WHY IS REALITY TELEVISION SO POPULAR FOR BOTH PROGRAMME MAKERS AND TV VIEWERS?
Reality programmes belong to a diverse genre that constantly “draw[s] from existing television genres and formats to create novel hybrid programmes” Hill, 2005, p.24. With such a large range of popular factual television available there is no wonder why the genre is so popular and the audience demographic is almost indefinable in its range.
Looking at the networks point of view, reality programme series cost “only half of what the networks pay for license fees for a 60 minute dramatic series.” Essentially this means that networks can afford to churn out many different reality series that target niche markets because of the low costs involved in making them (Dempsey in Hill, 2005, p.25). For example we get reality series like ‘Americas next top model’, ‘New Zealand's next top model,’ ‘Project Runway’, and so on. Although each show has their differences, the point is that all of these shows have a similar central idea, can ‘makeover’ themselves in the form of a new show, stay successful, and continue to bring in ratings for the networks.
The viewers appeal comes from reality programmes adoption of the free cinema approach to use ordinary people as the subjects. The contentests after all are only ordinary people thrown into a situation of conflict or stress. Viewers like the idea that they themselves could be a contestant or the ordinary person thrown into an extra-ordinary moment. According to Peter Bazalgette (in Hills, 2005, p.30) it is ‘the spectacle of the reveal’ and ‘watching other people in the raw’ that also contributes to the success of the genre. People like to watch the Cinderella transformation from being an average person to reaching their potential, and while in the back of their mind still knowing that it could be them next. And with the amount of reality programmes being scheduled, viewers have the opportunity to capture this 'feel-good' moment as many times as their heart desires. As a seasoned viewer of many reality programmes I think its safe to agree that I would love someone to follow my life and make a show about me.
Reference:
Hill, A. (2005) The rise of reality TV. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 15 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
I agree with your view, the audience normally is insecure about their looks, so the reality shows feed into this insecurity with the whole "Cinderella" transformation. Taking in an average person and changing how they look to something a person would consider to be a model type of look. Although I have to disagree about letting some one follow me around to make a show about me, since that just sounds wierd. Anyways nice work!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashleigh
ReplyDeleteI'm agree with you and you have explained clear as your other posts which have been reading them.(good job.) As Hill (2005) states, there is something for everyone in reality genres. for example talk shows, entertainments or fiction programs. I think to making such programs manufacturers do their best to provide TV programs and even make plans to get the viewers attention to maintain its popularity shows on television.