Audience Reviews
View More (9) Audience Member Some of this was informative but other parts were very annoying, especially watching Steve Zahn as Michael Fenne, who was just not funny and really a distraction. Don't bother. Watch Halt & Catch Fire instead.Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Emperor is naked. If you're interested in learning about the birth of browsers or web history, don't waste your time on this one. For every minute of education you have to sit through 20 minutes of self indulgent BS. Its one of those in which the directors and cast had far more fun congratulating one another on their genius than you'll have watching it. Can easily imagine how National Geo got conned into it, though. Qualifies as an Elder swindle.Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting but not absolutely enthralling look at 90's tech boom made in the same style used for the Mars series, the main difference being that Mars used a fictional storyline intercut with interviews whereas this offering dramatized actual events and intercut with interviews. Personally, I found Valley of the Boom a bit more interesting due to the whole 'truth is stranger than fiction' angle and there's definitely some of that going on.Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member well-done documentary showing little-known faces and facts of the start of the internet boom. I like that it can even laugh at itselfRated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member The show's style is as disruptive as the companies they chose to cover. They clearly took creative liberties in retelling these story (as I lived through it), but it's overall super informative, and a blast to relive the craziness 25 years later. The team that made this are clearly creative geniuses that might simply be way ahead of their time.Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member I enjoy leaving positive reviews on peoples creative and professional efforts. I want to see people succeed. However, sometimes the effort is so painfully bad, I am compelled to write a negative review as a warning to others. Valley of the Boom (VotB) is an undeniably strong impetus of the latter type.I lived in the VotB era, and very much participated in it. The trailers for the multi-part series appeared very good and I eagerly anticipated its release. I even recognized myself in Marc Andreessen during the first episode. However, the methods used to communicate information in the series are totally unorthodox at best and bloody awful at worst. Breaking the fourth wall is a technique best used sparingly, but this series uses it as a major plot device. It openly acknowledges its failure to procure key buy-in or interviews from major players (ahem
Bill Gates and Andreessen), by having Karna break the fourth wall constantly (among other characters) since Andreessen wasnt available and representing Gates as a puppet. It becomes painfully apparent by the end of the second episode why Andreessen and Gates refused to take part in the series.VotB had an opportunity to focus on an important part of history by using facts and well interspersed interviews from key players, presented by the collective might and creativity of National Geographic. It squandered that opportunity by interminably focusing on the trajectory of Michael Fenne, a two-bit con artist that played a forgettable bit part in a much larger story. After watching the second episode, I felt as if I needed to take a shower to wash myself of the grotesque spectacle which I had just witnessed. But, then, it all became painfully clear why my gestalt of the series had motivated me so strongly to write a negative review
why it was so badly conceived, written, acted, and ultimately produced
and why I felt so nasty after watching it I had to overwhelming urge to clean myself. It became painfully clear when I learned an executive producer was none other than:Arianna Huffington.Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Episodes
Episode 1Aired Jan 13, 2019Part 1: print (hello, world)Jim Barksdale and team take Netscape on a road show in search of potential investors; Stephan Paternot and Todd Krizelman struggle to secure financing for their virtual community platform, TheGlobe.com; Michael Fenne changes his physical appearance. DetailsEpisode 2Aired Jan 13, 2019Part 2: psuedocodeJim Barksdale leads Netscape through a successful IPO, making it the dominant browser; Microsoft retaliates, sparking the browser wars; Michael Fenne excitedly starts a new company that promises to deliver revolutionary streaming technology. DetailsEpisode 3Aired Jan 20, 2019Part 3: agile methodWith the browser wars in full swing, Microsoft attacks Netscape; TheGlobe.com team hesitates to bring on a potential investor, unconvinced he'll be a good fit; using stolen technology, Michael Fenne launches a new company called Pixelon. DetailsEpisode 4Aired Jan 20, 2019Part 4: priority inversionMicrosoft bundles Internet Explorer with every new Windows PC; Stephan Paternot and Todd Krizelman run on fumes; as Pixelon prepares for a live event, Michael Fenne's management style grows more erratic, grabbing the attention of an employee. DetailsEpisode 5Aired Jan 27, 2019Part 5: segfaultJim Barksdale takes drastic measures to re-establish Netscape as an innovator; TheGlobe.com struggles to maintain focus on virtual communities; Pixelon launches a massive concert in Las Vegas as it introduces its revolutionary streaming technology. DetailsEpisode 6Aired Jan 27, 2019Part 6: fatal errorJim Barksdale keeps up with the Microsoft antitrust case; Stephan Paternot and Todd Krizelman try to save TheGlobe.com as they discover some potentially damaging news; Pixelon's investors and board members confront Michael Fenne. Details
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