How does discovery channel film moonshiners

He realized that the show was giving him a larger platform and wanted to use that to make a positive change. This was a pretty honorable goal.

He never did get around to it, though, since there were a variety of things that got in his way. More on that later. The report says that he drove his vehicle into a crowd, after which the officer made him take a field sobriety test His attorney was able to help him walk away with just a fine and court costs. Before he was a moonshiner, Josh Owens used to be a professional motorbike and motocross racer. He still rides his motorcycle on the show with his dog, Cutie Pie.

Viewers might like Cutie Pie better than they like Josh, honestly. He still loves motorcycles, and he was coming back from a motorcycle rally last August when he discovered that his trailer had caught on fire. The producers had the same thought, so the show was actually supposed to be about legal moonshine production. It seemed too risky to make a show about illegal moonshine production and not get everyone involved in trouble. The original pitch to the network was about legal distilleries that exist.

There was just one problem -- they realized it was going to be boring. There was no way that they would have gotten the viewership numbers that they do now. Adding Tim, who was able to take the cameras into the woods and offer an inside look at something that had been so secret, was what really took the show to the next level.

If they pay attention to the production credits, the production company might be one reason why. Moonshiners is produced by Magilla Entertainment, a company based in New York.

Magilla also produces things like Lakefront Bargain Hunt , where some participants actually bought their home years before the show was taped, and Southie Rules , which was painfully scripted.

First, he was arrested for public intoxication. Then he was arrested for possession of a sawed-off handgun, which a police officer found in the front seat of his car.

After that, he was arrested again for probation violation, after he admitted to drug use. He was originally given a suspended three year sentence in July for the shotgun. After his probation violation, a judge revoked the original sentence but made him serve five months of active time.

After his five months were up, he had twelve months of probation and has to be on "good behavior" for the next five years. He learned the consequences of being caught early. Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Kathleen Shaw responded to concern from residents about the illegal production of alcohol, and reassured everyone that the state has the situation under control by hinting the show is not as authentic as it seems.

Also, it is totally possible for the cast to obtain permits to manufacture their product — like star Tim Smith did. He now sells his "Climax" brand moonshine in stores nationwide.

If you ask Tim and Steven Ray Tickle from the series, it's all about not getting caught. They also explained why moonshine is illegal, and it's has nothing to do with the alcohol level. Your product has to sell itself. If you've got a bad product, nobody will ever buy shine from you again. Want more MoonshinersTV? When the show Moonshiners first aired, nearly three million people were glued to the edge of their seats watching the program. While most of these people had never seen the process for creating moonshine, it was nevertheless some great mystery that most were anxious to have some answers about.

However, moonshine itself is an illegal alcohol that is made and distributed also illegally. So how are the main characters of this reality television program not locked up in jail? This is actually kind of a loaded question because there is no real substance on either side of this fence to appropriately answer it.

For example, if you consider the point that many people make about camera crews filming this illegal activity, they are well within their legal rights to film anything that they choose to without persecution from the law. You can liken it to Sean Penn sneaking into Mexico to meet with one of the most wanted fugitives in the world, El Chapo.

He was able to put together a rather impressive interview with the man, but when he returned to the United States, many suspected that he would be facing criminal charges.