after reading some of these posts, i looked at the show again more carefully. initially, i felt like the host was too over the top.. but in retrospect, this might be just whats needed for the larger viewing public. in the end, i care most that art as a subject can be televised in a fun and interesting format. maybe the host could be a little more of this, or a little less of that. the main point is that he is credible... as an art historian, obviously has a passion for the subject, and can make it entertaining for a larger viewing audience. what else do you need?! good luck with this show, i hope it gets picked up. judging by the positive posts, its seems a good bet!

I think the show is a great idea, and Lee is the perfect host.

Art is a huge industry, and it amazes me there are not already ten shows like this. Consider how many people visit the Met each year, how many people visit the Louvre, how much money is spent on art auctions, and how many people travel specifically for art. I'm amazed that the Travel Channel hasn't done this sooner.

Lee brings both professionalism and excitement to a typically dull subject. A quick search on the internet shows that Lee has lectured at top universities like Harvard, Yale, and Duke. He has the knowledge to continually pick interesting works of art and explain their significance. More importantly, he has the passion and showmanship that would give this show wide appeal. I loved the Johnny Cash reference!

I have an interest in art, and I suffered through many boring college art classes. I wish my professors had been as engaging as Lee. I look forward to more episodes.

I really enjoyed the show, I was like having the crocodile hunter doing an art show. I'm not an artsy type of a person, but this show on art was exciting and I will look forward to more. Lee Sandstead made the show. Please continue with more.

I really loved the first episode and look forward to seeing the regular show. Obviously Professor Sandstead is highly qualified to speak with authority on this topic. What blows me away though is his passion for the subject. Move over Sister Wendy!

My only criticism is that it would be nice to give the viewer some additional tips for how to know WHAT to look for and HOW to look at art. It would be nice to perhaps cover fewer works of art and really chew over how the visitor should evaluate and respond to art.

I would love to see more!! I'm already planning my next trip to a museum, this guy has me so fired up! What do you have available in other cities of the world???

to the students of prof. sandstead:

its a bit transparent to have the students of prof. sandstead bombard this post with super-positive comments about the show. were you all promised 'A's for your testimonials? as a college professor myself, resorting to this type of behavior would be very damaging to one's reputation. it's a bit too obvious and ultimately may hurt the cause.

just let the regular travel channel viewers make their comments and we can determine if this is a good show or not. i think the show topic can stand on it own without all of the
extracurricular activity.

This show definitely lives up to its name "Art Attack". Lee gives lots of energy and excitement to art... so much so that he got the attention of my 8 & 5 year olds who were playing in the next room. (They watched most of it!) If I'd only had him for art appreciation in college, I might have remembered a lot more.

Thanks Lee and Travel Channel for giving us a show that is entertaining AND educational too!

I loved the host's energy. This is the way art needs to be viewed. For those who don't know anything about art or who are just tired of the boring way some people explain it, this show will be very helpful.

I loved the show!!!!! Keep it and definitely keep the host, he is full of great art energy.

>its a bit transparent to have the students of prof. sandstead bombard this post with super-positive comments about the show. were you all promised 'A's for your testimonials?

I wager that to your average stolid college professor, that's what some of the enthusiasm behind this show might look like. I've never been one of Sandstead's students, but I did bring him to my campus several times as a guest lecturer. You can view my opinion as suspiciously as you like, but I can honestly attest that the positive responses Sandstead engenders when he lectures on art are genuine. And yes, I do regularly watch the Travel Channel.

And I'm not the least bit embarrassed to say that I want the show to succeed. I enjoy what Sandstead has to say about art and how he says it, and I know first-hand how it resonates with audiences. And if a TV network ever wants to do series on law and economics, man do I have a guy for them . . .

Super show. What's not to love?

It appeals to my children, to my geeky friends and to me. Interesting art insights, compelling graphics, great concept.

Where is Lee going next? When will more air? I would mark my calendar!

This is a great concept that could really turn into a must-view series!

I know that some people have said "keep the show, lose the host," but I think they've got it almost exactly the wrong way around. If this is just Lee Sandstead's pilot, then he is going to be awesome! What actor/host doesn't start out a little raw? He's got the energy (maybe a *little* too much) and the knowledge to make content that might otherwise be tame into something that is very compelling.

It's the editing and content that need re-thinking. I almost had a "h-eart attack" with some of the camera work. And, honestly, who cares how many toilets there are in the Met?! Lose the trivia.

As for the choice of art, well, after seeing the *amazing* Renaissance piece on the Madonna and Child I honestly didn't need to see "Jack the Dripper," although Sandstead's tie-ins to art-history were informative on a work and artist that are otherwise laughable in the context of the great works he had previously presented. More of those tie-ins please, especially if you're going to pick crappy art to have Sandstead present, just because it's "modern"!

I would especially like to see more tie-ins. You showed some other Madonna and Child paintings, but the connections were fleeting and, again, the camera work was too hectic. Imagine if you took us to Germany and showed us another Madonna and Child--I saw one in Dresden when I was there ten years ago that was stunning--and had Sandstead help us enjoy that experience even more by taking you back to the Met and making a telling comparison. Imagine travelling the world with an art-historian who will put it all together for you! I'm getting fired up for art as this teacher can present it! Good luck with the show. I'm in.

I thought the show demonstrated the potential to really be something great.

When Lee Sandstead chose as one of the must-sees the "Madonna," I was disappointed. I didn't get it--to me it seemed bland, remote, fairly primitive, and unrelatable. Then came his explanation, and the juxtaposition with earlier Madonnas, and my disappointment became total fascination. I saw why this was so significant in the history of art. And a week later, when I had the pleasure of going to the Met, I made a beeline for it.

I found the show frantically fast-paced, and the standards for "must-see" unclear (Jackson Pollock? Really?), but give me a moment like the Madonna in each episode and I will watch religiously.

Flipping through the channels a couple of weeks ago I was pleased to come across Mr.Sandstead's new ART ATTACK show. I had never seen a show like this and was excited to learn that it was all about art!!! I have my masters in Art History and work in the art industry,so for me I felt that I had finally found a show worth my watching and time. Not only did I benefit from his intellect but my 8 year old daughter loved his outrageous attitude and she found the show fun and interesting as well! This made me so happy to see her interest level rise and to know she followed along with the stories. That said, my daughter and I happily found a new show to watch together and from this we were able to have a great intelligent discussion afterward! Please keep it running!!
Thank you!!

This show isn't only for viewers with no knowledge of art! As someone with a background in Art History who works in the art field in NY, I'm familiar with the works and some of the stories that Sandstead covered in the show. I think Sandstead and the show's producers deserve a "bravo" for making familiar works fresh and exciting. Sandstead's enthusiasm is exactly what is lacking in most approaches to art history. After seeing the show, I had to take another look at the Temple of Dendur and at Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware during my last trip to the Met.
This raises another of the show's strong points: I love the idea of doing a show about Museum collections. I've seen shows that deal with art appraisal (Antiques Roadshow) or with bargain-hunting for decorative art objects, but how many people actually find priceless works in grandma's attic or can afford to drop thousands on ancient Japanese chests? The show's focus on Museum collections makes it all the more fun, since anyone can go to see the works for themselves. And if anyone can encourage crowds to seek out art museums and actually look at the works on display, it's Sandstead. His passion and energy combat the the impression of the museum as a dry or stodgy place and hopefully will make it appealing to a broad public.
Finally, while Sandstead could tone down his volume a little (I preferred the scenes where he talked to the scenes where he yelled), please don't tone down his enthusiasm! I think everyone in the art field would LOVE to run through the Met at night! His energy is exactly what makes the show fun! Thanks for a great show and I hope to see more.

Lee Sandstead...Bravo!
Art Attack is like a BLAST OF FRESH AIR!
Lee Sandstead is unique and his excitement
makes me want more. He also caught the
attention of my 12yr old son who has, thanks to Art Attack, agreed to visit the Met.
I look foward to many more episodes. As for Lee Sandstead's excitement and passion I say keep it coming, his energy is his signature.

Full disclosure: the host is a friend of mine. However, I've been on many an art tour with him and can vouch that his endless enthusiasm both entertained and educated everyone there. He does the same on the show. His is the perfect personality for making art history both entertaining and enlightening.