Dear Discovery Channel,

I am an avid fan of the Discovery Channel and tune in every night to watch my favorite programs like Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, Deadliest Catch, American Chopper, etc. I have never had any complaints about the programming schedule, until now.

I watched Dirty Jobs with Peter Schmeichel when shown Friday, June 27th 2008 in abject horror. Dirty Jobs have always had a very broad fan base here in South Africa, from the very young to the very old. The first sign of trouble was the warning before the program. Scenes might upset sensitive viewers. How are we supposed to tell the children they can't watch one of their favorite programs on a Friday night any more?

There are a lot of reasons why we prefer to watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe:
Dirty Jobs was conceived with the idea of honoring the people who do dirty jobs in order for us to live civilized lives. Mr. Rowe's deep dedication to this motto is very evident when watching his show and his interaction with the featured people. Unfortunately the same cannot be said when watching Dirty Jobs with Peter Schmeichel. It is as though there is a looming crevasse between him and his guest, which he is never successfully able to cross.

Mr. Rowe is an experienced voice over artist with shows like American Chopper and Deadliest Catch on his resume. His comments are delivered in a seamless, professional and conversational manner. Mr. Schmeichel, in contrast, sounds as if he is reading from a script at a primary school level with no inflection in his voice.
While Mr. Rowe occasionally let a word like “d@mn it” and “cr@p” fly in extreme situations, it is bleeped out and not offensive in any way. I am not a prude but draw the line at using the Lord's name in vain. This type of profanity is offensive and, I feel, should not occur on a show that is rated for family viewing.

In South Africa there are 11 official languages. However English is understood by most and is usually the language of choice when communicating with others. Most of the guests on Mr. Schmeichel's show did not speak English. Combine that with a host that is also not very comfortable with the English language and it spells trouble. He creates the impression that he is actually laughing at his guests and perpetuates that impression with his English asides to the viewer when he knows his guest doesn't understand what he is saying. That is insulting and rude towards his guests. Mr. Rowe has a very self-depreciating sense of humor that creates the impression that he is laughing at his own mistakes and incompetence. Mr. Rowe laughs WITH his guests at himself and not at them.

Mr. Schmeichel appears to be very much out of his element. His demeanor is a stiff and uncomfortable emulation of Mr. Rowe's catch phrases and mannerisms.

Although Mr. Schmeichel is a world-class soccer player, he is unfortunately not a world class host or presenter.

A European version of Dirty Jobs is, in theory, a very good idea. Unfortunately the wrong host was chosen. He might project better in other European countries when he presents the show in a language with which he is more comfortable. Instead of making the show his own and putting his own unique stamp on it, he tries to copy Mr. Rowe's presentation style. It just does not work for him.

After this whole diatribe, I have one request: Please bring back the new episodes of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe.

Kind Regards
Karen