'Rocket City Rednecks' show a hit at premiere

(Courtesy: The National Geographic Channel)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama 
If the reaction to the premiere of its new series, "Rocket City Rednecks," is any indication, the National Geographic Channel may be in line for an Emmy at next year's award ceremony.
Some 400 people who packed the auditorium at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Davidson Center for Space Exploration Monday night cheered, clapped and woo-hooed throughout the two 30-minute segments that feature five intelligent "rednecks" from the Huntsville area: Rocket scientist Dr. Travis Taylor, his father and nephew, Charles and Michael Taylor, his brother-in-law and fellow scientist, Dr. Pete Erbach, and best friend, Rog Jones.
The show will make its debut Wednesday at 8 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel (http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel).
"Often screening shows are a little more serious," said channel vice-president for communications Chris Albert. "But this one everyone was laughing and applauding at the right moments and having a great time. This is a perfect mix of entertainment, science and making it fun."
Albert said while growing up he had "always wanted to go to Space Camp," and even though he has yet to attend, he said this has been a "thrill" to be part of something of this magnitude.
"The hospitality and warmth of the community is awesome," he said.
A black stretch limo delivered the stars and their families to the Davidson Center, which, appropriately, was lined with beer cans on the steps and sidewalk.
The family and friends invited to the premiere began cheering as the show appeared on the big screen with Travis introducing the other "Rednecks."
The first episode involved bomb-proofing Michael's old beat-up Ford truck in the hope of providing more protection for Army vehicles such as Humvees when they roll over a bomb.
The second episode featured the group trying to build and launch a Travis-made rocket using moonshine from a still built by Michael and "Daddy" Charles. Pete and Rog, whose real name is Greg, according to his mother, Mary Jones, provided the corn mash they got from a Tennessee distillery. Tune in to see if the truck held up and the rocket launched.
Travis and Erbach have eight advanced science degrees between them while "Daddy" Charles worked as a machinist for Dr. Wernher Von Braun, building America's first satellites. Rog and Michael are self-taught scientists who enjoy tinkering and figuring out problems to scientific questions.
"It was awesome," said Michael, the only single "Redneck" in the bunch.
Charles Taylor, who has been retired for eight years, said he was "surprised" at the audience's reaction.
"We've just been so deeply involved and self-absorbed in it, we just didn't think about it being this big," he said.
Although the demands of his new-found career has taken him from his chosen hobby of fishing, he said he "is having fun being around friends and family." He said he has "learned a few things" from their weekend experiments and believes viewers will as well.
"Some of the things we did astounded and shocked me," said Charles. "I think the average Joe will want to tune in. I've got a gut feeling it's going to be big."
Following the screening, the "Rednecks" were all being interviewed by news outlets from around the nation, forcing them to miss their own party that included hamburgers, chicken, baked beans, potato salad, and of course, beer, a staple of every filming.
This week's TV Guide, which Chris Albert presented to each of the men, has a full-page article on the "Rednecks" who received a standing ovation after the screening.
It was not only a big night for the men, but for their families as well.
Travis' wife, Karen, said she is glad her husband "is having fun" but she admitted at first she wondered, "What have we got ourselves into?"
For Mary Jones, it was a bittersweet night. She lost a son in 2006.
"This is a very happy occasion after going through a tough time," she said. "This was awesome."