Rate How Real a Reality Show Is

[BRF]

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?

This is probably pretty accurate imo. I've watched every Deadliest Catch and I'm still entertained by a bunch of nuts catching crab. The captains are basically celebrities now and most of them certainly play to the camera, but with a job that is that dangerous, taking place in , often times, unpredictable conditions, there probably isn't a whole lot of room to set up staged events that would be worth a shit on camera.

Funny side story, my brother's father in law took a fishing trip in Alaska and they were shacked up in a little town and went down to the local pub, and there was Jonathon Hillstrand just sitting at the bar drinking a draft like every other local. Said he talked to him for a few minutes and he was just a down to earth local.

Ax Men I completely agree, if not lower than a 4. I really liked the first season, but after that, it seemed every episode was completely staged and scripted with every cast member doing their best to make a memorable segment every time they got on camera. While the constant screw ups of S&S were hilarious the first season and half, they quickly became unbearable and over the top fake after that.

 

[elmo_1968]

This is probably pretty accurate imo. I've watched every Deadliest Catch and I'm still entertained by a bunch of nuts catching crab. The captains are basically celebrities now and most of them certainly play to the camera, but with a job that is that dangerous, taking place in , often times, unpredictable conditions, there probably isn't a whole lot of room to set up staged events that would be worth a shit on camera.

Funny side story, my brother's father in law took a fishing trip in Alaska and they were shacked up in a little town and went down to the local pub, and there was Jonathon Hillstrand just sitting at the bar drinking a draft like every other local. Said he talked to him for a few minutes and he was just a down to earth local.

Ax Men I completely agree, if not lower than a 4. I really liked the first season, but after that, it seemed every episode was completely staged and scripted with every cast member doing their best to make a memorable segment every time they got on camera. While the constant screw ups of S&S were hilarious the first season and half, they quickly became unbearable and over the top fake after that.

I read this about Sig Hansen recently:
"Aside from the ubiquitous cameras, Hansen

 

[Zeroinnes]

I've watched Bait Car a few times. I'd guess that it's completely real but then again, it's on TruTV...

 

[elmo_1968]

I've watched Bait Car a few times. I'd guess that it's completely real but then again, it's on TruTV...

This is a tough call. The police would get in a lot of trouble if they fabricated evidence, but if TruTV ran a show that wasn't fake the earth would implode.

 

[markulous]

I was on a reality show for one episode and it wasn't very real. They took real issues and had us reenact them over and over while they embellished them also. Of course the issues were solved within a few days by some Hollywood psychologist that doesn't give a rats ass about anything.

 

[BJJscion]

Deadliest Catch will always be my favorite reality show. I agree with the 9 rating. From what I can observe, the only reason why the skippers talk to the cameras in the wheelhouse is because the camera man/producer asks them stuff.

Ice Road Truckers had my attention for a while; Alex Debogorski seemed like a real cool guy to me, followed by Lisa Kelly. It's been a long while since I've seen the show, so I can't rate the realness of it. :icon_sad:

Anybody remember the Joe Schmo Show? I only saw a few episodes, including the finale; it was kinda funny.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

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

no. they dont really have the typical over-the-top personalities to warrant that suspicion, and if they do for the voting, i don't think anyone has ever listened. there's been a lot of boring ass winners.

big brother coaches the shit out of the confessionals and it's pretty painful. production also tries to skew the game in certain directions to varying degrees of success, but how the contestants maneuver themselves through the game seems pretty legit to me.

 

[D Train]

Duck Dynasty is hilarious, but it may as well be a sitcom.

 

[IgnorantBloke]

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" is a 8. Obviously the ship, the traveling and who they encounter are real but I think some of the crew interaction might be fabricated. I mean a Klingon is by far the funniest person on the ship, Lieutenant Worf, really? That's clearly some affirmative action BS.

 

[ZappBrannigan]

Ive read online that gold rush show is set up a bit. I feel it to be a 7/10.

I agree with TS though. That operation repo show is so fn stupid. They moonshiner show is also whack.

 

[Plutoburn]

Youtube is probably the last bastion of reality tv.


If we are discussing strictly TV, then shows like National Geographics and Discovery are probably the only one with some semblance of reality.

 

[D Train]

Pawn Stars is clearly set up, but I love it.

 

[Asmitt09]

Pawn Stars is clearly set up, but I love it.

It definitely is but I also think with how damn famous it is now they probably don't have to fake some because everyone with anything interesting is gonna try to go there.

 

[Jballer]

Pawn Stars is clearly set up, but I love it.

What really kills it is the corny scripted dialouge usually at the end of the episode

 

[elmo_1968]

Ive read online that gold rush show is set up a bit. I feel it to be a 7/10.

I agree with TS though. That operation repo show is so fn stupid. They moonshiner show is also whack.

I thought "Bering Sea Gold" seemed more scripted than "Gold Rush", but I'm not going to fight someone for impugning Gold Rush, either.

On BSG they have all this drama w/ the chick and her boss which doesn't seem real.

 

[Juventud]

I know it's not reality, but i've been to a couple of wrestling shows.

TNA Impact, and a new wrestling show being shot for a pilot, and they had people telling the audience what to do.

I got to see how a TV production operated, and it was pretty eye-opening.
Everything is planned out.

 

[Merlotte's]

I live in Alaska. I have several friends on TV shows. Before being on the shows they were aspiring actors/actresses. Most shows are planned out, and if something TV worthy happens even if its emotional they do takes. Its TV.

I still drink sometimes with those Flying Wild Alaska girls. They're not slutty though, a real waste if you ask me.

 

[Big Nic]

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 don't know which cooking show your friend was on, but I question his assertion. I've watched top chef, chopped and many other cooking reality shows over the years, and I've never gotten the strong impression that the results were staged. Of course, I can't taste the food, but I say this because many of the winners are not the most interesting people, or even close to it. The two winners of Top Chef Canada seemed boring as shit.

What I don't think is staged is the enormous ego's of many of the participants. I don't know how many times the critics and the public will say somebodies food sucked, and that person is in utter shock and claims that their dish was perfect.