Comments on: Keeping It Unreal http://www.showbits.net/2007/11/14/reality-tv/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:33:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: kgagne http://www.showbits.net/2007/11/14/reality-tv/#comment-6956 kgagne Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:34:12 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/11/14/reality-tv/#comment-6956 Peter, I hope people do recognize the grammatical inaccuracy of "reality" TV. My other concern is that such programming is drawing away from television shows that are more obviously fictional. When I was at <A HREF ="/index.php?p=229" TITLE="A Super Time at the Megafest">the Megafest</A>, Jeremy Bulloch, the British actor who played Boba Fett in the original <A HREF = "/category/star-wars/" TITLE="Star Wars on Showbits"><em>Star Wars</em></a> trilogy, he said that there used to be 23 new dramas on each season of British television; now there's only three, with the rest of the budget being allotted for reality TV. Even fantasy author <A HREF = "http://www.rasalvatore.com/" TITLE="R.A. Salvatore">R.A. Salvatore</a> blamed reality TV for why the live-action Forgotten Realms series he was working on didn't take off: the staff left for the greener pasture of reality TV. Alas...<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('6956','kgagne'); return false;"><small class=\"commentmetadata\">Reply</small></a> | <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('6956','kgagne','Peter, I hope people do recognize the grammatical inaccuracy of \"reality\" TV. My other concern is that such programming is drawing away from television shows that are more obviously fictional.\r\n\r\nWhen I was at <A HREF =\"\/index.php?p=229\" TITLE=\"A Super Time at the Megafest\">the Megafest<\/A>, Jeremy Bulloch, the British actor who played Boba Fett in the original <A HREF = \"\/category\/star-wars\/\" TITLE=\"Star Wars on Showbits\"><em>Star Wars<\/em><\/a> trilogy, he said that there used to be 23 new dramas on each season of British television; now there\'s only three, with the rest of the budget being allotted for reality TV. Even fantasy author <A HREF = \"http:\/\/www.rasalvatore.com\/\" TITLE=\"R.A. Salvatore\">R.A. Salvatore<\/a> blamed reality TV for why the live-action Forgotten Realms series he was working on didn\'t take off: the staff left for the greener pasture of reality TV. Alas...'); return false;"><small class=\"commentmetadata\">Quote</small></a></div> Peter, I hope people do recognize the grammatical inaccuracy of "reality" TV. My other concern is that such programming is drawing away from television shows that are more obviously fictional.

When I was at the Megafest, Jeremy Bulloch, the British actor who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, he said that there used to be 23 new dramas on each season of British television; now there's only three, with the rest of the budget being allotted for reality TV. Even fantasy author R.A. Salvatore blamed reality TV for why the live-action Forgotten Realms series he was working on didn't take off: the staff left for the greener pasture of reality TV. Alas…

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]]> By: peterw http://www.showbits.net/2007/11/14/reality-tv/#comment-6652 peterw Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:14:27 +0000 http://www.showbits.net/2007/11/14/reality-tv/#comment-6652 I don't directly watch many reality programs, although my wife does so I get exposure that way! My main problem with them is the variable quality, plus something I'll say more about later. Shows like <em>Survivor</em> and <em>Amazing Race</em> IMHO actually have some genuine entertainment value. But there are innumerable clones, rip-offs and cheap spin-offs that bring the level a long way down. The more serious concern I have -- and at the same time I suspect a large factor in the success of these shows -- is that most reality shows aren't <em>real</em>! I'm not talking about the starting premises; we all know Survivor is not truly about "survival". However most shows manipulate the "cast"/players, both directly and via plot design, so that the show becomes a peep-show into human interaction, with the lowest common denominators of plotting, conniving, betrayal, etc. becoming the true "reality" show. As you suggested in your article, where are the "reality" shows highlighting the best of people and their achievements? I sometimes wonder if this is part of the appeal of many war movies or westerns. If you start with the initial premise that the fight is "just", then people are shown working together and making sacrifices to overcome formidable odds. Or maybe that just isn't <em>real</em> in our modern world...<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('6652','peterw'); return false;"><small class=\"commentmetadata\">Reply</small></a> | <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('6652','peterw','I don\'t directly watch many reality programs, although my wife does so I get exposure that way! My main problem with them is the variable quality, plus something I\'ll say more about later. Shows like <em>Survivor<\/em> and <em>Amazing Race<\/em> IMHO actually have some genuine entertainment value. But there are innumerable clones, rip-offs and cheap spin-offs that bring the level a long way down.\r\n\r\nThe more serious concern I have -- and at the same time I suspect a large factor in the success of these shows -- is that most reality shows aren\'t <em>real<\/em>! I\'m not talking about the starting premises; we all know Survivor is not truly about \"survival\". However most shows manipulate the \"cast\"\/players, both directly and via plot design, so that the show becomes a peep-show into human interaction, with the lowest common denominators of plotting, conniving, betrayal, etc. becoming the true \"reality\" show.\r\n\r\nAs you suggested in your article, where are the \"reality\" shows highlighting the best of people and their achievements?\r\n\r\nI sometimes wonder if this is part of the appeal of many war movies or westerns. If you start with the initial premise that the fight is \"just\", then people are shown working together and making sacrifices to overcome formidable odds.\r\n\r\nOr maybe that just isn\'t <em>real<\/em> in our modern world...'); return false;"><small class=\"commentmetadata\">Quote</small></a></div> I don't directly watch many reality programs, although my wife does so I get exposure that way! My main problem with them is the variable quality, plus something I'll say more about later. Shows like Survivor and Amazing Race IMHO actually have some genuine entertainment value. But there are innumerable clones, rip-offs and cheap spin-offs that bring the level a long way down.

The more serious concern I have — and at the same time I suspect a large factor in the success of these shows — is that most reality shows aren't real! I'm not talking about the starting premises; we all know Survivor is not truly about "survival". However most shows manipulate the "cast"/players, both directly and via plot design, so that the show becomes a peep-show into human interaction, with the lowest common denominators of plotting, conniving, betrayal, etc. becoming the true "reality" show.

As you suggested in your article, where are the "reality" shows highlighting the best of people and their achievements?

I sometimes wonder if this is part of the appeal of many war movies or westerns. If you start with the initial premise that the fight is "just", then people are shown working together and making sacrifices to overcome formidable odds.

Or maybe that just isn't real in our modern world…

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