TiVo Community Forums Archives - How do you define "Reality TV"?

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How do you define "Reality TV"?
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Posted by: doom1701

Speedy's poll got me thinking. I think that the "Reality TV" moniker has been WAY overextended. To me, Reality TV does include shows like Survivor, Real Word, etc., but doesn't include Trading Spaces, QE, Warehouse Warriors, etc. Shows like Monster Garage or Junkyard wars are in kindof a neutral zone, but to me they lean more away from "Reality TV".

After all, if we want to just talk about real people doing things, reality TV has been around for about as long as TV. Ed Sullivan had real people. Game Shows have always had real people. There have always been "DIY' type shows, way before the wildly popular DIY Network.

I guess I'd break shows that often get lumped into reality TV into three categories (with some "crossover"). You've got pure Reality TV. Those shows operate on pure titilation--things like "Wildest Police Chases" and Real World come to mind. No real winning--just showing "real" people in situations that we want to watch.

Next would be game shows. While I put Survivor or Amazing Race into the "Reality" category, there's definately some crossover. Gameshows involve winning something with skill, which these do.

The third category is "Educational" (but don't let the networks know that). Shows like Trading Spaces and Queer Eye are good examples. Sure, you've got real people on the show, but the purpose of the show isn't for them to win anything--it's just to do something primarily for the viewer to learn from. Shows like Warehouse Warriors kinda fall in between--there is a competition, but the purpose of the show is more educational than competition.

Posted by: speedy4022

I would not include trading spaces and junkyard wars or queer eye those are more of DIY or make over types of shows. I would however include shows like american idol, survivor, big brother 4,the amazing race,temptation island,and pardise hotel as reality TV.

Posted by: laria

My SO likes to just call them "unscripted television" and lump them all together.

Posted by: aadam101

I think that "reality" is a broad term and covers all of those shows mentioned. It's just like if we're talking about comedy. You have your everyday sitcoms, then you have your dramedies (i.e Ally McBeal, Sex in the City), then you have skit comedy (SNL, MadTV).

Reality shows have been around forever. It's only recently that we have started calling them that.

Posted by: SoldOnTiVo

Agreed with Doom1701. IMHO, I think "reality" is just a word someone thought up to put a new spin on an old concept.

It seems that any shows that involve people other than hosts, interviewees, and actor/actresses is called "reality" these days. Didn't we use to call these "game shows"?

Basically, if someone in front of the camera doesn't have a SAG card, it's got to be "reality".

Even looking at shows like Survivors and Big Brother; you have contestants, some get eliminated, one of them wins at the end: They're game shows. As for Americal Idol and the likes, they're just plain old competitions. calling them reality shows is just jumping on a band wagon.

AS far as warehouse warriors, monster house/garage, they're just plain old entertainment. :)

Is "reality tv" something new? I don't think so, but tell enough people often enough that it is, and it will be perceived as such. again, just an new spin on plain old tv :)

Posted by: WinBear

Reality TV is usually considered "unscripted" although they may have some underlying structure "plot" driving the unscripted portion. For example, on Boy Meets Boy, they have the obligatory reality-style elimination, but it's rather heavily influenced by the producers to maintain a certain amount of suspense.

Posted by: pmyers

I think "Reality TV" is just a broad word to describe a genre of TV. When I think of reality TV, I think about a show with non-actors and no set scripts.

Posted by: jwjody

News

Posted by: Sirius Black

I can't believe I am the first one to say this (in this thread) but I have yet to see a "reality" show that is anything even close to resembling reality. I might put The Restaurant in the category of reality if it were not for the overly-blatant product placements but Survivor or Big Brother is not reality. They are game shows. As for American Idol, I have specific music tastes so I have yet to see anyone on the show with a great deal of talent (other than their voice). That isn't reality. It is more an AT&T advertising campaign.

and of course, I certainly wouldn't classify the Who wants to Marry My Millionare Cousin's Former Roommate's Sister's Brother Neice while they Meet my Parents as reality TV either.

Posted by: pmyers

The old "Real Worlds" were difinatley reality TV.

Posted by: dcheesi

quote:
Originally posted by pmyers
The old "Real Worlds" were difinatley reality TV.

You mean before they started giving them mandatory "jobs" that are artificial and totally inappropriate for people of their age? Or before their residences came to resemble billionaire's mansions (as decorated by a hyperactive 12-yr-old)? :rolleyes:

Posted by: pmyers

quote:
Originally posted by dcheesi
You mean before they started giving them mandatory "jobs" that are artificial and totally inappropriate for people of their age? Or before their residences came to resemble billionaire's mansions (as decorated by a hyperactive 12-yr-old)? :rolleyes:

yup....the OLD ones ;)

Posted by: edc

quote:
Originally posted by Sirius Black
I can't believe I am the first one to say this (in this thread) but I have yet to see a "reality" show that is anything even close to resembling reality.

VH1's "Bands on the Run" came pretty close. The featured groups would've been doing a lot of those things amyway (traveling city to city in a van, playing unknown bars of various quality, getting people who don't know them out to the clubs, selling merchandise, making mischief in motels, etc...). The battle-of-the-band competitions and the "voting off" were artificial, but necessitated by the format.

Similarly, "Project: Greenlight" (especially S2) has done a decent job of showing what it is like for a filmmaker without any "hand" to be dealing with the studios. The battles with the execs (and this at a relatively open house like Miramax) and how the creative side is sometimes dictated by folks other than the writer/director/producer is both entertaining, and realistic.

Posted by: DLiquid

I'd disqualify any show that doesn't have a 24/7 day-after-day aspect to it from the reality category. IMO, a "Reality TV" show is one where the cameras are almost always there capturing these people's lives: The Real World, Road Rules, Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Making The Band II, Bands on The Run, etc. The competition/game show aspect of some of these shows is just a gimmick to give the show an overall purpose and climax, the real entertainment value is almost always watching the conflicts between people on the show. If everyone got along on Survivor, no one would watch. A good test for a true "Reality TV" show is this: are the people on the show arguing with each other on a regular basis? Is there DRAMA? If the answer is no, chances are it's not a "Reality TV" show. ;)

Shows like American Idol and Star Search are just game shows, since the focus of the show is not these people's day-to-day activities. Then there are shows that are kind of a hybrid, like Cupid. It's half corny studio live game show and half "reality."

Of course, you can easily argue that what you see on these shows isn't a common "reality," but that's not really the point. I doubt I'd be very entertained if there was a show following your average joe around while he lived his average life.

Posted by: rhuntington3

One word... "Crap".