Detroit in Overdrive on Planet Green

**stromberg2** · July-10-11, 03:56 PM

Anyone know about the upcoming mini-series on Planet Green called "Detroit in Overdrive"? It premiers August 3rd and is 3 parts, Planet Green website doesn't have info and I only have seen the commercial last night.

Stromberg2

**Mind field** · July-10-11, 04:08 PM

probably something to do with the nascent electric car industry? Just a guess.

**Al Publican** · July-10-11, 06:08 PM

Don't tell me...the savanna on the eastside is getting some national exposure. Far out.

**Novack** · July-10-11, 06:44 PM

http://www.redapplepost.com/recent

ROCK ON!!!

**Casual** · August-04-11, 05:25 PM

Detroit was once known for dominating the world's automotive production, creating the Motown Sound, and its one-of-a-kind blue-collar work ethic. Currently, however, the Motor City finds itself at a crossroads. Global competition, a global recession, and a declining population have taken a severe toll on what was once America's industrial backbone. Despite these challenges, die-hard Detroiters still have not given up on restoring this once thriving metropolis.

**stinkytofu** · August-04-11, 07:45 PM

It's half YAY DETROIT! and half GM commercial.

**warsaw7** · August-04-11, 09:14 PM

General Motors presented by Detroit In Overdrive

**mcsdetroitfriend** · August-04-11, 09:41 PM

They blur out the red wings logo on that kid's hat and shirt? WTF

**Lowell** · August-04-11, 10:08 PM

Am wondering the same. I am noting that a number of other items are blurred. On the Cass Community homeless aid van, wording below the name is blurred. A license plate was too, but that's understandable.

**Detroitej72** · August-04-11, 10:10 PM

I think all the cars that weren't of GM were blurred because they didn't want to give the competition any free advertising.

**Lowell** · August-04-11, 10:23 PM

It gets my thumbs up. It is positive and interesting, definitely well photographed and edited. To our jaded eyes, sure, there is a sniff of plugola and a touch naive at points, but I have enjoyed it all so far. The CCS student with her bizarre but charming homeless survival garment, how she make some self discovery, takes a 'we don't need coats, we need jobs' criticism in stride and creates some jobs was thoughtful and interesting.

**Django** · August-04-11, 10:38 PM

Im watching now, Im diggin it.

Who the heck is the guitar/singer in the "It Takes a Village" episode? I know him but cant remember his name. Doh! I only caught the last 15 minutes of that episode and am now watching the next one, "Reinventing the Motor City". The next one after that is "Art Saves Detroit" Thats the one Im looking foward to. After that one the first episode is played again at 1 am. After that its some other show on NYC.

Thumbs up.

**animatedmartian** · August-04-11, 11:26 PM

SPOILER POST.

Oh man, it wasn't until the 3rd episode that I realized it was Detroit. I'm not used to seeing that much positivity in one sitting. I thought it was cool how they used they local artists' music during parts of the show and the trailer. I learned some stuff I didn't know before and I actually wish I knew earlier about some of these community groups. Hope I'm not spoiling the show for anyone but it definitively shows the reality of Detroit without sugarcoating it more than it needed to be [[or at all, really).

It's heavy on the GM mentioning but it's not really out of place or anything since it is Detroit [[and GM sponsored the show). I don't think they ever mentioned Ford, though. They mentioned Chrysler once. But overall I enjoyed it a lot.

**Detroitej72** · August-05-11, 07:29 AM

I too enjoyed all the episodes and thought they did a pretty good job without the sugar coating. I have to tip my hat to the woman from CCS who came up with the design for the coat/ sleeping bag for the homeless. What I found particularly impressive was how she got $45,000 in donations and grants to hire two people to produce the coats. Anyone who has had experience in raising funds knows how difficult it can be to secure the money.

Also, anybody know how well Detroit Denim is doing since the taping and where are they located at?

**RedeemerKid** · August-05-11, 07:39 AM

I enjoyed it last night. Heavy on the GM stuff, but that's OK with me.

I won't be buying any of Detroit Denim's jeans. Who spends $195.00 for a pair of jeans??

http://motorcitydenimco.com/shop/jeans/

**tarynd85** · August-05-11, 07:45 AM

I'm almost positive that they have to blur the Wing logo. It belongs to the NHL so if they REALLY wanted to show it they would probably have to get permission. As far as people complaining about the GM presence....who cares? They paid for it. They had positive things to say, so I couldn't care less if everyone in the series had to wear GM shirts. When you guys put out documentarys, you can do whatever you want. I thought it was great, but wish it could have been filmed more recently with all the things Dan Gilbert is doing and bringing. Talking about the incentives and the retail support now to bring people back to the city.

**1953** · August-05-11, 08:01 AM

I watched all three episodes and really enjoyed the positive spin on the city. However, I couldn't help but notice the connection between what I saw in Detroit in Overdrive and what I saw in Roger and Me, which was airing at the same time on Current TV.

Michael Moore interviewing a woman in Flint who had resorted to selling bunnies as "pets or meat" had a certain resonance with the images of a Detroit woman buying up 12 lots and putting them back to agricultural use.

1953

**noise** · August-05-11, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by RedeemerKid

I enjoyed it last night. Heavy on the GM stuff, but that's OK with me.

I won't be buying any of Detroit Denim's jeans. Who spends $195.00 for a pair of jeans??

http://motorcitydenimco.com/shop/jeans/

Ha! A lot of people, really. They're a steal compared to some $400 Iron Hearts.

I'm personally a 501 kinda guy, but even then I can spend $200 if I really wanted to.

**RedeemerKid** · August-05-11, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by noise

Ha! A lot of people, really. They're a steal compared to some $400 Iron Hearts.

I'm personally a 501 kinda guy, but even then I can spend $200 if I really wanted to.

I'm a basic Levis guy too. I can get what I wear for under $30.00. I will never understand how there is a $165.00 value difference between my classic Levis and Detroit Denim.

I have my few luxuries in life, but this I cannot understand.

**noise** · August-05-11, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by RedeemerKid

I'm a basic Levis guy too. I can get what I wear for under $30.00. I will never understand how there is a $165.00 value difference between my classic Levis and Detroit Denim.

I have my few luxuries in life, but this I cannot understand.

I sometimes read men's style forums just to see everything I'm doing wrong!

**bailey** · August-05-11, 10:36 AM

RedeemerKid
I enjoyed it last night. Heavy on the GM stuff, but that's OK with me.

I won't be buying any of Detroit Denim's jeans. Who spends $195.00 for a pair of jeans??

http://motorcitydenimco.com/shop/jeans/

Ok...so..I only half watched this because I was doing other stuff, but lemme get this straight... A Sterling Heights manufacturing site is re-purposed to make jeans. The guys have their heart to heart/business planning meeting at the Rochester Mills Brewery and they they go sell their ridiculously overpriced jeans at a Birmingham boutique.

no one is going to comment on that bit of irony?

Everything about that segment is a microcosm of what is wrong with Detroit. "Nothing" is actually done IN Detroit. It should be looked at as what's wrong with the city, not what is a "bright spot".

Look, all I'm saying is if this were about Chicago, would any of that segment been shot in Aurora or Naperville?

**Supersport** · August-05-11, 10:44 AM

I was a bit price shocked by the $195 as well. Yet when I look at it from a different perspective, I could see justifying buying at least one pair. I've been buying good running/walking shoes for the past 10 years or so, often spending $125 or so. I have to replace these shoes on average once a year. Yet when you compare my jeans, my jeans last...I don't know, 8, maybe 10 years? I'll often "outgrow" them before they ever wear out. One can argue that you can get the same wear out of a $30 pair of jeans, but by comparing how much I spend on shoes that only last me a year, I could perhaps pull the trigger for one pair of designer jeans.

I have to agree with Lowell on the girl from CCS. It was still the most laughable moment for me and my wife. I could just picture this happy go lucky girl, volunteering her time to feed the homeless, then coming up with this coat idea. She had spent probably 100's of hours on her 12 prototypes, only to have some homeless person tell her "your dumb coats ain't gonna change a thing, we need jobs." I think a fair number would have taken that to heart, given up, and perhaps even stopped volunteering at the soup kitchens. She took the criticism, agreed with it, then hired the homeless to make the coats.

It would be nice to see future episodes, or even at a minimum, once a year 3 part series with updates on what's changing. I believe these next 5 -10 years, Detroit is going to see more development, companies, new entrepreneurs, and energy than the city has seen in the past 60 years of gradual decline.

We will likely never rise to 2 million people in my lifetime. We won't be the manufacturing capitol we once were, but in a sense, Detroit really is reinventing itself, and is doing so in a way that will make it a truly unique city that will seperate itself from other big cities USA. Detroit has a long way to go, but I think this is the most promising chance at a true renaissance since the term was first injected into Detroit 30-40 years ago.

**Melody** · August-05-11, 11:14 AM

Veronika, the woman who made the coats, had the most interesting segment, I thought. If course, I may be biased, because they shot a lot of that in my bar, ha. I'm happy that Small's and Michigan-made Hard Luck Vodka got some air time! I'm glad they showed a lot of Hamtramck, too.

**Novack** · August-05-11, 11:38 AM

The singer in the "It Takes a Village" is Andrew in the band NOMAN

**tvaspen** · August-05-11, 12:15 PM

First of all it's called Motor City Denim, They also sell T-shirts and accessories, we carry them [[not the jeans) at our store in Berkley, if there is a store downtown that would like to sell some of their merchandise, I'm sure Joe would be more than happy to oblige. The reason they had to use the manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights is because they were the only ones in the area that had the machines capable of producing the denim. They accually had to buy the american made industrial sewing machines in China to sew them. they also had a hard time find production seamstesses, apparently a lost art anymore in this country. Yes the jeans are expensive, though not out of line as far as fashion jeans go. They are planning on producing jackets as well. It seems everybody bitches about not being able to buy items produced in the USA, but are unwilling to support the companies that are trying. It cost a lot more right now to produce items here than it does in China, but the more that things are produced and bought here, the sooner the costs and the prices will come down. If you can't afford the jeans, buy a T-shirt or something, support local manufacturers.