Reality Bites

Our television screens are cluttered with reality shows. Be it the obvious such as the X-Factor, Strictly Come Dancing or The Apprentice, to the more obscure, Channel 4's Seven Days or The Family.

The face of television is ever changing and even soaps are getting in on the act. You could argue that screening a live episode, ala Coronation Street's 50th Anniversary episode tonight, is tapping into the reality style format of everything happening as you watch and unfolding on screen, with endless possibilities of what could happen.

Reality shows, love them or hate them, are everywhere and every other show seems to be one. 

There was a time when these shows were innovative and interesting, when Big Brother started in 2000 it signaled a change in television formats and was seen as more of a social experiment rather than a form of entertainment. However, as it had its 11th and final series this year,  it makes me wonder if this marks the end of reality shows as we know them? The idea of watching people's lives on a weekly basis and then voting for who we like or don't like to go home, could this be taken over by more docu-soap shows such as Seven Days? 

I know shows like the X-Factor are still proving popular and hitting the million plus mark for viewers, however, the backlash to contestants this year is probably the harshest it's ever been. When before have we seen so many column inches of poison aimed at contestants like there has been over Wagner, Katie Wassiel and Cher Lloyd. Even Jedward didn't get as much hatred as these people and to be fair they were far more annoying.

I think in many ways the hatred aimed at them, is that these contestants are given the chance of a lifetime (for fame or a job in the case of the Apprentice) and most of the public do not find them worthy of being able to receive that privilege. Who hasn't thought that Stuart Baggs should not still be in The Apprentice, when he comes across as arrogant, and immature. If you interviewed him for a job would you give it to him?
I think in the current climate of people losing their jobs left, right and centre, most people probably think they can do a better job than him with no business experience. Last night when he was touting outside the ticket office and trying to get customers from Joanna and Chris, his behavior was shameful!


In addition, with the X-Factor the audience does not decide who gets to the live finals, but we have a say in who stays each week, and sometimes it’s the best of a bad bunch, would we have chosen Wagner as our wild card over one of the other contestants in Louis' group?


I must admit I do watch reality shows, but feel the format is tired and boring. We need something else to entertain us, more dramas about either real people or fictional worlds, comedies or documentaries about interesting things. Please for the sanity (and phone bills) of the people of Britain can someone come up with something new and innovative that we can all enjoy.