How does Hill
define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary
Reality TV show.
According to Hill (2005), “there are a variety of styles and
techniques associated with reality TV, such as non-professional actors,
unscripted dialogue, surveillance footage, hand-held cameras, seeing events as
they are happening” (p 41). Hill (2005) also states that reality TV is made up
of many genres like documentary, drama and lifestyle.
Biressi and Nunn (2005) believes that Cathy Come Home (1966)
made a significant impact on the development of drama television. The show was
shot with a shaky camera technique, which is a signifier of reality. It gives
the viewers a view of the unfolding events in a candid way. There was an argument
that the idea of reality TV needed to be more relevant and authentic for the
viewers as well as more accessible. Cathy Come Home contributed towards the
re-fashioning of drama and reality TV. Cathy Come Home delved into the lives of
an ordinary person, to which whom many viewers could possibly relate to. The situations
that she found herself in could happen to anyone for example, how life can have
its ups and downs, one moment life has a positive outcome and one event can
change that all. The downwards spiral that Cathy ended up in could happen to
anyone and relates to the viewers as this show is an indicator of how life can
be turned upside down as a result of misfortune of bad decisions.
Nowadays ‘reality’ in reality TV has changed as a genre, it
is now associated with anything and everything such as audition, survivor and
game types etc. There are hundreds of shows based on reality. There are even TV
networks specifically made for reality TV and many celebrities have created
their own reality TV shows to increase their celebrity status. Reality TV shows
usually have a high rating, most likely because the viewers can relate to what
happens in them and in the case of celebrities we are obsessed with following
them due to their status in society. An example of reality TV today is The
Bachelor, a dating game show which creates drama and tension between the girls
who are fighting for The Bachelor’s affections. This show is currently on its
19th season and has produced many spin-offs. There is a lot of
conflict with the authenticity of this show as participants have stated that
the producers play a hand in what they say. Which leads to how Hill (2005)
states that the most powerful for reality TV is the editing and effects.
Producers are able to cut out anything they do not want in the shows and edit
it what they want which questions whether reality TV is 100% real or just
scripted.
References
Biressi, A., & Nunn, N.
(2005). Real Lives, documentary approaches. In Reality TV:
realism and revelation, p. 35-58, London: Wallflower.
Hill, A. (2005) The reality
genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual
Television, p. 14-40, Oon: Routledge.
Good, thanks Roxy
ReplyDelete