Reality-TV - Not Always What It Seems

Everybody’s heard of reality TV- the genre where you can watch D-list celebrities talk about obscure things like strawberry cheese. But there is often a more complex meaning to reality TV which somehow manages to captivate audiences by fostering an emotional connection between viewer and participants.

How did reality TV come about?

Reality TV (like you can see in the name) started as television telling stories based on real events. However, the characters were played by actors and not real people. There have been other shows going back to the 1940s that emphasise the idea of real life much more clearly. For example talent competitions and ‘hidden camera’ style shows. In 1973, we started to see the more dramatic, tense genre that we see today. Most reality TV shows started in the USA, but were brought to Germany and other parts of Europe as a spin-off (for example the docusoap COPS).

What are the characteristics of reality TV?

Although the genre claims to be ‘real’ in its name, it rarely lives up to it. What is sold as "real" or "live" on reality TV is just as planned and staged as a feature film. After all, the main aim of television and film is to engage audiences so that they keep coming back to watch. The "next time" preview is also a huge part of reality TV. They show a variety of dramatic short clips at the end of each episode to tempt the viewer to tune in again. At the start of every episode, they also provide a recap of what’s been shown so far, so newcomers can quickly become acquainted and obsessed. Another common feature is using an optimal cost-benefit ratio. Usually, reality-TV programmes cover a large target group and are produced very cheaply. They also have lots of ads for every show, making every reality-TV production a goldmine.

Scripted reality TV

Because of this, there has been a huge increase in reality-TV programmes in recent years, with the demand also increasing simultaneously. Just filming people’s day-to-day life isn’t interesting enough for audiences anymore, so instead, scripted reality has become more and more frequent.  Telling someone else’s story obviously requires a certain level of acting ability and because of the ever-increasing popularity, producers are always looking for new talent. If you want to become a scripted reality actor, then register online with us at starboxx today!