Rate How Real a Reality Show Is

[elmo_1968]

Name a reality show and then rate it on how realistic a depiction it is.

Factors to rate them on:

1) Do you think they script stuff? If not, do you think they coach people?
2) Do you think the people on the show whore for the camera?
3) Do you think they re-shoot stuff that really happened, but they didn't get on tape or film?
4) Do you think they show stuff in proportion to how often it happened? For example, if everyone on the show screws up equally often, do they only show one guy screwing up?

Here's 2 from me:

Operation Repo- I give it a zero, I think they stage the whole thing. Every time a fight breaks out, the camera is perfectly positioned. One time they got an exterminator's truck at his house and he sprayed them w/ insecticide, but I think they would mix it at the job and not at the house.

Cops- 10. I don't think they could get away w/ staging much or they'd get sued. If the cops were playing to the camera, their supervisors would get down on them.

 

[highkicknomore]

Toy Hunter: 4. I'm not sure what the show's ratings are but I think this won't last a season. Part of toy hunting is knowing the unknown, yet this guy sets up with collectors every show and he buys it from them. I think they already make a deal beforehand how much he'll buy it for but pretend on camera it's the first time.

I'd say most shows are around 4 with the female reality shows ie Housewives and Kardashians being a 1.

 

[elmo_1968]

Toy Hunter: 4. I'm not sure what the show's ratings are but I think this won't last a season. Part of toy hunting is knowing the unknown, yet this guy sets up with collectors every show and he buys it from them. I think they already make a deal beforehand how much he'll buy it for but pretend on camera it's the first time.

I'd say most shows are around 4 with the female reality shows ie Housewives and Kardashians being a 1.

Haven't seen this show but if you're buying from someone else in the business you're unlikely to score many bargains so I tend to agree.

 

[highkicknomore]

Haven't seen this show but if you're buying from someone else in the business you're unlikely to score many bargains so I tend to agree.

He gets "calls" from his secretary and friends saying "this and this guy has a toy you should check out." If it was that easy everyone would be rich.

 

[ufcfan4]

Amazing Race gets a 9 or so from me. They really are traveling, obviously, they really are competing in challenges for prizes and the challenges do typically reflect or relate to the culture of the people who inhabit the particular region.

the tensions may be drummed up a little but i doubt it. there's tension inherent in that stressful type of a situation and i highly doubt people mug for the camera on that.




The Ultimate Fighter- 6.5

Obviously the fights themselves are legit but probably a lot of the drama in the house and the tension between the coaches is drummed up or egged on by the producers. i can imagine that certain meltdowns are all too real "Let me bang, bro" is far too odd and hilariously bizarre a segment, for instance, for me to believe someone advised hill and lane to do that. the only explanation is drunken, testosterone-fueled whackos.

that being said i'll bet that certain coach conflicts are made more than they are, certain fighter fuck ups are played up while others do not even make television. it's all about editing really.

 

[elmo_1968]

Amazing Race gets a 9 or so from me. They really are traveling, obviously, they really are competing in challenges for prizes and the challenges do typically reflect or relate to the culture of the people who inhabit the particular region.

the tensions may be drummed up a little but i doubt it. there's tension inherent in that stressful type of a situation and i highly doubt people mug for the camera on that.




The Ultimate Fighter- 6.5

Obviously the fights themselves are legit but probably a lot of the drama in the house and the tension between the coaches is drummed up or egged on by the producers. i can imagine that certain meltdowns are all too real "Let me bang, bro" is far too odd and hilariously bizarre a segment, for instance, for me to believe someone advised hill and lane to do that. the only explanation is drunken, testosterone-fueled whackos.

that being said i'll bet that certain coach conflicts are made more than they are, certain fighter fuck ups are played up while others do not even make television. it's all about editing really.

I don't watch TUF anymore but I remember during Ortiz-Shamrock the fighters were forever holding them apart at official events, and then one time they saw each other while waiting for a ride and just stared at each other. I'm thinking when they were on TUF premises they staged near-fights but didn't want to do it in public or someone might call the cops.

I didn't see this, but didn't they edit Gabe Ruediger's eating to make it look like he pigged out before blowing a weigh-in when the tape of him eating was from days before?

 

[ufcfan4]

I don't watch TUF anymore but I remember during Ortiz-Shamrock the fighters were forever holding them apart at official events, and then one time they saw each other while waiting for a ride and just stared at each other. I'm thinking when they were on TUF premises they staged near-fights but didn't want to do it in public or someone might call the cops.

I didn't see this, but didn't they edit Gabe Ruediger's eating to make it look like he pigged out before blowing a weigh-in when the tape of him eating was from days before?

yup pretty much. cake reudiger however was part of my favorite season of TUF ever. i love season 5.

 

[highkicknomore]

Survivor re-shoots certain contests when they don't have a good angle. I'm sure they do this with all reality show.

That's why anything on tv that's considered real should just be taken for entertainment value. But sometimes I fall for it and think it's real like Jersey Shore season 1.

Even movie documentaries and national geographic are slanted so it'll tell the tale that filmmakers want, not really the "truth"

 

[elmo_1968]

I think "Deadliest Catch" is a 9, some of the captains maybe play to the camera but otherwise it seems pretty real.

Ax Men I think is a 4, the river logging stuff in particular seems scripted. Why would anyone hire a guy like Jimmy Smith, after he'd been on TV being a prick and a screwup? Why did Shelby go out of his way to let us know he wears womens' undies?

 

[elmo_1968]

Survivor re-shoots certain contests when they don't have a good angle. I'm sure they do this with all reality show.

That's why anything on tv that's considered real should just be taken for entertainment value. But sometimes I fall for it and think it's real like Jersey Shore season 1.

Even movie documentaries and national geographic are slanted so it'll tell the tale that filmmakers want, not really the "truth"

Re-shooting something that really happened is, IMO one of the more excusable distortions.

Never watched Survivor, do you think they coach the contestants on voting or on-camera behavior?

 

[highkicknomore]

Re-shooting something that really happened is, IMO one of the more excusable distortions.

Never watched Survivor, do you think they coach the contestants on voting or on-camera behavior?

Yeah, I'm sure they tell them to vote one way. Producers want the villains to stay as long as possible because of good drama and leading to better ratings.

Same for shows where an "expert" judge is involved like Hell's Kitchen and Apprentice. Sometimes they'll have a shocking elimination where the crap guy stays while the one that did better gets let go. Their excuse is usually because "I see potential in the crappier guy" Then 2 or 3 weeks later the crappy guy finally gets eliminated.

BTW, Cops on Sat had a pretty cool show. They followed a detective that was doing a sting on a wife/gf that wanted her man killed. She acted like she was in shock when she heard the news her man was killed and cried loudly. Then they arrested her ass and the man comes in. Of course she said she was innocent even though she was caught on hidden cam talking about the hit with an undercover. Then she told her man to be next to her and when the man didn't want to she said it again: "Come here!" But in a bossier tone. Then the show ended. That's one damn fine editing to make the girl look psychotic and have a statement that the girl was guilty without really saying it. That shit was a 10. I saw that story on Dateline about 3 months ago, it's funny Cops was documenting the whole process.

 

[elmo_1968]

Yeah, I'm sure they tell them to vote one way. Producers want the villains to stay as long as possible because of good drama and leading to better ratings.

Same for shows where an "expert" judge is involved like Hell's Kitchen and Apprentice. Sometimes they'll have a shocking elimination where the crap guy stays while the one that did better gets let go. Their excuse is usually because "I see potential in the crappier guy" Then 2 or 3 weeks later the crappy guy finally gets eliminated.

A friend of a friend was on some Chef show and said it really didn't matter who could cook, they kept you if you were bitchy on camera. Of course, unlike singing the home audience can't really tell who if you can cook well or not.

BTW, Cops on Sat had a pretty cool show. They followed a detective that was doing a sting on a wife/gf that wanted her man killed. She acted like she was in shock when she heard the news her man was killed and cried loudly. Then they arrested her ass and the man comes in. Of course she said she was innocent even though she was caught on hidden cam talking about the hit with an undercover. Then she told her man to be next to her and when the man didn't want to she said it again: "Come here!" But in a bossier tone. Then the show ended. That's one damn fine editing to make the girl look psychotic and have a statement that the girl was guilty without really saying it. That shit was a 10. I saw that story on Dateline about 3 months ago, it's funny Cops was documenting the whole process.

So do you think Cops edited it to distort it, or was that a good depiction?

 

[highkicknomore]

A friend of a friend was on some Chef show and said it really didn't matter who could cook, they kept you if you were bitchy on camera. Of course, unlike singing the home audience can't really tell who if you can cook well or not.

So do you think Cops edited it to distort it, or was that a good depiction?

I didn't know that about cooking shows but that makes sense. No one will know how it tastes. LOL. As for singing contestants, those guys are already filtered as well. Producers only let the circus freaks and great singers "audition" with the celebrity judges. The freaks will make people laugh and the singers are "inspiring." The mediocre and boring guys aren't even auditioned and seen on tv.

As for Cops, that was a good depiction. Made the bitch look like who she really is. I would've said that it was a bit biased and make the girl look bad but they showed the hidden cam beforehand. She was bragging to the undercover how she was good looking but deep down inside she was a badass and hardcore. Good shit.

 

[elmo_1968]

I didn't know that about cooking shows but that makes sense. No one will know how it tastes. LOL. As for singing contestants, those guys are already filtered as well. Producers only let the circus freaks and great singers "audition" with the celebrity judges. The freaks will make people laugh and the singers are "inspiring." The mediocre and boring guys aren't even auditioned and seen on tv.

As for Cops, that was a good depiction. Made the bitch look like who she really is. I would've said that it was a bit biased and make the girl look bad but they showed the hidden cam beforehand. She was bragging to the undercover how she was good looking but deep down inside she was a badass and hardcore. Good shit.

I almost don't think of COPS as a reality show, because it seems to be real.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

Mermaid: The Body Found...

Have to give it a 9 or maybe even a 10. The footage, the expert testimony, the eye witness accounts, the autopsy, all extremely real and just about impossible to fake.
Reality television at it's most honest, raw, and transparent imo.

 

[elmo_1968]

Mermaid: The Body Found...

Have to give it a 9 or maybe even a 10. The footage, the expert testimony, the eye witness accounts, the autopsy, all extremely real and just about impossible to fake.
Reality television at it's most honest, raw, and transparent imo.

I know this isn't real, because I have it on good authority Darryl Hannah is still alive.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

I know this isn't real, because I have it on good authority Darryl Hannah is still alive.

The sad truth is it's just as 'real' as 99% of all reality shows on television these days.

I know people on Storage Wars. The producers win storage rooms in real auctions weeks before any scheduled shoot. If they find really interesting rooms they offer them, but most are planted with objects to make them more interesting. Then they hold thier own 'auctions' with members from the show, one or two selected 'actors' to bid, and a few extras to stand there.

 

[thetruth2709]

1) Do you think they script stuff? If not, do you think they coach people?
2) Do you think the people on the show whore for the camera?
3) Do you think they re-shoot stuff that really happened, but they didn't get on tape or film?
4) Do you think they show stuff in proportion to how often it happened? For example, if everyone on the show screws up equally often, do they only show one guy screwing up?

.

I work in TV production and about 6 months ago I was working on a pilot for reality show in Miami so here are your answers

1.Situations are scripted... situations where its VERY probable funny, out of the ordinary shit is going to happen... (ex:lets take a 70 year old lady to a male strip club)

2. you CAST ON PURPOSE people who whore themselves on camera, ordinary common people are boring and are not for TV, you want camera whores 100%


3. Using the previous example if we didnt get a good shot of the stripper dancing on grams, well we go to the stripper and say "go do that thing again" and we make sure to get the shot right this time

4. OF COURSE!!! you show LOTS of whats going to create more drama and controversy

The best way to describe reality TV is that you ULTRA SUPER MAGNIFY reality, you cant force people to do shit, but a good producer looks for situations where its impossible not to shoot funny shit, those are your diamonds, literally your pay check

Im not talking for ALL reality TV shows, Im sure some productions work in different ways, just telling about my experience, cheers!

 

[elmo_1968]

The sad truth is it's just as 'real' as 99% of all reality shows on television these days.

I know people on Storage Wars. The producers win storage rooms in real auctions weeks before any scheduled shoot. If they find really interesting rooms they offer them, but most are planted with objects to make them more interesting. Then they hold thier own 'auctions' with members from the show, one or two selected 'actors' to bid, and a few extras to stand there.

I always thought they found unusual stuff far too often. Of course, the people who own the facilities aren't going to rat them out, b/c it gets suckers to bid on lockers which is good for the owners.

 

[elmo_1968]

I work in TV production and about 6 months ago I was working on a pilot for reality show in Miami so here are your answers

Cool to have an insider view.

1.Situations are scripted... situations where its VERY probable funny, out of the ordinary shit is going to happen... (ex:lets take a 70 year old lady to a male strip club)

2. you CAST ON PURPOSE people who whore themselves on camera, ordinary common people are boring and are not for TV, you want camera whores 100%

But you don't always control the casting. A crab boat captain isn't likely to put a complete idiot on his crew at the producer's request.

3. Using the previous example if we didnt get a good shot of the stripper dancing on grams, well we go to the stripper and say "go do that thing again" and we make sure to get the shot right this time

4. OF COURSE!!! you show LOTS of whats going to create more drama and controversy

The best way to describe reality TV is that you ULTRA SUPER MAGNIFY reality,

I would call this distorting reality.

you cant force people to do shit, but a good producer looks for situations where its impossible not to shoot funny shit, those are your diamonds, literally your pay check

Im not talking for ALL reality TV shows, Im sure some productions work in different ways, just telling about my experience, cheers!