Reality TV facing its own reality: a ratings slump

LA Times ^ | December 28, 2014 | Scott Collins

[Zakeet]

Just a few years ago, underemployed TV writers were complaining that reality programming was taking over their industry.

Now the scribes are having their revenge: Unscripted programming is mired in an unexpected slump.

Onetime smashes such as "Survivor" and "Dancing With the Stars" are drooping with age. Coca-Cola recently wrapped up its 13-year sponsorship of "American Idol" after Fox's singing hit plummeted in the ratings last season. NBC's own singing show, "The Voice," saw its season finale drop nearly 10% this month.

And what's worse, no new hits are taking their place.

[Norm Lenhart]

I could never suss out who was the bigger idiot. the ‘actors’ or the viewers of reality TV.

[Norm Lenhart]

They have been scripted since day 1.

[Morpheus2009]

It’s been heavily hyped since 2000, after 15 years, reality TV is getting old and redundant. I enjoyed some of American Idol myself, but most of the drama I don’t care for. It was only a matter of time before it got boring.

[Morpheus2009]

IIRC, one of them frequently voiced characters in the 60s and 70s Disney animated features. It would be a real shocker to tell a kid te true nature of the voice behind numerous Disney classics.

[Morpheus2009]

Eva Gabor had the lead voice roles in The Disney flicks of The Aristocats, The Rescuers, and Rescuers Down Under, and a few more. As usual, the voice sounded good, but I didn’t want to know the personal life of te person behind the voice.

[Argus]

Reality shows are all scripted, just by non-Union writers, which is a long-standing beef from the Guild which gets no dues from the deal.

[Ted Grant]

I think they’re credited as producers to get around Union rules, but they’re writers.

[Steely Tom]

Don’t hold your breath: as long as there are talentless “musicians”, we’ll always have rap, and I’m not foreseeing a major shortage of talentless “musicians” any time soon.

I think the taste expectations of the audience has something to do with it too.

Kids who want something better can get all they want from the internet, mostly free of charge.

Yes it takes a tiny amount of intelligence and capital to download songs from the internet onto your mp3 player.

For those who can't come up with those, there's the radio.

Thus, you see the broadcast bands aiming their content at the lowest common denominator, the lowest of the low, the worst of the worst.

It's true for TV too.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“There is no way I can’t believe the actions and encounters on these programs are not scripted in some manner.”

Oh! There are some scripted things. Best friend’s daughter does Axemen and Alaska Bush People. They bought an old pickup to roll logs over and crush, and a camera to fall into the water with,

[Dilbert San Diego]

Trends in TV and popular culture come and go. Sounds like reality shows are just less popular now.

The reality shows which are a competition of some sort, can be interesting. But I never understand who watches the reality shows where people act like idiots. Who the heck decided the adventures of Snookie or Honey Boo Boos family somehow is entertaining??? Geez Louise.....

[Trentamj]

The claim that reality shows are "unscripted" is the biggest lie of the 21st-century. If anything, reality shows are overscripted, due the fact that amateur performers require much more detailed instructions on how to behave in front of a camera than do professional actors. Reality shows initial appeal was based on the fact that the on-screen performers could be paid next-to-nothing to bare their empty souls in comparison to professional performers. Unlike the neophyte performer, professional actors know the value of spilling their guts in the Roman Arena of Psychopathology which people euphemistically refer to as: "Modern-Day Television Entertainment."

[2CAVTrooper]

Good riddance for the end of “reality” TV... I hope the writers and the execs who pushed for these scripted shows have nightmares of honey boo boo and her mom for all eternity.

[AU72]

Hopefully Rap “music” follows the downward trend.

I thought it would end by 1990.

[AU72]

The claim that reality shows are "unscripted" is the biggest lie of the 21st-century.

And having it done in one take is laughable. Even the pro's have multiple takes per scene.

[SamAdams76]

Pretty much every "reality show" is scripted and made to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

For example, those "home remodel" shows where a home is redone for a poor family and every single time, the family is introduced to their home "makeover" in which the adults sob and cry and the children run through the house screeching and hollering with joy. Every emotion is predetermined ahead of time and it often takes several takes to get it right. (So in reality, the family is seeing their "new home" for the 7th or 8th time in the version you see on TV).

It's an insult to the intelligence of those watching at home.

About the only reality show that is mostly not scripted is the long-running show "COPS" - which pioneered the genre. However, the in-between-call banter in the squad car, where the cop invariably blabs about how he "always wanted to be a cop", is definitely rehearsed ahead of time.

[pa_dweller]

And what's worse, no new hits are taking their place.

And the best part is, no new hits are taking their place.

There, fixed it.

[DPMD]

#2 = Ahmad Rashad (Bobby Washington)

[ctdonath2]

Dead giveaway is how every line is perfectly delivered, nary am “um”, but the outtakes are never close to perfect.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Hopefully Rap “music” follows the downward trend.

We can hope. I gave it three years, max, about 35 years ago.

[Steely Tom]

We can hope. I gave it three years, max, about 35 years ago.

First time I heard a song by "KC and the Sunshine Band" I thought "this can't last."