As someone who remembers the first Big Brother (who can forget Nasty Nick, Anna the former nun or Craig the Builder) it’s somewhat sobering to look back at the explosion of reality shows since 2000 and the effect it’s had on our lives. What started as a social experiment has morphed and evolved into a multi million pound industry, launching countless D list celebrities into our lives.
Let’s just consider some of the shows that have graced our screens in the last 11 years; Big Brother, Pop Stars, Masterchef, Strictly Come Dancing, Pop Idol, X Factor, I’m a Celebrity, The Biggest Loser, Dancing on Ice, The Apprentice…and who can forget Coach Trip?! But it doesn’t stop there, think back to Trinny & Susanah, what about Gok, or Supernanny? It’s a genre that has spawned many shows and many variants, all of them involving people on a “journey”!
So, love them or loathe them, are reality shows here to stay and what will they contribute to our culture in the years ahead?
With Big Brother being retired by Channel 4 and viewing figures for the first show in the recent Britain’s Got Talent series falling vs 2010, are we finally seeing signs of audience fatigue? Sadly (as I’m not a huge reality fan) I’m not so sure. You see, The Apprentice opened its 2011 run, up 1m on 2010 and I fear that when Cowell returns to BGT later this month figures will once again surge.
So it’s a genre that’s not going away any time soon, which in all honesty is good news for advertisers, if not lovers of original comedy, insightful documentary and new drama. And part of the reason is that the marketing surrounding the shows is now multi dimensional. As well as the obvious books, DVDs, albums and tours, the clever folk in TV Land have begun to build communities around their shows. We’re encouraged at every step to engage; by voting, by entering competitions, by going to live shows and so it continues. Who hasn’t gone online before, during or after watching a show to find out more about the contestants and their “back story”, to use the lingo. We the people are responsible for the creativity and ideas filling vast hours of airtime, and we the (untalented) people are responsible for choosing what we like to watch and what we want to see again.
In getting the audience so involved, the makers of these shows have created event TV. With week to week viewing figures in the realms of the traditional flagship shows like Corrie and ‘Enders, and finals attracting tens of millions, advertisers will continue to swarm to these shows as major platforms to launch and/or showcase their brands to the masses. And given the fragmentation of media in general, these opportunities are becoming ever more scarce.
So what next? Whilst viewing figures hold up, I can’t see the imminent demise of the genre, but what I can see is the creative folk in TV Land finding new and innovative concepts to capture our interest and enthusiasm. Who knows, when they launch a show to find the regional ad agency MD with the sweetest tooth, I may be prompted to apply!
