The development of the television as a communication medium paved way to the conception of innovative and avant-garde presentations that caters to the taste of the common viewers. People are now more knowledgeable, adventurous, and liberal in dealing with the information presented by the various forms of media in their immediate environment. With this, selection of what to assimilate, see, or hear is out of control. Television stations continuously venture on the development of TV shows and other presentations that will eventually improve and sophisticate the viewing experience of the contemporary viewing and listening audience.
As evidence to the constant efforts of worldwide television networks in creating quality television shows and programs, the emergence of a new genre in the entertainment program offerings of the primetime and non-primetime viewing experience is a big breakthrough. The materialization of television shows that caters to the authenticity of human life is an old concept. But treating it on-the-spot, no edits, scripts, and spiels is another side of the story. Precisely, this is the rationale behind Reality Television.
Reality TV shows are almost everywhere at this time. Aside from the fads and crazes existing, they more or less dominate the popular culture of youth as well as some adults of today’s generation. This genre’s offering is something lucid that it attracts everyone’s aloof consciousness with the sweet as well as bitter realities of the world. The irony of real portrayals in the visual and audio images presented on the screen often tickles the imagination of the audience and leads them to a peripheral state of being. There are some instances that realities no longer appear acceptable or seems inanimate in nature. The actions of people do not actually present the total thinking of a person. Sometimes, actions do not coexist with what the brain is thinking. And this is the mystery that the camera often skips to see. For me, reality is not only present in the visible spectrum of human life but within the limits of visibility. I confer that reality must also delve into the deeper state of humanness. It is not only on how people act but also on how they think and process practical decisions far from complexity.
I am often intrigued on the origins of reality show. As far as I know, all shows in the television are for “real”. They are real, in the sense that they deal with the existing experiences of people and their survival. But then I realized that some aspects are planned, manipulated, and deliberately scripted. The concept of realism is always the main goal of every producer and director as well as the actors and actresses themselves. Their overall effort is directed to the aims of making the audience believe. There are some instances in which some shows on TV gamble the essence of realism. The make-believe situations acted upon on the screen (may or may not) stimulate the minds of viewers to think and measure the extent of reality and separate fantasy. But then again, it is up to the viewers’ cognitive conditioning and decision making.
Reality television, according to Hill (2005, p.2), “is a catch-all category that includes a wide range of entertainment programmes about real people”. The term reality television is used to describe a variety of programming that presents crime and emergency-style shows, talk shows, docusoaps, and some forms of access-style programming. Otherwise known as factual television, reality TV is located in border territories between information and entertainment to documentary and drama. Originally used as a category for law and order popular factual programmes containing 'on-scene' footage of cops on the job, reality TV has become the success story of television in the 1990s and 2000s.
The label 'reality TV' encompasses a wide range of texts which take as their subject matter real lives, real-life situations and events, and the first-person accounts of ordinary people (non-media professionals). Working within this context, the personal, emotional and often intimate revelations of the first-person accounts are the driving force behind the narrative structure of these programmes. They are also supported with actual footage (or dramatic reconstructions) of the events concerned. The people who participate in these programmes have usually been the victims of crime or some kind of disaster, have a life-threatening illness or have had a near-death experience, or, more simply, may have a vocation or lifestyle that can provide for interesting and entertaining viewing. One of the key elements of reality programming is the juxtaposing of the 'everyday' and the banal with the unexpected and the bizarre (Calvert, et. al, 2002, p.196).
Before reaching its phenomenal popularity, reality TV can be traced back early in the 1950s in the United States. According to Beth Rowen (2000), it was the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) who held the record of instigating the reality genre. It started as an avant-garde (experimental) approach more than 30 years earlier. The first reality TV show is Wanted anchored by Walter McGrew and existed from October 1955 up to January 1956. The show tackles the crime, its participants, the relatives, and the law enforcement officers working on the case through presentation of interviews and actual events. If Wanted is the first reality TV show to be considered, it is Allen Funt’s show Candid Camera that hit the audience in 1953 regarded as the “granddaddy of the reality TV genre” (Rowen, 2000). Funt’s radio show Candid Microphone was the backbone of Candid Camera in which it features ordinary people under tricky circumstances and show their reactions.
After CBS establishment of the trend, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – the world’s largest broadcasting network issued its Seven Up! in 1964. It is a series that works on with dozen ordinary seven-year olds children from various segments of the society. Basically, the shows main intent is to elicit responses to questions on everyday life. However, the show is not a total reality TV presentation because it is prearranged in such way as series of interviews.
Meanwhile, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) released its series entitled An American Family in 1973. This show is tagged as the first reality show in the modern sense. The premise of the show is a nuclear family going through a divorce. In the US, there are twelve parts that were broadcasted from a total of 300 hours of footage but only 12 made it to TV screening. The An American Family lured an astonishing 10 million viewers especially on the marital break-up of Bill and Pat Loud as well as the coming-out of their son lance. In reference to An American Family, UK presented its equivalent program, The Family in 1974 subsequent to the working class Wilkins family of Reading. In Australia, Sylvania Waters of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) shared the same trend in 1992. The three shows gained their popularity as well as their share of hullabaloo. During the years, several reality television shows began especially during the late 1980s and 1990s. Among these are:
COPS (1989) – presents police officers in duty who takes criminals into their legal custody. They also introduced the use of camcorder and the cinema verite.
America’s Most Wanted (1989) - presents information about fugitives and re-enactments of their crimes and with the intention of tracking down the suspects (Rowen, 2006). This show helped out in catching a total of 618 criminals.]
America’s Funniest Home Videos (1990) – patterned in Candid Camera plus cash prize of $10, 000.
MTV’s The Real World (1992) – showcases the integration of different individuals in a common environment for an extended duration of time and at the same time recording the drama that occurs in the process. The housemates enjoy a fleeting fame in a no monetary reward endeavour except for the fact that they will stay in an ultra-cool rooms free of rent (Rowen, 2000). It also break new grounds in the standard conventions of reality television shows today such as the use of soundtrack music and mixing of events on screen with the after-the-fact confessionals recorded by cast members that serve as narration. According to Rowen (2000), The American Family is the inspiration of this MTV reality show.
Changing Rooms (1996) – shows couples redecorating each others’ houses. It is also the first recognised reality show about self-improvement and makeover subject matter.
Expedition Robinson (1997) – Swedish TV show that was later produced as Survivor in a number of other countries.
The House from Hell (1998) – Australia’s series were the Big Brother series possibly patterned.
Survivor (2000) – similar to Expedition Robinson but offers a cash prize for a sole winner. Considered as the “mother of reality TV” because its success led the entire genre of similar shows.
With the popularity gained by these shows, the genre continuously maintain its prominence by coming up with more challenging and inventive shows such as Big Brother (1999), Temptation Island (2001), and the list goes on. Some of these reality shows are still on-going and already acquired a level of popularity in the broadcasting industry. Some also reached an astounding performance in terms of ratings. Majority of these shows are regarded to be phenomenal because they often outshine significant TV coverage and presentations like the 2006 Summer Olympics. Undeniably, reality shows have reached the zenith of their existence and established a strong foundation of popularity in the television production and industry.
The development of the reality genre also brought out several types of shows. Among the types of reality TV shows and presentations present today are: documentary-style, game shows, self-improvement/makeover, dating shows, talk shows, hidden camera, and hoaxes. From these types, several sub-types sprouted as to deal with unique subjects. It is very interesting that these shows exposes the human characteristics in front of the rolling camera and focused lenses.
Among the popular types of reality show is the documentary approach. Primarily, this type of show is characterised by “fly on the wall” or cinema verite style filming in an unscripted situations, real-life locations, and tasks. The camera and the viewer are unreceptive observers and only focus on the everyday personal and professional encounters of the participants. The plots are made up through a series of editing and deliberate circumstances. (e.g. MTV’s The Real World and Laguna Beach, The Real Orange County, Road Rules, The 1900 House and Temptation Island)
What is notable about this type of show is the ability to expose the inner sides of the participants. The actions are already apparent but the turning of events is often unpredictable and brings surprise among the participants and most especially the spectators. The unfolding of real feelings, actions, and mechanisms often affects every segment of the show. As they perform their traditional daily practices, they are also challenge to try the supposedly untried things. The element of eagerness is always present among the viewers especially when the subject is interesting and that they can easily associate themselves to the performer. This is particularly true with the celebrity reality and the professional activity types of show. The two new-fangled styles fall under the sub-category of the documentary-style since their main premise is the documentation or exposure of their natural (unnatural) reactions, thoughts, deeds, and every facets of their life captured by the camera. In celebrity reality, it involves celebrities who are showing the daily itinerary. It may also include putting them into a specific location and do assigned works. (e.g. The Anna Nicole Show, The Osbournes, Newlyweds, Flavor of Love, The Simple Life, and The Surreal Life)
What makes this sub-category work perfectly among the eyes of the eager viewers is the fact that popular people are turned into subjects of further aptitude testing. The extraordinary reactions of this perceived “extraordinary” people are then evaluated and compared to the normal actions in relation to usual scenario of life’s survival and practicality. The hilarious thing about celebrity participants is their uncommon reactions to common situations as a result of their held status in the world where they belong and work. More often than not, they acts overly and make themselves dull. The concept of reality is then diverted to something extraordinary and neglected the commonality of human expression when place under such circumstances. Personally, these makes me annoyed and ponder such people do really true to themselves and even worse questioning myself if they do really exist.
With the professional activities sub-category, where professional people go about with a daily routine or performing a project over the course of a series, I find myself mystified on the reasons why they need to reveal or televise their expertise. (e.g. COPS, The Restaurant, and Bands on the Run) I understand that the element of human drama is present in every encounter of these professionals and it is very exciting. But on the contrary, they are exposing the tactics that they have in solving such problems. I believe that professional expertise must keep within the boundary of a person’s character because it serves as his/her advantage among others. If they will show this to others, the risk of imitation is high and that they may be left out or considered copy-cats. Professional activities also present good ways on how to do this or that. Paradoxical as it may seem but the actual intention of the show is to document the actions of the participants the most peculiar way possible.
Another type of reality show wherein I allocate specific time is the game shows. Game shows usually are competition-based in nature where participants are competing in order to win a specified prize. They may be secluded in a sheltered environment until one person remains as the champion and will bring home the prize – money, house and lot, vacation spree, etc. Most game show uses the voting strategy to determine the winner. The voting may occur among the viewers or the participants themselves. (e.g. Big Brother, Idol series, Dancing with the Stars, The Weakest Link, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Dog Eat Dog, Fear Factor, Star Academy, The Biggest Loser, American Inventor, Making the Band and Project Greenlight) Personally, I find game shows as the most entertaining among the other type of reality programs. It is because it offers excitement, education, and fun. In some game shows that include asking questions, I often find myself screaming the answer in front of the coloured monitor as if the participant will hear me. Reality game shows are mostly similar in design. They elicit human emotions as factual ingredients in achieving success in life.
The well-known sub-types of these competition-based game shows are: dating-based competition in which a participant is involved in choosing a right partner from a group of suitors. The suitors are gradually eliminated (one by one) until one contender remains and be the winner/partner of the searcher (e.g. The Bachelor); job search where contestants are pre-screened. They are asked to do a variety of tasks based on a particular field while being judged by a single expert or a panel. The common prize is a contract of that specified work. (e.g. The Apprentice, America’s Next Top Model, and Project Runway); and sports specialise in a particular activity and creates competition among participants who are aiming to establish a name in that particular field. (e.g. The Contender, The Ultimate Fighter, and The Big Break) Basically, what is outstanding in these kinds of shows is the manner in which they bring delight to the able audience. The subconscious feeling of desire to be that person initiates an action among viewers. The idolatry of the spectators to the subject of the show will eventually serve as his/her passport to enter the state of popularity and be an instant celebrity.
Further, self-improvement/makeover types of reality shows dominate the airwaves now. They cover a certain part of a person’s life under enhancement. It may also include a group of people united to a common objective. In this style, there are particular parts or target for improvement and episodic in nature. First, the participants are in their natural environment and disclose the authentic but less-than-ideal conditions that they have. Then, a group of people (experts) gives the participant instructions on how to enhance things. Help and encouragement are offered throughout the period. Finally, the participants after some series of changes, are presented and putted back to their natural habitat and evaluate the changes that occurred in the process. (e.g. Changing Rooms, This Old House, Trading Spaces, Pimp My Ride, Overhaulin’, The Swan, Celebrity Fit Club, The Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Supernanny, and Made) This kind of show often proliferate the concept of change. As we all know, change is inevitable. The subject of manipulating change is something interesting and this is fundamentally the principle of this type of show. The surprising results are the competitive edge of this kind of show. This is apparently the reason why it clicked among the audience. However, there are several aspects of these shows that are uncontrollable such as the physical or emotional, financial, and even psychological in nature.
Other types of reality shows like dating shows (e.g. Blind Date and The Dating Game), talk shows (e.g. The Jerry Springer Show and Ricki Lake), hidden cameras (e.g. Candid Camera, Punk’d, Trigger Happy TV, and Scare Tactics), and hoaxes (e.g. The Joe Schmo Show, My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss, Boy Meets Boy, Joe Millionaire and Space Cadets) also educe the human nature of the participants and the viewers as well. Dating is normal in a socially oriented environment, but doing it with extra challenge or prize at stake is somewhat controversial. Talk shows are already prevalent in TV productions but doing it with a touch of
Reasons Why Reality TV are Popular
As a viewer, I am also left out thinking on the reasons why people
With the established foundation of reality TV, it could be said that there are several reasons on why are these shows are popular in every angle of its public exposure. The following reasons are also related to the bubble burst of such genre. Primarily, the reality genre has mass appeal (Hill, 2005, p.2). Several shows like the Idol series drawn up over 50 percent of the market share. This means that almost half of the viewing public was exposed to such presentations. They are also entertaining as well as informative and suit the emphatic feeling of the viewers. The subconscious desire to be involved in the same situation is a way to draw out attention in relation to the show. Furthermore, the ability of ordinary people to be involved and cope up with extraordinary circumstances is well emphasized. Most of the reality TV shows posses the potential of building instant national celebrities or millionaires. This is another big reason why people are fascinated and hooked with such existing media phenomenon.
With the equated reasons on the popularity of the said genre, there are also some criticisms presented against it. Among these are:
The popularity of the genre on network television has come at the cost of scripted programming.
Programming is limited in its appeal for DVD reissue and even syndication
The potentialities of discrimination, building of biases or prejudices, stereotyping and labelling among viewers and participant is high.
Controversies within the shows and among the participants are highly affective to the overall stature of the producer and the participant as a person.
Reality TV and Broadcasting
Whether we like it or not, the traditional broadcasting is affected by the culture of reality TV presentations. The development of reality programming within different broadcasting environments is significant to our understanding of the genre as a whole. But it also contributed to the advantage of the broadcasting industry.
The popularity of reality shows opened the doors on international marketing and release or exposure of such programs. Shows like Big Brother and Pop Idol are exported in other nations thus destroying the distance and race barriers. The Dutch format house Endemol have sold the format for Big Brother worldwide including countries like Germany, Spain, America, Argentina, South Africa, Philippines, and Australia. In addition, talk shows, game shows, sports and leisure programming perform well within the international broadcasting market, with successful formats sold worldwide, and locally produced to nationally specific requirements (Hill, 2005, p.21). In the UK, the strong historical presence of public service broadcasting and documentary television has ensured that certain types of reality formats are related to public service and documentary ideas and practice (Hill, 2005, p.8). The same can be said of other Northern European countries with public service and documentary traditions (Kilborn, 2003; Winston, 2000).
In terms of profits, the broadcasting industry used it for competitive advantage. For instance, Fox television network 'redefined US network practices' (Glynn 2000, p.28) by producing cheap reality programming, which could compete in a competitive environment of network, cable and independent broadcasting. By the early 1990s, reality programming was an established part of peaktime network schedules, and other countries were beginning to take note. The competing trend among the reality shows persuaded corporate advertising clients and bargained for airtime rates. Thus, it generated huge profits for broadcasting channels.
It could be said that the reality TV phenomenon affected the broadcasting process in both constructive and destructive ways. The above discussion presented the constructive effects of such. The following will cater to the destructive aspect.
Before the primetime viewing is full with news coverage and correspondence on current affairs but with the onset of reality TV shows of various types, the importance of news is taken for granted especially among the viewers of younger age. Further, the emergence of some questionable values is often manifested in some reality shows. Ethics is a debatable issue. Thus, the risk of deviant behaviours and unacceptable social practices is dominant. Moores (2000, p.139) stated that: “broadcasting (reality shows) provide viewers and listeners with a constant 'stream' of symbolic materials from which to fashion their senses of self … this flow of images and sounds is creatively appropriated by social subjects as they seek to put together personal identities and lifestyles”. The fear of unrealistic self-actualization is present. Practical situations will no longer be as the old-fashion ones but matters will be more complicated. The concept of the self is most applicable to reality TV when programmes are designed to speak to viewers about issues that matter to them. Watching reality TV can be a reflexive process in the sense that the personalised stories and tips on living that feature in some reality formats are internalised by viewers, and stored for potential use at appropriate moments in their own lives. Reality programming has been criticised for its preoccupation with the individual rather than the social. Compared with traditional documentary and its aspirations as a public form, reality TV can be seen as highly trivial, preoccupied with personal stories about personal lives (Dovey, 2000). For instance, stories about pop music in Pop Idol are stories about individual experiences of being a pop singer, not the music business.
With the presented effects of reality TV shows, it can be deemed that factual TV shows significantly changed the viewing experiences of the audience as well as the broadcasting process as a whole.
Reality TV and its Future
Reality TV is also about the viewing experience of a developing factual television genre. It future is still unknown due to the dynamic changes in the preferences of people as well as to the trend on the international broadcasting market. But then again, predictions of the future impacts in the popular culture are mainly focused on the audiences. It is commonly assumed that audiences cannot tell the difference between entertainment and information, or fiction and reality in popular factual television. With such concern regarding audiences and reality TV it is necessary to explore the development of this genre, and audience relationships with these types of popular factual output. Audience responses to reality TV can provide invaluable information and analysis for understanding the transitional terrain of the reality genre, and can enhance critical understanding of contemporary television audiences.
The future of reality TV is very vivid and promising. But then again, there are crucial factors to be considered in relation to the audience as well as the television medium. Remembering the real functions of the broadcasting in relation to society and morality (e.g. building character, maintaining relationships, promoting values, etc) must be the definitive principle behind producing reality shows. It must be taken in mind that exposing reality is the ultimate and hardest challenge. In real life, there are no cuts, no edits, or even scripts, it is always the truth. Thus, reality TV must help viewers realise the reality beyond the screen.
References
Calvert, B., Casey, B., Casey, N., French, L. and Lewis, J. (2002) Television
Studies: The Key Concepts. London: Routledge.
Dovey, J. (2000) Freakshow: First Person Media and Factual Television.
London: Pluto.
Glynn, K. (2000) Tabloid Culture: Trash Taste, Popular Power, and the
Transformation of American Television, Durham, NC and London: Duke University Press.
Hill, A. (2005) Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. New York:
Routledge.
Kilborn, R. (2003) Staging the Real: Factual TV Programming in the Age of
Big Brother. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Moores, S. (2000) Media and Everyday Life in Modern Society. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press.
Rowen, B. (July 21, 2000) History of Reality TV. Retrieved May 15, 2006 from
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/realitytv1.html.
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Winston, B. (2000) Lies, Damn Lies and Documentaries. London: British Film
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