Is reality TV losing favour? [Archive]

Hazell B

26th March 2007, 20:37

It is with great pleasure I say BBC's Castaway and ITV's Big Brother alternative are both being scaled down or binned.

Okay, we'll have two find-a-musical-singer shows to moan about soon, but at least there's less reality TV due this summer.

Fingers are crossed UK wide in the hope that phone scandals have put producers off making yet more vote and view garbage.

Pray with me forumers that reality TV is shrinking at last :p :

Ian McC

26th March 2007, 20:48

God it's all cobblers, all of them a waste of TV time, unless they make 'Celebrity Gladiator', with real lions :D

Zsolt

26th March 2007, 20:49

TV is awful. Dumbing down the masses.

Eki

26th March 2007, 20:55

Pray with me forumers that reality TV is shrinking at last :p :
I've been doing that for years. Reality TV is a scam that makes ordinary people to act instead of real qualified actors almost for nothing and other ordinary people to pay in form of phone and SMS messages. It's modern day slavery.

ArrowsFA1

27th March 2007, 08:12

Pray with me forumers that reality TV is shrinking at last :p :
http://emcsmileys.com/s/thewave2.gif

tsarcasm

27th March 2007, 09:00

i hope so, it's all crap!!

CharlieJ

27th March 2007, 09:01

I've always hated it! And what really gets up my nose is the actual term "Reality TV". :angryfire There is nothing even remotely real about it - it's all completely contrived and artificial. Real Reality TV is News and Documentaries!

:hot:

jim mcglinchey

27th March 2007, 10:33

It was reported yesterday that ITV plan to make more serious drama in the next year, and phase the crapola out. That must be great news for alot of under employed actorrrs and actresses.

Dave B

27th March 2007, 11:14

It was reported yesterday that ITV plan to make more serious drama in the next year, and phase the crapola out. That must be great news for alot of under employed actorrrs and actresses.

It's great news for the handful of actors ITV always rely on for their dramas, I wouldn't get my hopes up for too many new faces.

As for the rest of their summer line up, well, there's News Knight in which two teams of comedians will look back on the week's news; to be hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald (Sir, Knight, geddit? :rolleyes: ), the man who made an absolute hash of his turn on Have I Got News For You, in which two teams of comedians looked back on the week's news.

There's also Tycoon, in which budding entrepreneurs will pitch ideas to business guru Peter Jones. That's never been done before, obviously.

Oh, and don't forget Around The World With Alan Partridge In A Bullnose Morris On The Left. My bad, ITV's press release says: Robbie Coltrane is also going on the road. He will be exploring Britain in a 50s car via B roads to discover the "exotic natural features, unique characters and intriguing customs" in Robbie Coltrane 's Incredible Britain." You couldn't make it up.

Add in inane reality shows like Grease Is The Word and Britain's Got Talent and you're in for a depressing summer of crap. And to think ITV1 shunted its BTCC coverage over onto ITV2 for that!

Still, it's early days for Michael Grade and he's not been in the job long enough to influence the summer schedule. Hopefully by autumn things will start picking up and maybe, just maybe, ITV will be watchable again.

Brown, Jon Brow

27th March 2007, 12:10

Less Reality TV :up:

More drama :down:

Give me more sport (more football, cricket and motorsport. Less Horses, Rugby, Tennis. One man and his dog is due a return :D )

More documentaries- preferably made my BBC, NOT C4.

More comedy, and make new series of the game shows, Bulls-eye and Big Break.

BDunnell

27th March 2007, 13:14

Oh, and don't forget Around The World With Alan Partridge In A Bullnose Morris On The Left. My bad, ITV's press release says: Robbie Coltrane is also going on the road. He will be exploring Britain in a 50s car via B roads to discover the "exotic natural features, unique characters and intriguing customs" in Robbie Coltrane 's Incredible Britain." You couldn't make it up.

I wonder if this is the product of another one of those little games people pitching TV programmes play with commissioning editors — going through the list of ideas pitched by Alan Partridge in that wonderful scene and seeing if they can persuade the broadcaster to take them, or versions thereof. If so, I'm all for it. Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank, anyone?

(As a not unrelated aside, Armando Iannucci once told a story about someone who, for a joke, pitched a daytime programme called Body Doctors to a group of TV executives. They got quite far into discussing it before someone finally asked: 'A body doctor? Isn't that just a doctor?')

It's great news for the handful of actors ITV always rely on for their dramas, I wouldn't get my hopes up for too many new faces.

Or new ideas. While I love quite a lot of ITV detective shows (Morse was brilliant, and Midsomer Murders is my most guilty viewing pleasure), how on earth did Lewis get commissioned? It's perfectly competent, but what a cynical, 'We've run out of ideas' exercise.

Still, it's early days for Michael Grade and he's not been in the job long enough to influence the summer schedule. Hopefully by autumn things will start picking up and maybe, just maybe, ITV will be watchable again.

What do you mean 'again'? ;)

Brown, Jon Brow

27th March 2007, 14:12

I wonder if this is the product of another one of those little games people pitching TV programmes play with commissioning editors — going through the list of ideas pitched by Alan Partridge in that wonderful scene and seeing if they can persuade the broadcaster to take them, or versions thereof. If so, I'm all for it. Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank, anyone?

I would prefer 'Monkey Tennis' or 'a Partridge amongst the pigeons' :p

Sleeper

27th March 2007, 14:14

Reality TV on its Death Bed, oh I hope so.

CharlieJ

27th March 2007, 14:53

I've got an idea.....

Why don't we make programme where we get all the people who think up the ideas for "Reality" programmes and put them in a house together. They have to think up ideas for programmes, and the ones we like least we vote out. But here's the twist..... when they leave the house they're on an island in the middle of nowhere.........

:laugh: :rotflmao:

Addicted

27th March 2007, 14:59

I haven`t never understood those reality series. Once watched finnish Big Brother few minutes and it was boring, people was cooking and speaking. WOW, interesting!

Dave B

27th March 2007, 15:19

Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank, anyone?

I'd pay good money to see Inner City Sumo! I wonder if that would also explain how we came to have Ghosthunting with Girls Aloud? :\

BDunnell

27th March 2007, 15:25

I would prefer 'Monkey Tennis' or 'a Partridge amongst the pigeons' :p

Alas, I don't think the latter idea was well enough developed to make it.

EuroTroll

27th March 2007, 15:58

schmenke

27th March 2007, 16:36

Big Brother was a complete waste of time.

Survivor is an utter bore and undoubtedly this is its last season.

The only "reality" show I've ever watched is The Amazing Race, and even that is starting to wane in popularity.

Now if only the sports channels would stop airing poker. Celebrity poker is even worse :s .

dont_be_jack

27th March 2007, 18:29

Wasn't it already losing favor?

LotusElise

27th March 2007, 21:10

The recent Celebrity Big Brother nastiness was a much-appreciated nail in the coffin of "reality" TV. The sooner this trash is off our screens and cluttering up our other media the better.

It's moving away from the original ten-attention-seekers-in-a-room scenario and more into "talent" based shows, which I can just about stomach. Just.

Hotbikerchic33

31st March 2007, 08:29

oily oaf

31st March 2007, 11:44

If you dont like reality tv then i suggest you dont watch it after all no one is forcing you too! ;)

Their is plenty of other stuff on tv to watch if you dont like it plus with the summer months coming up we shouldnt be stick in watching tv all the time anyway!! :D

I like some of the reality tv stuff but not all of it! :(

It wouldnt do if we all had the same taste in tv programme or in anything else for that matter..........so like i said if you dont like it switch the tv off or go watch something else! ;) :D

STOP PRESS: Hotbi.....etc in "I love reality TV" shock horror.

What's your favourite?
No don't tell me I bet it's "When Multilinguists Attack"..............in Bulgarian.

PS Would you mind not using quite so many smileys in your warm and wonderful posts. I went to post a couple a minute ago and there's only the radio and the sailor left (fume)

Ian McC

31st March 2007, 11:53

Next up............Oaf's Den

The trials of the poor forumers locked in the basement at No.1 Oaf Towers.

LotusElise

31st March 2007, 17:05

I though it was the toolshed?

Funny you should mention it, Dragon's Den is one of the few reality programmes I watch and find interesting. I like seeing all the ideas people come up with. ::-):

Malbec

31st March 2007, 17:37

I like 'the Apprentice' and 'Dragons Den', both really quite good.

We'll never see the end of reality shows like Big Brother because they're so cheap to make. C4 can devote an entire channel 24/7 to the thing, and have loads of peak hour progs on the main channel too for complete peanuts. Its nothing compared to commissioning expensive docus or dramas. And people watch the damn things too.

Eki

31st March 2007, 17:50

Next up............Oaf's Den

The trials of the poor forumers locked in the basement at No.1 Oaf Towers.
Where can we call to set them free?

LotusElise

31st March 2007, 18:21

Why would we want to do that?

Hazell B

31st March 2007, 19:17

If you dont like reality tv then i suggest you dont watch it after all no one is forcing you too! ;)

I think we're all smart enough to work a remote, thank you :mark:

It's not that I'm too gormless to stop watching, it's that on certain evenings at certain times it's basically all there is on TV, unless you want to watch the Friends you already saw earlier in the day or yet another repeat showing of Dr Who.

tony_yeboah

31st March 2007, 22:32

exactly, take a Saturday night, its supposed to be viewing for all the family, real entertainment, not some celebs attempting to do something they blatantly can;t do, who cares. I say bring back programs like the generation game. the only program that is still entertaining on a Saturday night is Saturday night takeaway as it targets all the family, mums, dads and kids, something for everyone.

viper_man

1st April 2007, 15:47

About bloody time.

Some of these shows are ok, Dragons Den, Wife Swap and things like that, but every week a new reality TV show is spawned and its just a rehash of old ideas. They are all absolutely terrible and make 'celebrities' out of nobodies, usually idiots, and drag up old has beens for our so called 'viewing pleasure'.

Even if you dont watch them its impossible to escape them. They should be phased out and proper programmes should be put back on.

DonnieDarco

1st April 2007, 16:02

Or, there should be room for all sorts of programming, as there is currently. Just because a bunch of people don't like something does not mean it should be taken off. We do after all, live in a democracy.

Caroline

3rd April 2007, 12:59

It's not just in the UK that reality TV may be coming to an end.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6519209.stm

Mark

3rd April 2007, 13:25

I like 'the Apprentice' and 'Dragons Den', both really quite good.

Agreed. They are the only two I really watch, and look forward to. Perhaps because they are about more than bitching at each other (ok the Apprentice has that too!), but people who have some intelligence, rather than "look at me, aren't I stupid"

Castaway is a disappointment. The first series worked precisely because it wasn't all of the things the second series is :s

Hotbikerchic33

3rd April 2007, 15:08

STOP PRESS: Hotbi.....etc in "I love reality TV" shock horror.

What's your favourite?
No don't tell me I bet it's "When Multilinguists Attack"..............in Bulgarian.

PS Would you mind not using quite so many smileys in your warm and wonderful posts. I went to post a couple a minute ago and there's only the radio and the sailor left (fume)

As the italians would say............ compagno perché l'ha indossato dice che qualcosa interessando per cambiare! :p :

Hazell B

3rd April 2007, 19:15

Castaway is a disappointment. The first series worked precisely because it wasn't all of the things the second series is :s

You've hit the nail on the head there. I managed about five minutes of this current version before realising it was edited like Big Brother instead of something interesting as billed. Not bothered again.

Can somebody please have a word with that "Italian" posting person about it? Enough's enough, and then some :mark:

LotusElise

3rd April 2007, 21:13

Oily must have forgotten to lock the shed door before he went on his holidays.

Some of the first Castaway was really interesting, especially the way they involved families in it. The location was genuinely different and exciting, too. Now it's just a more serious version of Love Island by the sound of it.

SEAN-B.

3rd April 2007, 21:28

It never was reality to begin with.It was only a matter of time and soon will be it's demise almost entirely.WE are the ones who gave the fuel for it's fire when it intially all broke out,so we as viewers are to blame.I admit that I started watching a few when they first had come on,but soon found it to be nothing but a bunch 'o' money hungry back stabbers who for the most part are self indulgent!Good riddance!!

L5->R5/CR

3rd April 2007, 21:47

I didn't read the whole thread.

Curious question though for you Brits and really Europeans in general, if you'd rather PM me than clutter the thread, please feel free to do so.

Do you all have your own version of the Amazing Race? There are some shows that have their own US and Euro versions. It is one of the few "reality" tv programs that I watch that aren't on the Discovery Channel.

Hotbikerchic33

4th April 2007, 08:18

I think we're all smart enough to work a remote, thank you :mark:

It's not that I'm too gormless to stop watching, it's that on certain evenings at certain times it's basically all there is on TV, unless you want to watch the Friends you already saw earlier in the day or yet another repeat showing of Dr Who.

Yeah i agree with you some nights are like that tv wise, so why not switch the tv off altogether and go do something else with your time?? :confused: :D

Mark

4th April 2007, 08:20

Ian McC

4th April 2007, 08:38

Not that I'm aware of. Whenever I've seen it on TV it's been the American version. And it really is the poorest quality programming you could imagine too :s

Never heard of it, I take it that it isn't that amazing then?

L5->R5/CR

4th April 2007, 15:27

Never heard of it, I take it that it isn't that amazing then?

Its just pairs of America's "best" travelling around the world going from destination to destination and doing challenging tasks in the hopes of being the first to reach the finish and win $1 million.

In recent years the quality of the show is less and less IMO. BUT, it is interesting and sad at the same time. You sometimes get to see people from ll different walks of life experience some of the wonders of the world for the first time. You also get to see just how ignorant, rude, stupid, and plain worthless some Americans really are.

The last good season IMO was Season 7. But we still watch because it is interesting to see all these different places that one could spend a life savings getting to see and never see it all; as well as how some of the people experience it. The casting has made it more of a glorified type A idiotic slugfest, but it used to be pretty entertaining when you had more people enjoying the experience and challenge of it all.