Weeks 11 and 12: Reality TV
1)How have the documentary genres ‘Direct Cinema’ or ‘cinéma vérité influenced reality TV and the presentation of the ‘real’? Discuss in the context of a contemporary reality TV show.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
3)What has the early docudrama (e.g. Cathy Come Home) contributed to the development of Reality TV? Discuss in the context of a contemporary reality TV show.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
3)What has the early docudrama (e.g. Cathy Come Home) contributed to the development of Reality TV? Discuss in the context of a contemporary reality TV show.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
ReplyDeleteHills (2005), describes reality TV coming from a genealogy of a popular factual television complex type of hybrid programming by associating with reality TV is difficult to categorise because of the development of its historically and culturally specific media environments. Hills listed three main strands to develop popular factual television, and these relate to threes distinct areas: tabloid journalism, documentary television, and popular entertainment (Hills,2005).
Reality TV became a popularity due to networks finding a solution to calm the economic problems within cultural industries. The increased costs of production for a drama or sitcom became a viable economic option during the 1990’s. “Reality TV has its roots in tabloid journalism and popular entertainment, but it owes its greatest debt to documentary television” (Hills, 2005).
Hills (2005), explains how reality programmes were based on the success of crime and emergency services reality TV, or ‘infotainment’, which traveled from America to Europe and beyond in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The second wave of reality programming was based on the success of popular observational documentaries. It involves lifestyle such as housing and garden makeovers reaching to Britain then Europe in the mid-1990s.The new genre structure contains six categories such as documentaries, contemporary factual specialist factual: current affairs and investigations, arts and cultural life skills and new media.
Successful shows draw on a variety of genres to create rating winners for example Survivor and Big Brother. The category of reality TV has described a range of popular factual programming. The variety of styles and techniques relate with reality TV. Reality TV programme has changed over the years. The television industry is a good start to change the genre of reality TV. The audience tends to judge ‘reality’ of reality programmes according to a fact/fiction continuum. “There is no one definition of reality programming, but many competing definitions of what has come to be called the reality genre” (Hills, 2005).
Reference:
Hill, A. (2005). The rise of reality TV. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 15 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
ReplyDeleteHills (2005), tell us about reality tv and what its origins are. Reality TV’s media stems from a wide range of outside media influences, which all contribute towards the construction of reality TV. Hills listed three main points which contribute to develop popular television. These relate to different areas of which being, tabloid journalism, documentary television, and popular entertainment. Reality TV is a television programme in which ordinary people are filmed for a certain period, it is designed to be entertaining rather than informative.
“Reality TV has its roots in tabloid journalism and popular entertainment, but it owes its greatest debt to documentary television” (Hills, 2005). Reality TV’s popularity sparked off due to several points. The increased costs of production for a drama or sitcom became a viable economic option during the 1990’s. There were structural problems that economic culture was dealing with, thus which reality TV was a temporary fixture to a few of these problems people were dealing with, especially within certain circles of ethnicities.
Reality TV’s success’ were judged by ‘infotainment ‘ and crime. The period that came after this for reality TV was the popular observational documentaries. Makeovers were a big part of this new found era, which included gardening and house makeovers . The structure of the new era for reality TV comprised of , current affairs and investigations, arts, cultural life skills and factual genres and contemporary factual.
The genre of reality TV is hard to define, as it has adopted different genres and is constantly changing due to outside media influences. “There is no one definition of reality programming, but many competing definitions of what has come to be called the reality genre” (Hills, 2005).The BBC was a major influencer of new factual television which sparked off the new era. Shows that are successful and have great ratings usually need several genres imbedded within their structure, like big brother. A variety of styles and techniques relate with Reality TV, thus pointing us towards the thought of reality TV not being a genre set in stone. It is like a market, it changes with time and when people want to see something different than reality TV will change with the times to please the audience. What people believe to be true or realistic has a strong enhancing power of reality TV’s content. As it is called “Reality” TV for a reason, It is supposed to mirror what we think reality is. Or atleast what we consider to be normal or relatable.
Reference:
Hill, A. (2005). The rise of reality TV. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 15 – 40). Oxon: Routledge
According to Hills (2005), reality tv is where there are no professional actors and no written scripts are provided but events are captured on cameras. There are many types of categories under the genre of reality TV such as Keeping Up with The Kardashians, the voice, or other games shows. Reality TV before used to be raw and untouched and was about events that happened without scripts but this has changed over the years. Shows are nowadays made more entertaining by including twists and other aspects that would draw wider audiences towards it. This can be seen in shows such as Keeping Up with The Kardashians were drama and entertainment seems to happen naturally as it is said to be "Reality TV" but it is questionable of how much of reality is actually shown. As time progressed the reality tv genre developed from being just "reality" to more of entertainment (Hills, 2005).
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and
Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
Question 2
DeleteQ1
ReplyDeleteHill (2005) offers a number of definitions and uses of reality television. He mentions that in the past, the realm of reality television was very scanty whereas contemporary reality television offers a lot more variety and almost covers everything and anything (Hill, 2005).
Reality television has evolved as a genre and has become increasingly popular. This can be due to a number of factors such as audience involvement. This element can be seen in popular reality series such as “The Jerry Springer Show” and “Doctor Phil.” This element of audience involvement seems to enhance the popularity of shows such as the ones aforementioned. This is particularly true for “The Jerry Springer Show” as it focuses a lot on audience involvement and audience reactions. This contributes to the high viewings and positive attention the show receives based on its humorous aspect.
Another definition that Hill (2005) offers is this notion that reality television consumes or borrows from other genres thus creating what Hill (2005) refers to as hybrid programming. This element can be seen in popular modern reality shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and America’s Next Top Model.
According to Hill (2005), contemporary reality television is just a bunch of made up drama fixed in real life situations. Such shows include “The life of Kylie” and “Total Diva’s.” Hill (2005) mentions that reality television back then was based on factual entertainment but reality television today is just a concoction of real life.
Hill (2005) talks about how reality television never used to consist of professional actors and scripted talk. The cameras were hand held and footage was not edited. Today everything has changed and reality television is considered more as popular entertainment now instead of factual entertainment.
Reality television has become a lot harder to define as opposed to ten years ago. A number of factors can contribute to this such as changes within society and technology advancement. It is no doubt that definitions of reality television will continue to change but one thing that will remain the same is its entertainment factor.
References:
DeleteHill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and
Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
Sorry Mike it's Question 2 not 1.
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