Binged a docuseries about that old diner in Detroit

I watched a 4-part series on a diner in Detroit that's been open since 1947, and it completely changed how I look at local history in shows. Has anyone else found a show that made them see a familiar place in a whole new light?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_torres23d ago

Wait, you actually think some docuseries really changed how you see a place you already knew? Those shows are all hype and fancy camera angles, they don't tell you the real story about places like that diner. They pick the most dramatic moments and skip all the boring regular days that made the place what it is. Detroit has way more interesting history than just one diner, and a 4-part series is too long to not get repetitive and padded. You'd learn more just talking to an old timer who actually ate there for 20 years than watching some produced show. I'm skeptical of any documentary that tries to turn a regular spot into a big deal.

cora8636d ago

Right, that's exactly what I'm saying. It's like they take the soul out of a place and just leave the shiny bits. I watched one about a corner store in Chicago I'd been to a hundred times and they made it look like some crime epic when really the owner just made great sandwiches and knew everyone's name. The old timer thing is spot on - my grandpa could tell you more about the factory he worked in for 30 years than any documentary crew could ever dig up. They never show the slow Tuesday afternoons or the quiet conversations that actually built the community. Those shows just want to sell you a story, not the truth.

the_holly22d ago

Watched my friend waste four hours on that show and he couldn't even remember what year it was set in.