week 12

How have game shows influenced reality TV?

Hill (2005) said that “popular entertainment refers to programmes such as talk shows, game shows, sports and leisure programming, all of which are part of the development of popular factual television.” This sentence demonstrates that game shows have some influence on reality TV shows. And also, “in addition, talk shows, game shows, sports and leisure programming often perform well within the international broadcasting market, with successful formals sold worldwide, and locally produced to nationally specific requirements” (Hill, 2005). It means that some one has performed game shows on TV and it was successful. There are two reasons for game shows being acted on TV and they are “it is cheap and easy to produce and is extremely exportable” (Hill, 2005). Examples for these two reasons could be “who wants to be a billionaire” and “Survivor”.

Why is reality TV so popular for both programme makers and TV viewers?

“Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors” (Wikipedia.com). From this definition we can see that reality TV is mostly based on real stories and usual people, it is not totally act. For programme makers, reality TV as a new type of television can bring them profits and unlike drama and love stories, screenwriters do not have to make up a lot of story lines, they just need a little to connect facts together. For TV viewers, reality TV is new to them and the facticity is highly than other types of TV program. After watching so many unreal stories, they will feel that reality TV is showing them the truth. It may be cruel, and sad, but that is the reality that happens around them all the time.

Reference List

Hill, A (2005). The rise of reality TV. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 15-40). Oxon: Routledge.

Reality Television. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_television.