Reality Tv Shows

[emmie]

so many, so little to choose from, i am bored senseless by the tv trivia that's on, i confess that i have almost stopped watching tv, and resort to the ever dependable old films, a few class dvd drama series, but this idea that many people like to watch shows on hairdressing, sewing bee, is beyond me.

[pixie373]

There's very little i watch, but i like the hospital /medical documentaries. Not sure if they're classed as "reality" or not.

[Jeza]

I hate reality TV, refuse to watch it. Cooking ones especially. There are so many of them.

[Frank97]

I have my own reality when I turn the TV off, when I'm watching I want to escape it. Watching Columbo at the mo. :)

[tearinghair]

Sorry, emmie, but I enjoy the Sewing Bee (apart from Claudia Winkleman). The two experts encourage as well as criticise, they don't talk down to viewers, they know what they're talking about, they give useful information, and it's fascinating to see what the participants come up with at the end of quite a short period of time. It's obviously for a limited audience, but that's what BBC2 is for.

[emmie]

but is this really what should be prime time tv, whatever happened to good drama, a play, or a decent film, one that hasn't been shown every other day, as they seem to do, just switch channels, Titanic was on last evening, and it's on tonight as well, good grief,

[Psybbo]

Listening to the radio here, can't stand reality programmes.

[emmie]

currently, Storage Hunters, The Voice, dire in my opinion, endless repeats of Top Gear, QI, it is tedious.

[emmie]

pysbbo, don't blame you, i have been out all day, and wanted to sit and relax, but there isn't anything to watch

[craft1948]

I find the Hair programme quite fascinating........

[emmie]

its like showing sport on three channels which does happen, fine if you like football, racing, athletics, but come on they can and should do better than this.

[whiskeryron]

Fair doe's to each her/his own, but like others on here I don't like the choices we are offered. Would it not be possible for the BBC ( chosen for lack of advertising) to have special channels for cooking,drama,talent shows,soaps etc, so that we can all choose our very own favourite TV shows to watch ?

[emmie]

sounds a good plan, i am not interested in these shows, i don't like the pop reality shows, like BGT as i think that most don't get anywhere, and they have their hearts broken when they hit the jackpot, sell an album then are never heard of again, one or two have made it, but that's rare.

[tiggerblue10]

I find Saturday nights offerings pretty poor apart from Salamander. That will finish next week so I will be trawling the channels/on demand or watching DVDs. Or I'll be playing games on FB.

[zebo]

Are reality programmes not just a cheap way of filling the schedule, I'm thinking about the Storage thing and Men v Food especially, the Americans seem to make a programme out of nothing at all.

[Dodger666]

I believe zebo has the nail on the head. Reality TV is cheaper to make generally. The shows that feature so called celebrities must cost less unless they do it free, which is highly unlikely.

Chasing coppers doing their job, emergency rescue services, bailiffs, heir hunters, cooks, dancing, ice skating, singing, house hunters or builders etc, etc, etc probably come cheaper but once you've seen one they quickly become repetitive and boring.

I record a lot of stuff which looks interesting. This has the added benefit of fast forwarding through any annoying adverts. If the programme turns out to be rubbish the delete button quickly gets rid of it.

The one exception, if it classes as a reality show, I thought Sunday's Top Gear was hilarious. The team were tasked with the job of building a bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand. First off they had to drive three clapped out old trucks 1200 miles from Rangoon across Burma(they refused to call it Myanmar) into Thailand to the river. Next weeks episode is the bridge building.

[rabet]

Do you believe that they really drove 1200 miles? Or is the programme just a mock-up?

[tamborine]

Drama c20 pm for laffs at Birds of a feather/LOSWine/waiting for god. If theyre all repeats I blame my late OH for preferring footies to these gems

[Dodger666]

rabet. I have no reason to doubt it. They all certainly had enough whiskers at the end of the drive to support the trip which took 7 or 8 days.

If they rigged it then so be it. It was still hilarious.

[andy-hughes]

zebo is absolutely right.

The ratio of production costs versus viewer ineterest - which translates into advertising revenue - makes reality TV a total winner for TV companies.

Dramas are extremely expensive, and unless they are assured good foreign sales, it's simply not worth investing in making them.

If this makes it sound as though TV is produced more to make money than for entertainment, than that is because it is!

If entertainment is a by-product, then fine, but it's not the driving force.

[society]

The only reality show I don't mind watching is cooking shows; otherwise I dislike them all.