Jeremy Orlebar Monday March 01, 2010
"Reality television is a hybrid genre. It is like a documentary as it is a factual form concerned with investigating human behaviour and relationships using ‘fly-on-the-wall’ camera techniques. The dialogue is unscripted and actual events are shown, featuring ordinary people not professional actors"
"Reality TV is like drama in the way it is edited for interpersonal drama based on detailed exploration of character"
"Reality TV is like a talk show as it is a way of reflecting on social issues – for example contestants can react to someone who does not share the same social background or sexual orientation, and create a debate in the press as well as on the show"
"Reality TV is like lifestyle TV with its emphasis on showing that a person can change and learn from each other"
"One of the most important aspects of Reality TV is its unpredictability – nobody knows what is going to happen"
Reality TV Codes and conventions
The main codes and conventions of Reality TV are:
•Contestants/guests are ordinary people and/or celebrities
•Non scripted material
•Live and edited footage
•Use of voice over narration by a presenter to link short segments and deliver an ongoing narrative
•Use of character types e.g the villain such as ‘Nasty Nick’ Bateman
•Selection of contestants to annoy each other and create the equivalent of dramatic conflict
•Emphasis on outgoing personalities who can be seen by the audience as ‘ordinary’
•Use of confessional to gain an insight into character
•A created realism that simulates the linear aspect of everyday life
•The situations are controlled to create ‘television entertainment’
•‘All seeing’ cameras in multi camera set ups
Reality TV in society
"The influence of reality TV extends beyond the screen. The everpresent hidden cameras that observe the contestants mirror the continuous surveillance that is evident in our streets and public places"
"Technology brought the digitalisation of transmission, cameras, audio and video editing which opened up whole new possibilities for these nonstop 24 hour channels"
"The term Reality TV was first given to shows such as the BBC Crimewatch UK, and Police, Camera, Action where surveillance footage, reconstruction of crime scenes, and studio presentation combined to give the impression of ‘real people involved in real situations’. The hybrid nature of these programmes to include elements of news, surveillance footage and police drama contributed to the development of Reality TV as a genre"
"Documentary style ‘fly-on-the-wall’ programming in which cameras are set up and follow unscripted situations as they happen. It is argued that this type of format provides the most realistic programming. Examples include Airport; The Cruise, Hotel, Driving School; Children’s Hospital, Vets in Practice, Air Force Afghanistan"
"‘Lifestyle’ self improvement/makeover programmes involving real people in real situations undergoing some sort of trauma in their life with regard to their appearance, their house, their garden, which is then transformed and made better by experts."
Audiences and reality TV
In the UK most viewers consider Reality TV to be the top entertainment shows such as X factor and Big Brother, and this would be the tabloid definition. However the genre appeals to more widespread audiences than just these shows.
"Audiences can identify with contestants because they are ‘ordinary’ people taking part in a television programme."
Representations and realism in Reality TV
The appearance of reality is set up with the use of a real location"
The timescale is real, as it is the same as day to day life – there is no film style compression of time, except in fully flagged edited sections.
•The contestants, housemates, guests, participants wear their own clothes, use their own names and can be seen to be ‘just like us’; even celebs have to be just themselves.
•Psychological realism is attained through devices such as the confessional, putting people in difficult but real situations (the Apprentice)
•Values and ethical issues are raised by this issue of realism. Participants on Reality shows can be humiliated in order to provide conflict or drama on the show. Audiences generally find this an acceptable and often enjoyable aspect of the show, but how far should a show go in order to attract audiences?
"By its very nature Reality TV is providing a type of voyeuristic experience. The audience is eaves dropping and looking at other people’s lives even though they have agreed to be looked at."
"Some Reality shows such as Wife Swap and Ibiza Uncovered push the boundaries of taste and decency and question the values they present to a viewing audience"
The Guardian, showing it will go to any lengths to attract a young audience, has pages of online content dedicated to Reality TV http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/reality-tv
Reality TV - Annette Hill – Routledge ISBN: 978-0-415-26152-4
Understanding Reality TV – Su Holmes and Deborah Jermyn – Routledge ISBN: 0-415-31795-9
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