Reality TV is a huge success to the television industry in the 1990s Essay Example for Free

populace TV is a huge success to the idiot box industry in the 1990s EssayReality TV is a huge success to the television industry in the 1990s. As a writing style description, human beings TV is widening its usage from new-mades magazine programs based round emergency service activities to talk shows, docusoaps and a variety of first-person programmes (Creeber, 2001 135). Reality TV with extensive meaning becomes popular to describe any factual programme based on an aesthetic style of apparent zero-degree realism in other(a) words a direct, unmediated account of events, often associated with the use of video and surveillance-imaging technologies (Creeber, 2001 135). spot Barnfield has criticized the loose usage of the term, suggesting that over the last decade such a wide range of productions have been categorized as Reality TV that one wonders if the term is too general to be ministrant(Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 3). It is true that reality TV is not explicit enough in m eaning. However, it is the best word applicable to all situations and never unilateral. It gives producers more space to innovate new programmes as to boom this musical genre.Reality TV evolves with the development of new technologies. New sub-genres emerged as the hybridizations of established genres. It challenges traditional documentary and changes the serious content to more entertainment elements. Every do is close to everyday life to convince the auditory modality as real programming. In the short history of only two decades, reality TV has evolved into mixed formats. I will focus on five main forms which have either had a remarkable effect on television history or unprecedented audience ratings with reference to germane(predicate) representative programmes of British television.Contested Generic Identification Definition of Reality TVIt seems difficult to issue a particular definition of reality TV to attest to debates over it. As Su Holmes and Deborah Jermyn point outP roducing a particular definition of Reality TV is notwithstanding complex. This is partly because of the fundamentally hybrid nature of the forms in question. Yet it is also because of the range of programming to which the term Reality TV has been applied, as well as the extent to which this has shifted over time with the emergence of further permutations in reality-based texts.(Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 2)Jon Dovey lawsuitised this genre by reference to the dominant and original forms of Reality TV that feature law and emergency service work (Dovey, 2000 80). In his opinion, as form and construction, reality TV should be camcorder, surveillance or observational actuality footage first-person participant or eye-witness witness reconstructions that rely upon narrative fabrication styles studio or to-camera links and translation from authoritative presenters expert statements from emergency services personnel or psychologists.(Dovey, 2000 80)These elements are helpful in interpret ing the origins of reality programmes and in understanding its sub-genres and new development. Only by bearing these elements in mind can we make reference to relevant programmes when we trace back history to discuss the evolution of reality TV.Is it American Innovation? Historical Precedent of Reality TV in that location is no consensus nigh the first reality programme. Jon Dovey thought that Reality TV is generally historically located as beginning in the US with NBCs Unsolved Mysteries in 1987 (Dovey, 2000 81). While Bradley D. Clissold considered that during the years that it aired, Candid Camera (US, 1948- ), arguably the first Reality TV programme, proved itself to be one of US TVs most memorable, enduring and popular shows (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 33).There is a consensus that the earliest reality programme came out in America. In addition to these mentioned above, other commentators like Richard Kilborn, Chad Raphael and Gareth Palmer all agreed with this conclusion (Kilb orn, 2003 55 Palmer, 2003 21). In the commercial environment in America, technologies like cable, satellite and digital prospered reality programmes in television market. However, reality TV as a television genre has evolved into a very strong Eurpoean form with regional variations in separately country (Dovey).In mid-1980s, when surveillance technology such as CCTV (closed-circuit television) became accessible, Britain produced its own reality programmes, which revealed real accidents, crimes and emergencies. By using CCTV footage, these reality programmes departed from traditional documentary and were quickly accepted by the curious audience because of their witness techniques. They were real shows without actors and tell for low-cost which was attractive to most programme-makers.Among these early reality programmes, Crimewatch (BBC, 1984- ) was most influential. Jon Dovey said it has been seen as central to the development of the form, particularly in respect of debates around criminology and the media (Creeber, 2001 135). Deborah Jermyn, who is experience in studying television crime appeal, commented on CrimewatchPromoting the growth of crime-appeal programming in Britain with a format where serious unsolved crimes are reconstructed, police and victims families interviewed, images of suspects publicise and the public encouraged to phone in and volunteer information by this time the series had comfortably established itself as Britains foremost crime-appeal programme.(Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 71)The effectiveness of Crimewatch as a detergent to crimes has been under much debate. It entertained the audience, but it was weak as a warning to the criminals. As Jermyn commented indeed some criminals have claimed that the poor-quality CCTV footage they witnessed on Crimewatch actually gave them an incentive to commit crime (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 82).The use of CCTV conspicuously enhances the programmes claims to authenticity and underlines its sense of a privileged relationship with real crime and actuality, qualities which programme-makers evidently gestate to be ratings winners (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 83). In this case it is exciting for the audience to see the raw footage without caring much active its effect of crime appeal.These early reality programmes about crime appeal, accidents and emergencies formed a new documentary format, which was the precedent of a new genre-reality TV. Later popular factual entertainment programmes are based on these elements to innovate. Their effect is remarkable in a long term.Fly-Off-the-Wall Video Diaries Known as Access TVThe 1990s was a golden era for the preponderance of reality TV. Jon Dovey points out it seems that ordinary hatful, non-professional broadcasters, have never been more present on our screens (Dowmunt, 1993 163). Camera is no longer simply fly-on-the-wall to observe and record, but closes to the end to become active fly-off-the-wall.For a long time, access TV, as new real ity television, has been in a great demand. According to Jon Dovey, on that point are some fundamental principles that identify access programming they centre around envision and power over the programme-making consume, especially the authors should have control over the whole process of representation (Dowmunt, 1993 165).Camcorder and video technology opened up expansive space for access TV. Non-professional broadcasters became a leading role in making these programmes. As Patricia Holland commented on this innovative styleThe video diary style, in which programmes are made with domestic video equipment by members of the public rather than by television professionals, has introduced a new way of making programmes. Low-tech, with a less polished appearance, they seem to bring the audience even closer to the realities they show.(Holland, 1997 158)Video Diaries, produced by the BBC Community political platform Unit from 1990-1999, was a representative of access TV. From these ser ies of programmes, Jon Dovey notedthe Unit solicits and researches ideas from potential diarists with a compelling story to tell. Once chosen, the diarist is trained in the use of an S-VHS camera and packed off to shoot their story, with support from the Unit should it be needed. In this way the diarists are given not only editorial control but also control over the means of production. They return with anything up to 200 hours of material and attend all the edit sessions, from an initial manufacture which is viewed and discussed at length to the offline and online edit processes.(Dowmunt, 1993 167)The format of Video Diaries is a development of documentary. Gareth Palmer has explained that it imported the authorizing and legitimizing discourse of documentary into the personal, and in doing so it imported also documentarys tell principle into unmarried lives (Palmer, 2003168). It was popular to the audience and also gained acclaim from the critics because of its flexibility in r ecording reality. Nevertheless there were debates that the producers had already controlled the programme by selecting the diarists, and there were also problems of quality and legality.New Observational Documentary Emergence of DocusoapDocusoap is one form of the new observational documentary and one sub-genre of reality TV. It is a hybrid of documentary and soap-opera. It improves from serious documentary to emphasize on entertainment, especially everyday lives. Developed in the UK in the mid-1990s, the docusoap enjoyed unprecedented success for roughly a four-year plosive (1996-2000) (Kilborn, 2003 87). Docusoap combines documentary and drama. There are elements of narration, interviews and background music, and similar grades as soap-opera. Each episode has a certain title and focuses on character, personalities, plot or situation. proficient advances promote the development of new observational documentary. New technologies like lightweight cameras, portable sound equipment a nd non-linear editing system accelerate editing process with split up quality and effect. Besides, financial benefits also attract producers to choose new technologies. As Paul Hamann has commented, docusoaps already cost on average only a troika of the price of the equivalent in light entertainment or sitcoms (Bruzzi, 2000 77).The entertainment factor of docusoap makes it popular with audience. Driving School peaked at 12.45 million viewers (Bruzzi, 2000 86). It focused on the trials and tribulations of people preparing for their driving test (Kilborn, 2003 96). Compared to the core character of reality TV, docusoap is goddam to be less factual with aesthetic reconstruction. According to BruzziThe sequence most frequently cited is that in which Maureen Rees, on the eve of another attempt at her theory exam, wakes in the middle of the night and asks her husband Dave to test her on the Highway Code. The sequence is a reconstruction, and Jeremy Gibson (head of BBC Television Featur es, Bristol) and others have gone on record exonerating themselves from blame, commenting that, having gleaned that Maureen did get up at night ghrough panic, it was perfectly legitimate to enliven such a sequence without the film crew having to camp out in her bedroom for an entire night.(Bruzzi, 2000 87)The producers intervention revealed unadorned dramatic skills, which aimed at grave a complete story. In any case, under these circumstances one can never expect a totally natural performance from the character with the presence of camera. These factors make docusoap not so real, but the audience appreciate it for the entertainment value and these factors do not affect their enjoyment.However, by the end of 1990s, this new documentary format had gradually lost its popularity. Critics and executives of TV channels began to complain the similar content with in the same format between series. It was also blamed as a challenge of serious documentary. Then new factual programmes emer ged and replaced docusoap in TV schedules. Docusoap is remembered as a creative hybrid of documentary and fiction with high ratings in the history of reality TV.Serve the Public Prevalence of LifestyleLifestyle is another sub-genre of reality TV, of which BBC has been one of the biggest providers (Gareth Palmer Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 173). It originated in the 1990s and is so far popular today. It occupies a large part of TV schedule, shown usually in the daytime and prime time. There is a series of choices in dcor (House Invaders Bazal for BBC1, 1999-2002, changing Rooms Bazal for BBC1, 1996- ), clothes (What Not To Wear BBC2, 1999- ) and manner (Would Love To Meet WLTM, BBC2, 2001-3) (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 174).People now have strong sense that they are citizens and consumers. They are hot to improve their lives. Many are glad to show their private life in front of camera. For habitus, Gareth Palmer commented Britain is a nation of homeowners clutching close the belief that the home represents a sort of castle. Hence, it makes sense to produce programmes aimed at the house-proud (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 179). For formulate, according to Palmer, in looking at fashion programming we come closer to seeing how the individual should ideally be styled according to the new class of experts (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 181).There is a debate as to whether fashion shows need be bitchy. Palmer has an interesting opinion fashion without bitchery, like academia without snobbery, is inconceivable (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004 184). Bitchery makes fashion programming as amusement. It does happen frequently in our life, which is a factual element of lifestyle.Lifestyle programming is an foundation garment that television is not only observing peoples life, but also changing peoples way of life. It serves the audience by giving instructions, which is the nature of European television, compared to marketing the audience of American commercial television (Ang, 1991). Lifestyle is a good illustration how culture affects societal life.New Interactive Reality Show World mastery of forged BrotherEndemols jewel in the crown, Big Brother was thirty months in development and was the brainchild of co-principal, John de Mol. first broadcast on speedwell in 1999 and an immense ratings success, the programme has been adapted in over eighteen territories in Western Europe, the UK, the US and elsewhere.(Albert Moran, the Global Television Format Trade Hilmes, 2003 120)Big Brother, a new reality programme is based on established genres such as stake show, quiz show, documentary and soap opera. It is a social experiment, in which we witness the reaction of the participants to their new environment and changing circumstances are often beyond their control. With the feature of game show, Big Brother sets its game rules asThe programme involved ten housemates interned together over a ten-week period in a specially designed hermetically sealed environment. The housem ates were supplied with food for thought and drink and had access to all amenities, but were isolated from all contact with the media and the outside world there were no television sets, radios, newspapers. Every week each housemate had to nominate for eviction two fellow-contestants the two with the highest number of nominations would then be subject to public voting. It was the role of the public to select, by telephone vote, which of the two was to survive. By the final week there would be only two housemates remaining the winner was decided by the public, and took away a cheque for 70,000.(Palmer, 2003 182)From the above description, it is obvious that this programme innovatively uses interactive voting. The audiences have opportunities to join the programme and play a crucial role in deciding the result. In early 1990s, Mike Wayne criticized programmes at that time broadcasters and programme makers have paid relatively little attention to the way in which people watch televisi on. They have been concerned with how many people see a programme, rather than the way audiences interact with the images on the screen what they absorb, what they challenge and what they discard (Hood, 1994 43). It seems that Big Brother answers all these criticisms.Compared to the audience, the participants are powerless to control the programme. They are observed at all times and their lives are exposed to the public. Weve been looking at the housemates through the eyes of thirty-one unforgiving cameras we have seen them at their best and also at their worst (Ritchie, 2001 279). What they need is just to relax and enjoy their time. For all of them, without exception, it has been an amazing experience. They have learned a great deal about themselves, and the rest of us have learned not just lots about them, but also about human nature in general (Ritchie, 2001 279).However, all the participants are under much pressure exposing their lives to millions of audience. There is probabl y some negative effect on the psychology of most participants. Gareth Palmer calls the programme a psychological experiment. Programme experience is not always as wonderful as Ritchies comment in the above paragraph. In Sweden there was a suicide of a participant on a similar programme (Palmer, 2003 185). So in Big Brother a team of mental health professionals will oversee both the selection process and the psychological well being of the participants while they are in the house (Palmer, 2003 185).Big Brother creates a small society for the housemates away from the outside world. There are conflicts and also friendship. The participants are competitors and also partners. As the audience watch the trivia of their daily routine, the voiceover commentary helps them understand the situations.Big Brother, a hybrid of different forms with popular interactive elements, is a new format of reality TV. It is leading a new hack of reality programming. Many independent television production c ompanies are professional and experienced in making these new reality shows. Channel 4 and ITV, such non-mainstream commercial channels have shown many this kind of reality programmes. The audience are looking forward to more innovation of reality TV.BIBLIOGRAPHYAllen, R. C. and Hill, A. (2004) the Television Studies Reader, capital of the United Kingdom RoutledgeAng, I. (1991) Desperately Seeking the Audience, London RoughtledgeBruzzi, S. (2000) New Documentary A Critical Introduction, London RoutledgeCreeber, G., Miller, T. and Tulloch, J. (2001) the Television Genre Book, London British Film InstituteDovey, J. (2000) Freakshow First Person Media and Factual Television, London Pluto PressDowmunt, T. (1993) Channels of Resistance Global Television and Local Empowerment, London British Film InstituteGunter, B. and Svennevig, M. (1987) female genitalia and in Front of the Screen Televisions Involvement with Family Life, London John LibbeyHilmes, M. (2003) the Television History Book , London British Film InstituteHolland, P. (1997) the Television Handbook, London RoutledgeHolmes, S. and Jermyn, D. (2004) accord Reality Television, London RoutledgeHood, S. (1994) Behind the Screens the Structure of British Television in the Nineties, London Lawrence Wishart LimitedKilborn, R. (2003) Staging the Real Factual TV Programming in the Age of Big Brother, Manchester Manchester University PressIshikawa, S. (1996) Quality Assessment of Television, Luton John Libbey MediaLivingstone, S. and Lunt, P. (1994) Talk on Television Audience Participation and Public Debate, London RoutledgeMacdonald, K. and Cousins, M (1996) Imagining Reality the Faber Book of Documentary, London Faber and Faber LimitedPalmer, G. (2003) Discipline and Liberty Television and Governance, Manchester Manchester University PressRitchie, J. (2001) Big Brother 2 the Official Unseen Story, London Channel 4 BooksSwallow, N. (1966) Factual Television, London Focal Press LimitedWinston, B. (1995) Claiming the Real the Documentary Film Revisited, London British Film Institute