Television Shows 1 European
television had the idea of taking ordinary people and turning them into "stars"
by putting them in unusual situation. "Big Brother" (created in Holland) was one
of the first. A group of people were locked in a small house with cameras
running 24 hours a day. It was called a "watch and dial" show because viewers
vote by telephone to decide who should leave or stay. 2 "Big
Brother" was probably the first of the new reality shows, but such a programme
has developed. Many have found appeal by having a theme to them, but most are
based on the principle of "sur vival of the fittest" by eliminating participants
as the series progresses. So we have the dating shows where winners either pair
off or stay true to their partners outside the TV studio. Then there are those
that test people’s abilities for specific jobs like running a kitchen, becoming
an interior designer or a top model. 3 Critics say these
programmes are basically bad television, but people watch them. So why are there
so many of them For the viewer it’s an opportunity to "people watch". It’s
natural to like watching other people. They’re interesting. We can imagine what
we would do in that situation. We get to know the characters and see them grow
and develop week after week. And of course, television is the perfect place to
watch people. Like the theatre or cinema we can look at other people and they
can’t look back. But with television, we can .watch in the privacy of our own
homes. We watch, but we don’t have to admit it to anyone. 4 The
TV companies like reality shows because they are cheap to produce and attract
younger viewers, which advertisers like. The last "Big Brother" in Britain
attracted enormous advertising revenue. They aren’t dependent on "star" actors
with enormous salaries. And your actors won’t go on strike. And why do people
participate in them Well, for fame and money of course. In the past, appearing
on television wasn’t for ordinary people. You had to be good at something, like
sport, or reading the news, or acting. But not any more. 5 It
seems that most shows do well at the beginning but then the viewing figures
begin to fall. And it varies from country to country too. For example, one show
had an adopted child try to guess the identity of her real father, and another
had a family arguing over an inheritance. Both were cancelled after one episode.
Perhaps the novelty has worn off. Certainly, reality TV seems to appeal much
more to the younger audience. And now there are so many shows around even the
young have become more critical. Reality show will probably survive-it’s lust no
longer so easy to make a successful one. A. Current situation
and future of reality shows B. Audience’s reaction to reality
TV C. Critics’ relevant comments D.
Attractions for producers and participants E. Definition of
"watch and dial" show F. Introduction to new reality
shows Paragraph 5______