What was the last TV show you watched?

[Stand By]

I keep seeing the trailers on TV for "The Bachelorette" - all crying and not getting along and tears and storming out - all in the hope of love …
And I just think: So much drama without meaning.

 

[AmateisGal]

You know what, we get all those shows in Japan too; American Pickers, Counting Cars, American Restoration, Pawn Stars. the thing that strikes me the most is how much they are totally 'cookie cutter' shows. You could swap the people from any of the shows with each other, and it wouldn't make any difference. They all just feel so fake. They are fake 'reality' shows, with a defined 'flavor' (this one is about cars, this one is about antiques). It's 'lazy' TV.

Lazy and cheap.

 

[AmateisGal]

I keep seeing the trailers on TV for "The Bachelorette" - all crying and not getting along and tears and storming out - all in the hope of love …
And I just think: So much drama without meaning.

I refuse to watch any of those "dating" shows. Blech.

 

[2jakes]

You know what, we get all those shows in Japan too; American Pickers, Counting Cars, American Restoration, Pawn Stars. the thing that strikes me the most is how much they are totally 'cookie cutter' shows. You could swap the people from any of the shows with each other, and it wouldn't make any difference. They all just feel so fake. They are fake 'reality' shows, with a defined 'flavor' (this one is about cars, this one is about antiques). It's 'lazy' TV.

I was in television for about 28 years as a news cameraman.

And sometimes I’ll say something that will spoil it for every one watching a show.
I’ve learned to be careful & not do it again. For example:

There’s program of two guys who travel all over the countryside in search of “junk”. but they see it as “gold”.

We see images of the guys talking & relating & shots of the country-side (which is my reason for watching)
Anyway, we are told that they are actually going to a location for the first time, never been there before
& are not sure if the guy is friendly or otherwise.

You see the guys walk up & knock on the door. Next is a shot of the owner opening the door.
Then there is a shot from the inside of the house to show the faces of the two guys outside.

At this point I asked...” so who is doing the shot from the inside of the house ? You think the
owner has his own private camera crew ?"

At this point every body gets upset because they realized it was all a set-up.

 

[Stand By]

I would say that there's no such thing as "reality TV" - and there was just one exception for me that comes to mind. It was a documentary called "The Staircase" and a camera crew followed the proceedings of a (murder) court case and a family as they went through it … now that was reality and very well done. Very engaging (and long) and thought-provoking. Highly recommended. That's what I call reality TV. Everything else is pure drivel.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've been on "History Detectives" twice. Each of my segments, amounting to about five minutes airtime each, took the better part of an entire day to set up, film, set up, film, set up and film. In both cases, I was presented with a scenario that the producers wanted to depict and a "storyline" for the bit, and basically acted it out. I improvised my own words -- in that sense, nothing was "scripted" -- but it was all planned out and nothing was truly spontaneous, and the only parts of the interviews that they used were those that fit the planned-out concept for the segment.

And really, there's no other way to do this type of program. You can't fill half an hour of air time each week without everything being structured and pre-planned, edited and re-edited, into a final product. I doubt anybody in the world, in this media-conscious age, actually thinks any of these shows are actually "real" in the sense that they depict a series of spontaneous events.

 

[Fading Fast]

I've been on "History Detectives" twice. Each of my segments, amounting to about five minutes airtime each, took the better part of an entire day to set up, film, set up, film, set up and film. In both cases, I was presented with a scenario that the producers wanted to depict and a "storyline" for the bit, and basically acted it out. I improvised my own words -- in that sense, nothing was "scripted" -- but it was all planned out and nothing was truly spontaneous, and the only parts of the interviews that they used were those that fit the planned-out concept for the segment.

And really, there's no other way to do this type of program. You can't fill half an hour of air time each week without everything being structured and pre-planned, edited and re-edited, into a final product. I doubt anybody in the world, in this media-conscious age, actually thinks any of these shows are actually "real" in the sense that they depict a series of spontaneous events.

I agree and would draw a distinction between a show like "History Detectives" that has a hokey bit of a "detective" story line and shows like "Pawn Stars" where everything is fake but the item and its history (I hope).

When you watch "HD," unless you are beyond gullible, you know that the detecting was all done well before they decided to shoot an episode, but one assumes, the actually details - the research, the history, the facts and the general outline of the detecting - reflect what happened before they decided to shoot (and I'd bet most / all of the original work was done by staff and not the stars). While a bit cheesy - as when they try to build tension "will I find the answer here -" since it's all been done already - if the history, research, etc. are all real, then I don't begrudge the show - as Lizzie noted - its professional polish as how else could you do it. But I am turned off by shows that create a fully fake narrative around a small amount of history.

That said, I still watch "Pawn Stars," but I treat it like "Antiques Roadshow -" all I care about is the item and what the expert says about it. I fast forward through all the "personal" stuff and false drama. But that show does get some very cool items.

 

[Zombie_61]

...You see the guys walk up & knock on the door. Next is a shot of the owner opening the door.
Then there is a shot from the inside of the house to show the faces of the two guys outside.

At this point I asked...” so who is doing the shot from the inside of the house ? You think the
owner has his own private camera crew ?"...

Over the years I've kept my mouth shut in a number of situations similar to this. These "reality" shows count on the fact that most people don't know how television shows are produced, and those people tend to accept what they see as it's presented without putting too much thought into it.

 

[dh66]

Land of the Lost. Things really start to get weird in season 3, when dad Marshall gets out and Uncle Jack shows up. Not caring much for it.

 

[Touchofevil]

UFC Fight Night
Mir (36 years old) FIRST ROUND knockout..!!
Wow

Saw most of last night's card, but missed Mir vs. Duffee. Good for Mir. Now, I need to watch that forty-five seconds somewhere.

 

[AmateisGal]

A few episodes of Supernatural that I haven't seen.

 

[2jakes]

Over the years I've kept my mouth shut in a number of situations similar to this. These "reality" shows count on the fact that most people don't know how television shows are produced, and those people tend to accept what they see as it's presented without putting too much thought into it.

I agree.

Many folks tell me that they believe these shows are real.

With exceptions like “History Detectives” which I enjoy the investigative nature of their product.

For the most part, the so called “reality” shows seek to promote the notion that this is happening
& not rehearsed.

Although there have been some individuals who aspire for reality, the consequences have made
for a very fatal outcome.

Mr. Steve Irvin of “The Crocodile Hunter” comes to mind.

The reality “show” that I know personally, was my time spent covering the people
and events that I videoed for the television news.

I never cared to watch the news at home unless it was something that was positive that I enjoyed videoing.
Sadly most of the events of the day were negative & didn’t have the need to bring it home.

 

[gwvint]

I've been watching "The Astronaut Wives Club " Love the fashion

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Bellator MMA
On SPIKE

 

[Stearmen]

I've been on "History Detectives" twice. Each of my segments, amounting to about five minutes airtime each, took the better part of an entire day to set up, film, set up, film, set up and film. In both cases, I was presented with a scenario that the producers wanted to depict and a "storyline" for the bit, and basically acted it out. I improvised my own words -- in that sense, nothing was "scripted" -- but it was all planned out and nothing was truly spontaneous, and the only parts of the interviews that they used were those that fit the planned-out concept for the segment.

And really, there's no other way to do this type of program. You can't fill half an hour of air time each week without everything being structured and pre-planned, edited and re-edited, into a final product. I doubt anybody in the world, in this media-conscious age, actually thinks any of these shows are actually "real" in the sense that they depict a series of spontaneous events.

Conversely, on shows like American Choppers, they would just film and film and film, then make an hour long show. Like the kid said, a month of film, and they would only air the 10 minutes they were fighting. He said, you would think that him and his Dad were constantly fighting, from sun up to sun down!

 

[Stearmen]

The last episode of Top Gear. Kind of funny! I know it is a scripted show, and not real, but I will miss it. There are roomers, the three are going to do a show for Netflix. I guise, that would let the Orangutang go Free Range!

 

[Zombie_61]

The last episode of Top Gear. Kind of funny! I know it is a scripted show, and not real, but I will miss it. There are roomers, the three are going to do a show for Netflix. I guise, that would let the Orangutang go Free Range!

I watched that as well, and appreciated the "elephant in the room" visual gag when Hamster and Captain Slow were in the studio.

Technically speaking, Clarkson was not fired--the BBC simply refused to renew his contract. Considering Top Gear with this specific threesome as hosts was extremely popular and a big money maker for the BBC, another rumor is that they may return after a season or two when everything has blown over, especially if the new hosts (whoever they might be) aren't as popular and the BBC loses money (or doesn't make as much) as a result. But they're just rumors; time will tell.

 

[Touchofevil]

Wayward Pines and Daredevil

 

[HoosierDaddy]

UFC from Scotland
on FOXSPORTS1

 

[Touchofevil]

UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites
It started at 8:00 a.m. (Because it is in Scotland) which worked out fine for me as I had been up for a few hours already.