How does Hill define reality TV?
Hill (2005, p. 55, line, 37-39) states " If there is one defining characteristic that unites the disparate group of programs that make up the reality genre it is the capacity to let viewers see for themselves".
Secondly Hill (2005) mentions how John Corner approached one of the central concerns surrounding the description of the definition reality T V with his own description of it as being " by its very nature popular factual entertainment sits in the spaces between fact and fiction"
Finally in the conclusion section of The reality genre (2005), Hill states "There is no one definition of reality programming but many, competing definitions of what has become the reality genre"
How has the documentary genre influenced reality TV and how it presents the 'real'?
Biressi and Nunn (2005) mention how the documentary genre exposed the everyday lives of the ordinary working class citizens and presented them in their raw and natural state while also letting the viewer see their struggles and pain as they go about their everyday lives. Also discussed by Biressi and Nunn (2005) is the influence of earlier programs such as the BBC series The Trial (1994) which allowed the viewer to gain an insight into the workings of British courts of justice. Biressi & Nunn (2005) mention how the programs producers avoided accusations of voyeurism by keeping within the established documentary modes of exposition and example.I can certainly recall some of the programs of the past decades (Judge Judy a reality TV series in which the judge often expressed her own personal views towards the defendants and plaintiffs and then delivered on their sentence. This was a court TV series where the participants aired out their personal grievances and then judge Judy had the final say on the outcome).however these days with some reality TV it is a little difficult to believe it isn’t totally staged. For example the series in which the boss of a company goes undercover to see how his employees feel about their job and working conditions. It seems that there is always someone who has a tear jerking personal story to tell in this program each week. I have to admit I enjoy the series Airport, Border Patrol, Cops, and the latest series about volunteer British cops who assist the Thai police in the red light district of Pataya. I found the data provided by Hills (2005, p. 51) which concerns itself with the timeframe in which audiences view reality TV very interesting and certainly applicable to my own viewing habits.
(This is my 10th week of blogging so I will now focus my energies on my fan fiction for the next two weeks. It's been an interesting and enlightening experience)
Great that you've enjoyed the Pop Genre paper Shayne. Some interesting points in your first response , altho it would have been useful to relate these to a specific reality TV show to see how they pan out, and if this provided any further insights into the theortical discussion. Judge Judy was interesting - pre reality TV there was a precursor to this 'Crown Court'which involved a totally scripted trial - however the jury and thus the verdict was real. I loved it - interestingly it is never discussed in the RTV literature.
ReplyDeletewow now that you bring it up i rember crown court. From memory i think most of the television i watched back then was British.Another program from that era which may come under the genre of reality TV is Beauty and the Beast which screened in NEW Zealand between 1976 and 1985. This was a talk show on TVNZ which had a panel of well known people such as Catherine Tizard (later to become Govenor General of NZ) who received letters from viewers. The panel then discussed the viewers problems and provided advice. This show may have been a spin off from an Australian show of the same name which originally ran from 1963 and developed over the years. At one time the Australian version was hosted by Derryn Hinch who originally came from New Zealand. Perhaps i am getting little off the beaten track here if i think of these as early tv talk shows due to the fact that the USA has had talk shows on TV since around the 50s.
ReplyDeleteYeah I recall this Selwyn Toogood was the beast.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when i saw your comment about undercover boss. Ive thought the exact same thing about that show after watching several episodes. It also consistently paints big business in a good light, a portrayal that cant be trusted due to its seemingly fake elements.
ReplyDeleteCops is another show that has moments that look and feel staged. Ive seen some pretty surreal melodrama on that show, but their deceptive mix of reality and fiction makes it impossible to know what the truth is
Of course the problem with shows such as 'cops' is that is fails to look at the social issues behind the scenes and thus reproduces a very black and white conceptualisation of society.
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