Reality is king in the world of TV. With shows like Made in Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex bringing a combined total of over one and half million viewers each episode, this is the time for scripted reality. The cultural impact these shows are having is phenomenal. Young teenage girls all over the country are said to have picked up the slogans “Shut arrrp” and “bye, babes”.
These ‘stars’ are everywhere promoting their brand with products like vajazzle kits and tanning lotion. The TOWIE look is all the rage, and maybe the cast of Made in Chelsea can give them a run for their money with the ‘posh’ look.
This doesn’t mean to say that other forms of reality like talent shows are fading from the limelight, in fact The Voice UK blows both of these shows out of the water with a staggering average of 7 million viewers each episode. Not to mention the huge ratings (and dosh) shows like Britain’s Got Talent and The X-Factor bring in every year, as well as the superstars they have created.
In the face of all these shows, we have to ask, which ‘reality ‘ is the best? The bordering on fake reality show or the melodramatic talent show?
With the creation of The Hills, it seems like lately we’ve been bombarded with shows based on the real lives of real people (with help of a few scripted moments here and there) all over the UK and the world. Constructed reality allows us to people-watch from the comfort of our own homes, without being deemed ‘stalkers’. In most of these shows (think Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Jersey Shore) we get an insight into a lifestyle that for most of us is far-reaching or obscure. If the Kardashians weren’t already wealthy and in the public sphere, they would never have made it to our screens, and would probably have been living in obscurity somewhere in the US.
As interesting as these types of shows are, however, they do have a limited shelf-life and popularity soon starts to decline once they’ve been splashed all over the tabloids. It happened to The Hills and Laguna Beach, and according to some reports, it’s now happening to TOWIE. The producers keep choosing ever more outlandish storylines and rivalries until eventually these shows become more fake than real. Audiences aren’t stupid, they can sense when they’re being lied to, so they slowly lose interest and ultimately just stop watching.
The better type of reality shows are the ones based on talent. Shows like The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent let us choose for ourselves who we like and want to see for years to come. It has already proven to be a successful method as many ‘superstars’ have been made from these processes. One Direction and JLS have become famous worldwide, proving that an audience do know better than some random producer about what will be successful on an international scale.
Talent shows have a longevity that other forms of reality clearly don’t. American Idol is now on its twelfth season, with ratings remaining as high as ever. The expansion of talent shows into areas other than singing, (think Next Top Model and So You Think You Can Dance) shows that talent shows have a recipe for success and many continue to follow and support the ‘stars’ after the show is over. Let’s face it, it’s always better to support someone for having an actual talent than someone who is famous just for being famous.