REALITY TELEVISION
ON IT’S LAST BREATHE

This weekend, The New York Times ran an article entitled:  “On Reality TV, Even ‘Survivor’ looks Mortal.”  The article deals with a question I have posed before:  Is reality television dying?

The piece opens with an illustration that is very telling.  In a recent production meeting, Burnett, Probst, and others were discussing a river relay race challenge.  While Burnett calls is “epic,” Probst points out it was done in season 2.   After 16 seasons is the show running out of contests?

Brian Stelter, who wrote the piece, goes on to refer to reality as a “copy-and-paste format.”  He notes that shows collect “diverse cast of strangers, pit them against one another and expel a contestant at the end of each episode.”  Stelter also points out the failure of Pirate master and Kid Nation which used the same format.

The question of reality programming and networks is then dealt with.  For the network, reality television is a low budget show but with some having high standards of sets and contests.  Over the years, though, advertisers have become reluctant to agree to buy ads.  This could worsen and speed the decline of reality as our economy worsens.

Probst himself in the article admits ratings have fallen and the show eventually will be gone.  He feels that it is a cycle and television history proves him as true.  Everything cycles through in viewership and that can be seen in the demise of Kid Nation and Pirate Master.  These shows, from the same format as Survivor made it only one season.  The format of 16 ordinary people stranded and in a head-to-head competition for survival needs just didn’t work in this format.  While Survivor worked during the first season against Friends which made it a signature show for CBS, its ratings are in a decline.  Reality has taken on a new face with Big Brother, The Amazing Race (with 11 Emmys), American Idol, and [d]Dancing with the Stars[/i].  All are in competition for the viewers and the money to continue the show.

The article uses Survivor’s tribal council in a unique way.  To some, Probst included, the elimination of a member of the tribe is like a death.  Probst also implies rebirth on the next morning.  This made me thing.  When the final torch is extinguished on Survivor by Probst, what will the cycle give us as a new reality show.  For like the circle of life, something will be around the corner waiting to gain our attention.

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