I dont completely hate reality television. That is very difficult for me to admit, considering that I hate what reality television has done to TV viewing in general. I am a fan of good writing. I love a good story! Creative TV dramas and comedies are what good viewing is all about. I love the set-up, the climax, the resolution and the ability for television to capture imagination and inspire laughter, tears and that satisfied feeling that comes from talented story weavers! However, there are a few - and I really mean only a few-- reality television programs that capture the essence of what a good television drama can provide to the viewer. There is a "micro-genre" of television reality programming that I have embraced. I like to call it " Fix-It For You" TV!
When I think of reality television, I am reminded of a movie that I saw called "The Invention of Lying". In it, the character is living in a world where no one lies. Everyone tells the truth all of the time. Need money? Just go into the bank and tell them how much you want and how much you have in your account. No one checks because no one lies. Seems like a utopian society, no? Well the main character is a television writer. However, in a world where only truth is told, television is nothing more than documentaries of differing eras. Each writer is assigned a century of history and just writes shows filled with facts and figures. A total bore. That is what most reality is to me. Want to see people fighting? Look around your own office! Want to see someone with a messy closet? Come on over to my house! Want to see a bunch of girls fight over a good looking guy? Hit a bar after work. Who needs it?
The dirty little secret of reality television is that producers LOVE the genre. Reality programming is the cheapest form of programming and is a cash cow! Why is it so cheap to make? No writers to pay, sets to construct or actors to hire. Just a director, a couple of camera guys and maybe a posh beach rental for filming. Low cost and high profits are the norm. Because I recognize this fact, I have always snubbed my nose at these shows, accusing the television industry of "phoning it in". Anyone could do it with both hands tied behind their back. (I can see a director reading this, saying "WHOA, I have an idea! A family lives for a year with their hands tied behind their backs! Brilliant!") So I really hate to admit that I find any nugget of value in reality television. (Gee, I hate to admit it so much, I have spent three paragraphs telling you how much I hate it!)
"Fix It For You" television shows have a simple scenario. A host comes into a failing business, spots the problems, pumps some money into the failing aspects of the business, retrains the staff and helps the business to return to profitability. I recently penned a blog post about "Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares". This is one such show. Others that fall into that category are "Restaurant: Impossible" and "Tabatha's Salon Takeover". These shows, and others like them, all follow the basic formula, with a twist here and there to make them different. (Oh my goodness, could that be-gasp- CREATIVITY?) These twists can be silly or far-fetched, but help to individualize shows and garner the masses.
For example, in "Tabatha's Salon Takeover", Tabatha is a British hair designer who has a funky blonde hairstyle and only wears black. She secretly films the salon and then confronts the owners, showing them the secret videos. She scolds them like they were bad children and demands their keys, with the phrase, "Im taking over!" She then follows the above-mentioned formula. Wash, Rinse, Repeat. Other shows inject unreasonable time limits for the transformations so that everything has to be done in a rediculously short amount of time. "Restaurant;Impossible" takes "two days and ten thousand dollars" in order to overhaul a restaurant. Why not give it a week as is done in "Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares"? Because then it would be essentially the same show!! And just because I love Gordon Ramsay, I wont pretend that he doesnt have his own "schtick". Gordon Ramsay's gimmick is to talk harsh and rough to the restaurant owners, pulling no punches. He is rude, hateful and sometimes (okay, often) vulgar in his rants about cooking and service. In the end, he becomes a pussycat, right before you throw a shoe at your television!
So in spite of the cheesy gimmicks of these varieties of programs, why do I like them? I believe that part of their appeal to me is the similarities between them and the made-for-television dramas that I used to love so much. I mean, all of the characters are there! The hardworking, but down-trodden family, trying desperately to save the family business! They are good-hearted, but misguided souls who are one step away from the poor house. There is the hero that comes to save the day but he is misunderstood by the family. His motives are questioned. His ideas are foreign. Later the family comes to understand that the hero only has their best interest at heart. The family succeeds, thanks to the hero, and everyone lives happily ever after. If that doesnt remind you of Pride and Prejudice, you need to re-read that book!
What sets these programs apart from the "garbage" reality shows? For me, it is that I DONT hate that these people profited from the experience. The people in the "Fix It For You" shows have a work ethic, integrity and a sense of right and wrong. Good prevailed over bad --the good guy won! "Kate Plus Eight"? She made money by letting the cameras film her children! She became a star on the backs of her fertility! I am appalled that she walked away with a truckload of cash! "The Kardashians", "The Bachelor", "The Bachelorette", " Survivor"... I could name a hundred more. It bothers me greatly that these folks walked away with money for their amoral, disturbing, and uninspiring lives. What is the lesson in that? The more bizarre and depraved that your lifestyle becomes, the better chance you have of striking it rich in television? The more worthless and useless you are in life, the more money you make so you can become more worthless and useless? You can look for that "hero" all you want in these shows and you wont find him!
I still long for the return of television programming that relies on excellent dramatic and comedic writing. I wonder if the public will EVER become weary of the trash and wish for better. I wonder if they will ever become so weary that they will DEMAND better. I also wonder if producers will ever feel that the investment in quality writing, acting, costumes and set design is worth the money. Will any of them take the initiative and say "Gee I have been producing crap for so long! I have made my fortune. It is time to produce something important! Something of value! Something that makes the world a better place!" I am not holding my breath! (But if I could hold my breath longer than anyone ever has, do you think I could get a show out of it??)
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