The Colony is a reality television program. The first season was filmed in an industrial area bordering the Los Angeles River on the edge of downtown Los Angeles, and follows ten cast members in an environment that simulates life after a global catastrophe. The series first aired on the Discovery Channel on July 21, 2009. Filming began on February 28, and ran until April 28, 2009.
Cast Allison White, "The Nurse," is a 29-year-old registered trauma nurse from Oklahoma City, whose natural inclinations allow her to remain calm in extreme, life-threatening situations; thus, she has found herself most at home working in the emergency room. She generally assisted others in projects until George was removed from the show, and then she took on a larger role as medical caregiver.
Amy West, "The Marine Scientist," is a 34-year-old marine biologist. Amy is certified in providing CPR and other medical assistance. She is believed to have been interested in marine biology while she was a child vacationing in the Caribbean. She and Allison kept tabs on the food supply and how they related to the colonists' health. She also participated in the manual labor.
George Fallieras, "The Doctor," is a 34-year-old ER doctor from Tampa, Florida. After majoring in Marine Biology at University of Florida and considering a career as a marine mammal veterinarian, he decided to go to medical school because he liked to take care of people even more than animals. He is a strong fisherman, can start a fire and hunt. George returned to New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to provide care in makeshift medical units. In Episode 6, he was removed from the show as part of the experiment.
Joey Sciacca, "The Independent Contractor," is a 37-year-old contractor hailing from Los Angeles, California. He is a Black Belt in Tang Soo Do. He also is proficient in plumbing, electrical maintenance, drywall refurbishing, framing and framework, concrete construction, and is also seen to be an artist. Joey has admitted to being incarcerated for six consecutive years for trafficking but stated that he is now a changed man. Joey now works in construction, where he utilizes his skills as an eco-friendly contractor.
John Maxwell Cohn, "The Computer Engineer," is a 49-year-old chief IBM scientist for design automation from Richmond, Vermont. He fixes, makes and hacks electronics, fabricates mechanical devices, and welds. His other talents include building structures out of natural materials, growing edible plants, sculpting and fire building. John is typically viewed as an eccentric personality. He has been referred to by the other colonists as 'The Professor'. Viewers have consistently rated him as the number one colonist.
John Valencia, "The Machinist," is a 37-year-old machinist from Covina, California, specializing in fitting for irrigation waterworks, repairing motor-vehicle engines, and rebuilding alternators to hook up to generators for electricity. He also has developed hand crank electrical systems. He is a purported conservationist.
Leilani Smith, "The Martial Arts Instructor," started her martial arts career at the age of 28. She now works as a personal self defense instructor in Tacoma, Washington. Smith played a role in defending the colony by designing a gym and instructing the other colonists in the practice of self-defense.
Michael "Mike" Raines, "The Handyman," is a 47-year-old actor and solar panel installer/designer originating from Kotor, Montenegro (formerly SFR Yugoslavia). He currently resides in Santa Monica, California. He specializes in building alternative energy sources and in designing for security. His temper and poor interpersonal skills put him at odds with the other colonists. The productivity lost to these difficulties highlights the importance of sociological and psychological aspects of group survival.
Morgan Hooker, "The Aerospace Engineer" is a 23-year-old aerospace engineer from Woodland Hills, California. She has a B.S. in mechanical aerospace engineering from The George Washington University. Morgan builds custom computers for both individuals and companies, designs irrigation canals, and builds heat-insulated shelters. She is also proficient in mechanical engineering.
Vladimir Beck, "The Mechanical Engineer," is a retired oil industry engineer who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. He has spent around 40 years working as an engineer in oil refineries. As a young man, he had been in the military and left SFR Yugoslavia.
Diane Cohn, John Cohn's wife, a 49-year-old electronics engineer, who is reunited with him in Episode 8. She remains with the group until the end.
Supporting cast Adam Montella – homeland security advisor Dr. Miatta Snetter – psychologist, psychotherapist / post-traumatic stress disorder specialist Dr. Tom Mackin – engineer / technology analyst
Episode list
Phases and projects
Episode 1 PhaseContextDescription Phase 1: Sleep Deprivation Shock and Fatigue To simulate the stress survivors experience in the aftermath of a disaster, the volunteers were kept awake for thirty hours with almost no food or water. Phase 2: Looting Scarcity of Supplies Mentally drained, the first six volunteers were given fifteen minutes in an abandoned department store to acquire as many resources as they can carry. Phase 3: The Marauders Resource Competition Ten minutes into scavenging, a gang of looters and thugs are sent in to steal the volunteers' supplies. Phase 4: River Walk Search for Shelter Before arriving at the colony, the volunteers haul their 200 pounds of looted supplies eight miles (13 km) down the Los Angeles River. Phase 5: Arrival and Survival Rebuilding Begins The colonists arrive at an warehouse on a -acre plot of land. They are supplied with rudimentary materials, tools, and a small supply of food and water. How they use these resources is up to them.
Projects Water Filter: The Los Angeles River is the colonists' main water source, but the water is unsafe to drink without filtration. The plan is to puncture small holes in a 55-gallon drum, and fill it with multiple layers of sand and charcoal to filter out impurities such as algae, lead, and E. coli. The water is then to be boiled to remove bacteria, as only then will they have a safe water supply. Cooktop: To cook their food, the colonists suspend a steel plate over a fire inside a steel drum. Giant Bed: Using some cardboard, pallets, box-springs, fabric and foam, the colonists assemble a giant bed to sleep on. Night Watch: In this post-apocalyptic world, security can be compromised at any time, so at night one or two colonists stay up to look after the others at certain times through the night. Battery Array: To get electricity, the colonists daisy chain twenty 12-volt car batteries in parallel to maximise the current. They then convert the direct current to alternating current using an inverter. It provides just enough power to last just a week, so a generator will need to be built to recharge the batteries. Cistern: Keeping a supply of drinking water is crucial to the colonists' survival. To guarantee a steady supply, they move the filter on a warehouse shelf and place a large container beneath it. Rain Catching: When a rare LA storm approaches, Mike and John V. modify the gutters of the warehouse to catch and stockpile rainwater, thus saving them a river trip. Laundry: Because of the grime on the roof, the first part of the collected rainwater is too dirty to drink, but it is suitable for laundry. Without detergent, the colonists improvise using baking soda, and to clean their clothes they use a piece of corrugated steel as a washboard.
Episode 2 PhaseContextDescription Phase 6: Sustainable Energy Fuel Shortage With the battery array running out of power, the colonists need to build a generator and find a plentiful fuel source. Phase 7: Foraging Resource Acquisition With a lack of food, the colonists go out to acquire more food for the colony. They acquire a small supply of canned goods, fresh fruit, and a pair of goats.
Projects Generator: The immediate priority is power, and with the batteries having only a few days worth of power left, a generator needs to be built. The plan is to scavenge an engine from a pressure washer, a pulley system from a ventilation fan, and a car alternator. The engine's drive shaft must turn the pulley and the pulley must spin the alternator. Just like in a car the alternator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, which is needed to charge the battery array. Wood Gasifier: To keep the generator engine running they will need a constant fuel supply. One way is to scavenge for gasoline, but that method is dangerous and barely sustainable. John C. proposed building a gasifier after noticing an abundance of wood. A gasifier is two containers each holding wood scraps. The wood in the first container is used to build a fire. The fire heats the wood in the second container releasing a flammable vapor called wood gas. The wood gas is then piped directly into the generator engine. Escape Vehicle: Everyone agrees that the warehouse, or the city for that matter, is not an ideal place for long-term survival in this post-apocalyptic world. Noticing a broken-down flatbed truck out on the yard, everyone brings it inside the warehouse and into the main work area so it can later be used for their exodus.
Episode 3 PhaseContextDescription Phase 8: Creature Comforts Recreating Home With a power source for their tools, the colonists decide to make a shower and other smaller comforts to improve morale. Phase 9: River Trip Resource Scarcity Running out of water and tired of eating canned goods, the colonists head to the river to acquire water, fresh fish, and citrus. Phase 10: Power On Outside Contact Discovering the small television is on and is receiving an emergency signal, the colonists who did not leave the colony to go on the river trip discover that the power from the grid has been turned on for a short time. Phase 11: Colony Attack Resource Competition Not paying attention to security, the colonists are surprised by an attack on the warehouse by marauders and thieves, and they lose two days worth of food afterwards. The marauders were given instructions not to physically harm the colonists, but the colonists don't know that and accidents can happen.
Projects Solar Shower: The immediate project is a shower. A tank of water on the roof uses solar energy to heat the water inside. The tank is painted black to maximize heat absorption, has reflectors aimed at it to increase heat absorption, and is shrink wrapped to preserve the heat. A garden hose hooked to it pours the water down into a wood and fiberglass structure. The gray water is then piped out of the box and into a bucket. Water is pulled up by a bicycle pulley to the roof. Fish Trap: Amy makes a fish net to help with fishing in the river. Visual Diary: Morgan starts a picture diary about the colony's day activities in the Hieroglyphic room.
Episode 4 PhaseContextDescription Phase 12: Security Safety From Attack After being surprised by an attack from marauders and thieves, the colonists agree to increase their security on the warehouse. Phase 13: Traders Negotiation Skills A group of gun-toting traders arrive to trade with the colonists.
Projects Warehouse Fortification: The immediate project is securing the warehouse with better defenses. Joey fixes the hole in the back wall that was previously breached by putting trash on the stairs. He also puts chainlink on the wall where they were previously attacked to prevent any openings in the wall and puts wooden board secured with metal screws to keep the front door shut. Weapons: The colonists build a series of weapons for defending their home. John C. creates a flamethrower and a large taser that can be used from a few feet away. Vladimir starts building claymore mines out of some small materials.