What is reality TV? It is a TV show which employs
non-professional actors to act in shows which depict real life situations which
can be humorous, melodramatic, or filled with action. The first show known from this genre was ”Candid
Camera” which had its initial telecast in 1948.
From then on, reality TV has evolved into a contest where a winner is
declared and brings home lots of package, prizes, and surprises. Reality TV gained momentum in 1999 and 2000
when “Big Brother” and “Survivor” were launched. Today, almost every TV and cable networks produce
their own reality TV shows that are eventually syndicated in different parts of
the world.
Twenty years after, one might wonder
if there ever will be a fatigue factor when it comes to reality TV shows.
Will it suffer the same fate like musical and
variety shows? When will it last? Here are answers.
Fifteen Minutes of Fame
One of the biggest attractions of these shows is that it allows ordinary people to become very popular. Until people appreciate the ill effects of
becoming popular, reality TV show producers will continue to exploit this genre
as they won’t have problems with casting people to star on their shows.
For as long as millions of people are still
hoping to become a celebrity in their own right and earn fifteen minutes of
fame, shows in this genre still have a bright future ahead.
Feeding Curiosity
People love behind the scene situations. Reality TV shows offer exactly what TV
audiences want, which is a look into the private lives of people, especially
famous persons. Thus, even celebrities
act on their own reality TV show as this is their chance to stay connected with
their fans and increase their popularity even more. For as long as people will be curious with
reality TV, the parade of shows in this genre will continue to go on.
Countless Themes to Tackle
Like the definition of love, reality
TV shows have thousands of materials to exploit. Right now, we see prison TV, chef TV,
university TV, modeling TV, and others.
What else can there be? Navy TV
or Soldier TV for one or maybe even Cancer TV can become topics which producers
can cook up. I won’t be surprised if you’d eventually even see a massacre TV soon. For as long as there are millions of people
watching these TV shows, more from this genre will be offered.
Real Life is Better than Scripted
Network TV shows are scripted; thus,
most programs are predictable. You’ll find the usual happy endings; conflict
between good and evil and good always wins; more exposure to huge celebrities
than small actors who act effectively; and so on and so forth. Reality TV shows offer lots of surprises as
each episode unfolds towards the end.
Here you see connivance of evil forces, switching allegiance, sympathy
votes, and other stuffs which you do not usually see on regular TV shows.
With these four reasons, there is no
doubt that more reality TV shows will explode on your TV
screens. For as long as people will watch
and regular folks want to be a part of it, these are enough guarantees that the
future of reality TV shows is still solid.
Contributed by Alden I. Bula
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