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mygif

I think i have to disagree with you on some regards – Big Brother being more talent based than Survivor, for one, and Fear Factor topping the talent charts for another. Big Brother v Survivor (or Superhero) is debatable. But Fear Factor? The only talent you have to have in that show is “eat gross things” Is that really a talent? And if so, moreso than Idol or SYTYCD, let alone other shows?

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mygif
FifthSurprise said on July 6th, 2009 at 9:28 am

Is it wrong that I want a reality tv show in which producers compete to produce the best reality tv show?

Because if so, I don’t want to be right.

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mygif

The only “reality” show I would ever watch is if they hunted down and killed everyone involved in making every single one (producers, directors, “stars,” anyone who ever voted online) of these pieces of shit and blew them away on camera. That might make me happy.

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mygif

wow, cap’n carrot, that’s a mighty big statement for a monday morning. are you sure you don’t want to amend your statement to remove mythbusters from your sweeping condemnation?

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mygif

I think you missed quite a few in the lower right corner. MTV, VH1, and those channels are chock full of “dating” shows involving a group of socially maladjusted individuals competing for “true love” with a celebrity.

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mygif

And you better remove American Chopper from that hunting plan, Carrot. Because I’m pretty sure Paul Sr. is the last guy you want to mess with.

Say… Am I the only one who watches Wipeout just to see people fall in painful ways on those giant balloons?

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OneCentStamp said on July 6th, 2009 at 10:30 am

This season, watch for Jon and Kate to start sliding slowly to the right.

Also, no The Ultimate Fighter? Weak!

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mygif

I think finding new territory is less important for a show’s success than a new theme or gimick. It seems that once something works in TV it works over and over. That’s how there are so many different Survivors and talent shows and so on.

So I’d propose that the key is finding a new gimick, theme, or hook that draws attention. Do you have any thoughts or wacky ideas that you could share with us along those lines? I’ll start things off; “America’s next top muppet”, “Can your parents pass a driving test?”, and “The social engineering challenge”

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HitTheTargets said on July 6th, 2009 at 10:40 am

I dunno, Wipeout seems like it would have a major luck component in addition to any physical skill. Certainly MXC did, at any rate.

Incidentally, was the revived American Gladiators already cancelled?

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mygif

coren:
Fear Factor is talent biased because progression in the game is strictly performance based. No judges to convince, no house and/or teammates to charm or scheme with. The word “talent” is a little misleading here.

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mygif

MGK’s chart makes more sense if you replace the word ‘talent’ with ‘ability’. Then its entirely sensible.

Reality shows are kinda like mass-produced cult movies. Except that its all exploitation of mainstream culture instead of subculture. Unfortunately about 98% of the products are sterilized rip-offs of one another so that prohibits any real potential from independent thought.

And “Dance your Ass Off” is quite possibly the most offensively exploitative rip-off I have ever seen.

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mygif

Dude, you really watch too much tv.

That said, where would you put Ultimate Fighter, Survivorman and Man vs Nature?

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mygif

I sort of feel the more talent side has more potential for shows, since there are a wide varieties of talents, and relatively fewer ways to be social. I mean, I think a competitive sewing show might work, even if it’s not really different than Top Chef other than the use of sewing. (Replace sewing with any appropriate activity that a lot of people do but few do at a high level although they would want to do so at a high level.) See also any professional sports league.

Although maybe there’s room in the personality/competitive corner for something like “The biggest jerk”, where nice guys finish last is the point.

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mygif

thok – project runway is basically a competitive sewing show.

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mygif

How long did it take you to make that graph?

P.S.: Hurrah for science!

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mygif

God, I miss Junkyard Wars. I mean, the good old days with Cathy Roberts. When are they gonna release that shit on DVD?

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supergp said on July 6th, 2009 at 3:45 pm

Cathy Roberts could comment on my junk anyday.

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mygif

Dude, you really watch too much tv.

1.) I get paid to do it.

2.) You know, there’s a difference between watching a show and generally being aware of how the show works/what it is about. You could not pay me enough money to sit through an episode of Jon and Kate. Not another one, anyway; one was enough.

That said, where would you put Ultimate Fighter, Survivorman and Man vs Nature?

Ultimate Fighter I’ve never actually seen, but if it’s just a reality show where UFC types fight each other for a prize of some kind – and checking Wikipedia it looks like that’s exactly what it is – then it’s somewhere in the top right corner. A bit more checking shows that contestants could be eliminated either by a judge’s decision or by losing a fight, so it’s not right up against the side like The Contender (where the boxers played in challenges, but were only eliminated by losing a match) is. I’d put it maybe a bit to the left of The Contender, then.

Survivorman and Man vs. Wild are both very ability-based shows – so the top of the graph – with a bit of a self-competitive aspect to them. I’d slot them in the top left corner, but closer to the center.

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mygif

thok – project runway is basically a competitive sewing show.

No, it’s a competitive fashion design show. I want an Iron Chef style show where people sew madly for an hour based while given a fixed set of materials and a theme.

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mygif
Kid Kyoto said on July 6th, 2009 at 8:44 pm

It’s funny hearing the rage about ‘reality’ TV. I mean strictly speaking all game shows and all sports fall into this as well, we could even make a case for the nightly news.

So…
Sunday Night Footbat (et al) – Upper right
Game shows – up and down the right edge depending on how much luck is involved
The news – Upper left?

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mygif
Joysweeper said on July 6th, 2009 at 9:38 pm

What about Dirty Jobs? I guess it counts as reality TV, he’s generally got no skill in the jobs of the episode, it’s usually social…

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mygif

I’m using this as a justification of the fact I’m really into the new season of Big Brother US.

I think that there are shows, and BB is one of them, where being too smart is a hindrance. Because the really smart get bored. And with boredom comes trouble.

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mygif

After some thought I will amend my statement to not include “how to” shows such as Mythbusters, or that Bob Villa show whose name I can never remember, especially since the neither the shows nor the audiences that watch them consider them the same as something like Survivor, Real World Cracktown, Who’s the Worst Singer?, Whore Yourself Out For 5 Minutes of Fame, Who’s the Most Mediocre Comedian, Sacrifice Your Remaining Self-Respect for Crappy Prizes Like This Blender, or Eat This Bug for Money!

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mygif

I’m wondering how Mythbusters can possibly be considered a reality show. It’s not about the lives of the mythbusters themselves, but about the cool shit they create/build/blow up. A behind-the-scenes thing about their lives outside of the show and the effect the show has on their lives would be a reality show; but not Mythbusters itself.
But that’s just my opinion….unless I’m right…then it’s a fact.

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mygif

You know, if you take Wipeout off the board completely and put in Ninja Warrior, you’d have an improved table. Ever see that? It’s on G4 here in the US; twice a year, some of the best athletes come to Japan to compete on a glorified obstacle course. Yes, it’s funny at times, but it’s not “Duh haw, lookit dem idjits hittin’ the water!” funny.

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mygif
DistantFred said on July 7th, 2009 at 2:35 am

Wow, Pirate Master but no Canada’s Worst Driver/Handyman?

Odd choice.

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mygif

A show called Eat This Bug For Money would be great if the cash prizes were just ludicrously low. Like if they got $1.45 for eating a beetle…

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mygif
Chadhulhu said on July 7th, 2009 at 5:10 am

Wow, just seeing that list of of all those “reality” shows. Makes me re think my TV watching. UGH.

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Fred Davis said on July 7th, 2009 at 9:57 am

The thing is that reality TV shows haven’t reached their nadir until someone creates and airs an Indecent Proposal show in which every episode involves a rich millionaire offering some poor schlub off the street a million dollars to have sex with his wife.

The “entertainment” is based around the week long period they have to decide on their answer and/or convince their wife to go through with it.

Though the interesting variation on that which will eventually occur will involve a rich millionaire picking some poor straight schlub of the same sex off the street and offering to pay them a million dollars to have sex with them.

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mygif

Fred, I sincerely doubt that an Indecent Proposal show would really drive people away from this kind of drek. I dont know if anything would.

Allowed to be an anonymous spectator at any number of Caligula-esque events, I doubt anyone would look away from this social train wreck long enough for it to no longer matter. Especially since the wreck keeps getting bigger and louder every single year.

That said, I miss Mystery in Small Town X.

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mygif

“And clearly, the most room exists in the competitive/social quadrant. Isn’t science helpful?”

Competitive/personality quadrant, surely?

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Ambrael said on July 7th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

And here I thought I was the only one who watched Murder in Small Town X. I think that one bought the farm when their first winner, a New York fire fighter, died in 9/11. Memento Mori.

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mygif

I’m a little confused by what you meant by “competitive-social quadrant” when competitive-social is an axis… thereby not delineating any quadrant. Did you mean competitive-personality based?

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mygif

Oops, sorry Andrew… I didn’t notice last night that you had already pointed out the axis/quadrant confusion.

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