

The DVD set is okay. Episodes receive nice 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and a functional 5.1 surround mix. Disc three houses a selection of featurettes and "minisodes."

The Verdict

Not Guilty.

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