Reality TV

[MacGuffin]

Personally, I'll watch the game-show type programs, like Survivor or Apprentice, and have no interest in the dating shows like Bachelor or life-changing shows like Extreme Makeover or The Swan.

But I do think The Amazing Race is hands down the best reality show of the bunch and can't wait for the new race next week. I get so caught in the suspense of 'will they make it to the check-point?' especially if it's a team I'm rooting for. Of the way the game can have the players who came in last one week, be first the next week. Of hating one team, but don't want them to lose because it makes for some great conflict among the other players. If you haven't seen it, check it out for an episode or two. You might get hooked.

[Ghostboy]

I think I've seen a few minutes of the first season of Survivor and that's it. Still, I think it's safe to say that reality TV is the worst thing to happen to television - not that television has much going for it anyway, as far as I'm concerned (I still watch The Simpsons and used to watch Buffy, but that's about it, and I plan to get into some of the HBO programming via DVD someday, when I have the time). I see the ads for the shows or read about them in Entertainment Weekly, and it just sort of disgusts me. I'm sure there are some quality programs, like the ones Mac mentioned, but overall I can't be troubled to get caught up in them when there are books to be read, movies to be seen, walks to be taken, etc.

[ono]

I watched the first season of Survivor and some of the second and lost interest.  Interesting idea, but a lot of it is fake, restaged, whatever.  The Apprentice, when it first came along was pretty good.  I hated the first few episodes, women playing the sex card and whatnot.  Portrayal of reality?  I don't know.  I watch The Apprentice on and off now, but I care a lot less.  The novelty has died off.

As for American Idol, I watch it on occasion.  Most people here are real music snobs, so they frown on that sort of thing.  I don't.  There is some amazing vocal talent on that show.  Some of it is a little too "poppy" for my taste, but there really is no denying or begrudging ability when it is showcased, and on those rare occasions, that's when I enjoy it most.

I worked as a PA on an episode of Extreme Makeover.  Very interesting, fun, grueling work.  It's so silly, though, how fake everything is.  Got to sit through them doing interviews with family, reveals, they do the applause thing like four times to get all the coverage they need.  Haha.  I do think it's the worst thing to happen to TV in general.  It gives the short end of the stick to more creative shows that didn't get a fair shake (Wonderfalls, most recently).  But there are a few shows worth watching on occasion.

[MacGuffin]

The Apprentice, when it first came along was pretty good.  I hated the first few episodes, women playing the sex card and whatnot.  Portrayal of reality?  I don't know.  I watch The Apprentice on and off now, but I care a lot less.  The novelty has died off.

I think this season of pitting the street smart people (those with high school diplomas) against the book smarts (those with college degrees) has reinvigorated the show a bit. The episode where they had to make a commercial for Dove soap where one team made a porn suggestive one (book) and the other made an ad where the body soap was used on the face (street) that had the clients disgusted was hilarious.

[Ravi]

That was the one of the few episodes of The Apprentice I've seen, and it was hilarious.  I don't like that show because it does not appear to be much like the real business world.  Everyone's always yelling at each other and nobody has ever heard of diplomacy.

I watch the first few episodes of American Idol to see all the bad singers and the cheery people who end up cursing out the judges because they were rejected.  That Leroy Wills character was something, and it was really funny to see the guy in the rock band piss off his bandmates because he was leaving to try out for American Idol.  The guy who was Toni Braxton's cousin or something was hilariously bad.

I used to watch Shipmates because my friend and I would go to his house for lunch in high school and there was nothing else on at the time.  Watching Chris Hardwick try to be funny is oddly intriguing.

Anyone seen Eye for an Eye?  It is the best judge show ever.

I'm sure there are some quality programs, like the ones Mac mentioned, but overall I can't be troubled to get caught up in them when there are books to be read, movies to be seen, walks to be taken, etc.

I hardly watch TV these days, so I can't be bothered to watch Wife Swap during those times that I do.

[Kal]

I watch the Apprentice but this season sucks big time. Yes, the concept of Book Smarts against Street Smarts is much better than the stupid Men-against-Women. But the show is not working well because these candidates are really stupid and its depressing to believe that these are the best people they could find from over 2 million candidates.

Also, I think Donald Trump is an excellent TV character. He is unique. Its funny to watch him and to listen to him, and interesting - wether you like him or not. But now the idea of having a Apprentice with Martha Stewart just makes me sick!

[The Perineum Falcon]

I used to watch the EcoChallenge[?] when it came on. That was pretty interesting all the way around.
I know I should probably catch the Amazing Race, too, but I never have.
I've only watched one complete episode of the Real World, and that was San Diego (which is German for "Whale's Vagina").

Anyone catch "The Soup"?
It's a rehash of Talk Soup (which was fucking great when John Henson was hosting) except now it's focused on Reality TV. I think the host (who is featured in BK's "The Office" commercials) is coming into his own on the show and holds my attention more than he used to.
I usually have my cable unplugged since I find the majority of television to be a really bad distraction (which is another great show).

[Pubrick]

realtiy shows i hav obsessed over:
The Real World - first 8 seasons, especially the London one.
Road Rules - first 5 seasons. mtv was so much better those days, where not all the contenstants were "gorgeous".
Joe Shmoe - he seemed harmless enuff
Big Brother - australian, first 3 seasons.
America's Next Top Model - first 2 seasons.
Survivor - only the rupert season. this crap gets boring real fast.

Currently obsessing over:
the apprentice
the amazing race
forever eden

randomly enjoyed a few episodes of:
queer eye
osbournes
australian idol

[©brad]

reality tv ain't going nowhere, which sucks for anyone with a good script trying to get a show on the air. reality tv is cheap u see, way cheaper than having to pay for a show like west wing or ER. you're not paying for professional actors or for an expensive writing staff. it's like this--

reality tv--- cheap
dramatic/comedy tv--- expensive
reality tv--- high ratings
reality tv--- high advertising revenue
reality tv--- better return on investment
reality tv--- will never stop

i'm preaching to the quior here, i know.

i must say, embarassingly, that i caught a couple of extreme home makeover episodes and i really liked it (save that overly caffeinated, annoying ass host, whatever the hell his name is. he rivals carrot top for the most irritating person on the fucking planet). i almost lost it when they built that house and office for that black woman who helps disabled folk.

[Ravi]

The problem with reality shows is that they can't be syndicated to TV stations like sitcoms or dramas.  And they probably will not be big sellers on DVD, since nobody wants to watch a season of Survivor twice.  In the long run the studios don't keep earning revenue from Survivor the way they do from Friends or Seinfeld.  Heck, I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show are still making money for whoever owns the rights.

[Myxo]

Survivor is hit and miss for me..

One season the cast is great and it's very entertaining. The next season it could be crap.

I watch American Idol with my mom on Tuesday nights. It gets alot more boring though after the initial auditions. I swear, the fucking retards are the best. It's a load of crap after that.

[picolas]

you're not paying for professional actors or for an expensive writing staff.

yet sometimes the best performances/dialogue/stories come out of actual people.

actually, one of my favourite things about reality tv is the performances.

[©brad]

you're not paying for professional actors or for an expensive writing staff.

yet sometimes the best performances/dialogue/stories come out of actual people.

actually, one of my favourite things about reality tv is the performances.

no question. and when that happens, it's win win for the producers b/c it's cheaper.  

i just wish they came up with another name besides 'reality tv.' taking a bunch of cute, spoiled, whiny 20-somethings and putting them in a 10 million dollar beach house and calling it 'the real world' is quite the misconception.

[Myxo]

It's all about Chapelle Show..

Real World..

[Stefen]

I dont watch any tv except basketball, and even then I have it on mute while I watch a movie.