Reality Television

So what is reality TV?

Several things come to mind when I think about reality TV. Firstly, the subjects are typically unknown, they try to represent the everyday man or woman. Secondly they aim to inform and educate with an emphasis on entertainment value. The general consensus seems to be that reality television includes “programmes in which ordinary people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.”[1]

In 1968 Andy Warhol famously said, “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.” And didn’t he just hit the nail on the head! Over the past ten years or so it seems as though reality TV has taken over. Not just on screen but reality TV ‘stars’ (yuck) are somehow considered celebrities. Kim Kardashian, Lauren Conrad and One Direction for example all found their stardom through reality TV and they are amongst some of the most marketable people in the world. The pervasive nature of the reality-franchise over the 1990s and 2000s has seen shows like X Factor, Masterchef, Next Top Model and Big Brother produced in over thirty countries. This transnational exchange of programming offers a cost effective solution to local programming gaps and a relative level of success and interest based on overseas models.

In 2006, four of the ten most popular programs among viewers under 17 were reality shows [2] and I imagine that number has increased in recent years.

I do struggle with the word ‘reality’ when describing these types of shows though. Undoubtedly, television as medium cannot possibly represent the real world to the extent some shows claim to do so. Once you edit a program, add postproduction graphics, music and narration you have altered its reality and therefore it cannot be sold as a straightforward account of events. But without these things, the shows would indeed be boring.

FAST FACT: In 2001, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences added the reality genre to the Emmy Awards with the category of Outstanding Reality Program.

One Born Every Minute:

Did you know that every minute of every hour a baby is born? I know, wow. So an observational documentary series of the unique experiences of new mothers is a relevant and important concept for a television series. But what makes One Born Every Minute move from a traditional documentary series and into the docu-soap genre is its playful editing, casting/subject choices, comic timing and hightened emotion.

As viewers, we are privileged to the intimate experiences of expecting parents. I think this is the appeal of the show, we get the chance to witness something you would never normally be able to. It satisfies our sense of intrigue. What the series does wonderfully is celebrate the quirks of the hospital, the patients and the family members. As the mounted cameras capture amusing banter between partners or humorous facial expressions from petrified husbands, it provides viewers with an “unmediated, voyeuristic, yet often playful look into what might be called the ‘entertaining real’”[3].

Here’s a handful of tips in an article on The Punch for anyone thinking about applying for a reality show. I particularly liked, “it will not change your life,””you may be ridiculed, or worse vilified Australia wide,” and “any nude photos or sex tapes will be circulated on the internet”…sounds like fun!

[1] Reality TV: Definition of reality TV in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). 2013.http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/reality-TV.

[2] “The Appeal of Reality Television for Teen and Pre-Teen Audiences”. Journal of Advertising Research 51 (1): 288–297. March 2011.

[3] Ouelette & Murray, 2004, ʻIntroductionʼ to Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture