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Reality Shows: The Latest Era In Tv ViewingBy: Isaak Pratt Home Shopping-and-Product-Reviews Book-Reviews

Truth shows, 1 of the newly invented genres of television, are now becoming a the in thing among the viewers across the globe. Truth television covers a wide range of programming formats, from games to quiz exhibits from adventures to singing competitions like Australian Idol.

Reality Tv is growing at a phenomenal rate in India.Thanks goes to the reality tv Stars that launched the ever common shows present on the little screen 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' anchored by the millennium man Amitabh Bachhan.This show has changed the way indian TV is today. This show started the never ending race of thereality type. Good or bad its here to stay

These days the TV is running with hundreds of New reality tv Stars shows across

the television. Ranges from numerous artistic domains including quiz, talent hunt, bride hunt and several other adventure reality displays, the Indian Tv is nowflooded with truth type Television interest.

The list includes 'MTV roadies', 'MTV Bakra', 'the great Indian Laughter Challenge', 'The Ideal Bride', 'Big Boss- Season 1, 2 &3', 'Dus ka Dum' and 'Mujhe Is Jungle Se Bachao' etc. All these exhibits have 1 thing in common and that's the format they are based on. All these shows run without a pre-written script and display real time expressions from the participants. Whether its grief, happiness,sorrow or a smile all the expressions seem real on the screen with no added gimmick.

The well acknowledged Australian writer Vaughn Alaine-Marshall has revealed the

behind-the-scene look at the contestants in a extremely aggressive manner. His novel berstar (www.uberstarthebook.com) published by Hendlin Books (www.hendlinbooks.com), is a venture into the real world of realityTV

Uberstar shares every detail whether small or big in an entertaining manner andit offers a real in depth look at the Indian Reality Tv shows that couldn't be found anywhere else. The dirtiest secretsare revealed from the reality Tv in India within the book . The large secrets and in-house romances from the contestantswithin the present 'Big Boss' or the real story behind the 21 highly inflammable questions about the participants in controversial 'Such ka Samna' is perfectlytold in this book.

All the drama is covered in the book.And believe there is lots of that when it comes to Reality TV. The information revealed within the book is so touchy that it couldn't be believed at the initial glance and adds more spice in reading. Uberstar reveals a from the behind the camera experience that shouldn't be missed

Reality shows are the easiest way to obtain a clear focus on the individual status with the participants. These are the best way to get the limelight. Undoubtedly these truth shows not only augmented the TRP ratings but also have dominatedthe lives from the of the masses. Millions of people across the world are completely obsessed and addicted to the domain of Certainty television and enjoy thesedisplays continuously week after week.

Reality Television and the stars it creates are unique and different. The way th

ey are groomed through the show either creates stars or duds. Dr Marshall captures the real trials and tribulations of the contestants and goes through all theway revealing the pain and anguish they experience.

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Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Reality-Shows--The-Latest-Era-In-Tv-Viewing/1611404#ixzz1DU1WaBusUnder Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

REALITY TV: ENTERTAINMENT HISTORYArts August 27, 2008 Share--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reality TV is the new mantra of television producers and channel executives. It

is the means to increase TRP ratings and the end is always to outdo the other channels and the similar-but-tweaked-here-and-there shows churned out by the competition.

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So fierce is the competition in this segment that every channel boasts of at least two to three reality shows. Some of them are inherited legally from abroad, (mostly and always from the USA the Godmother of reality television) or some arecheap copies of the shows abroad.

If one channel boasts of Jhalak Diklaja, a take on the American dance reality show

Dancing with the Stars, then another one has Nach Baliye to offset its audience value. Both the shows boast of television heavyweights, but at times, the soup served by these shows becomes a concoction of soap operas, bad production values andprecarious mud slinging. Unlike its foreign contemporary where contestants master classic dance styles like the jive, rumba-samba, ballroom etc, these shows make the contestants dance on ordinary Hindi songs which makes the show quite mundane.

Then there are the glitzy talent shows, mostly singing or dancing, which make usall feel that any other talent is worthless unless it can be taken to the stage. The worst seems to be the addition of children to these shows. Apart from thevery obvious labour of shooting these shows, the most disturbing issue is the un

earthiness of dance, crude choices of songs and impolite costumes for children aged between 5 and 10. These shows (apart from becoming platforms for movies to be publicized) also produce talent which very soon goes into anonymity.

There are other brands of reality shows quizzes. The Bournvita Quiz Contest remained and will always remain, for me without doubt, the epitome of dignified, knowledgeable and a polished format of fun and delight for children and adults alike.Derek O Brien will forever remain the consummate host who set trends for futureknowledge based game shows. The only contemporary who stands shoulder to shoulder with him is the ageless Siddhartha Basu, whose Mastermind India produced geniuses par excellence from amongst us. In recent times, Amitabh Bachchan brought himself out from oblivion along with respect for the medium of television, in the incomparable show Kaun Banega Crorepati, a reproduction of the hit Who wants to be a

Millionare. Shah Rukh Khan hosted the same show with enviable enthusiasm and alsobrought out the desi version of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader, though without much success.

In this regard, we must mention, we must mention Neena Guptas brilliant yet sarcastic take on The Weakest Link, which did not go down well with the audience due tothe stinging scorns by the hostess. The latest entrant into this segment is Salman Khan with his new show Dus ka Dum.

MTV brought out two reality shows centered around todays youth. Roadies, especiallyRoadies 5.0 along with Splitsvilla served as new versions of reality which got theyouth hooked on to their idiot boxes, me being no exception. These shows depicted the mindset of the youth and their expressions which were well received (though it was very tasteless at times).

The chief question is where did it all start?

Without a doubt, USA is the mother of this concept though European countries have given sizeable contributions as well.

The genre came on to its own in the very between the latter parts of the 20th century and the early 21st century, it existed from late 1940s in America. Allen Funts Candid Camera is often described as the granddaddy of reality television. Shows like Beat the Clock, Truth or Consequences, Ted Macks Original Amateur Hour, Arthodfreys Talent Scouts, You Asked For It showed contests, practical jokes, stunts, ama

teur competition, audience voting and selections dictating the shows trajectory .

Beauty pageants gained light after the Miss America beauty pageant attained heady

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success since its broadcast in 1954. The winners often got instant celebrity status. This laid the ground for international beauty pageants like the Miss Universe and the Miss World,, both of which began very successful journeys in the 1950s and continue till date with record participation and audience viewership from across the globe.

Modern reality television featuring participants who were more than raring to le

t go off their confidentiality and decorum to attain their very precious yet fleeting five minutes of fame began in the 70s. Chuck Barris: The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show brought out the early version of the brazenness that we see today in reality shows across the world.

Cops, which began airing in 1989, brought out the camcorder filming style to reality television. The concept of heavy soundtracks being used to confessional roomvideos were pioneered by the series Nummer 28 which was a Dutch production. Survivor had its basis on the Swedish show Expedition Robinson, created by TV producer Charlie Parsons, and began airing in 1997.

The 21st century brought with it multiple reality shows which hit the bulls eye w

ith precision.American Idol

is one such show which has been reproduced in possibly every part of the globe. Other shows like Survivor,

Top Model, Dancing With The Stars, The Apprentice, Fear Factor and Big Brother halso had a global impact, having each been successfully syndicated in dozens of countries.

Project Runway, Americas Next Top Model and The Simple Life have all racked audiencpreciation. So much is the effect of such shows that in April 2008, the Academyof Television Arts and Sciences announced it will give its very first PrimetimeEmmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality Show or Reality Competition.

Another type of reality show involves celebrities. Very often, these show a star

going about their everyday life: examples include The Anna Nicole Show, The Osbournes, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, Hey Paula! and Hogan Knows Best. VH1 has createdntire chunk of shows devoted to celebrity reality, known as Celebreality.

In India, reality television came with the advent of Sa Re Ga Ma. Consequently, the flood gates opened and reality television has swamped our television screens and lives alike. Though these shows make for interesting viewing, they become monotonous and unrealistic. It is obvious that the show has been scripted, even ifloosely.

The apparent rudeness in these shows seems to be depicted as if it is an acceptable norm in the society (which it is clearly not). In a competitive scenario asis in our colleges, there is only one top spot; and yet I have never seen any kind of offensiveness. I completely agree that incentives vary. We cannot and should not compare academic excellence with trivial shows and the money it generatesbut what is appalling is that we mock our own value and educational system through our behaviour in such scenarios.

Reality television should stay and it must, as entertainment is required, but Ibelieve that it must be regulated. It is high time we see what young children are watching and doing on television

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Indian reality TV is Bollywood show all the way!IANSPosted on Feb 05, 2011 at 11:59am ISTShare Can you imagine Kaun Banega Crorepati without mega star Amitabh Bachchan?Or Indian Idol without composer Anu Malik? In a celebrity-obsessed nation, evenreality shows that aim to make a star out of the common man are driven by Bollyw

ood faces.

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"Whatever happens, reality shows will always need some face value - whether in the form of celebrity contestants, judges or hosts," Namit Sharma, head of Wizcraft Television, told IANS.

Not even a single ongoing reality show - Zor Ka Jhatka, Chak Dhoom Dhoom Team Challenge, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Dance India Dance Doubles and Maa Exchange among ot

hers - is without a celebrity.

"These shows are big ticket properties that have to deliver ratings and for thatthey have to attract a big audience, so we need celebrity faces for that. Evenif the success or failure of the shows ultimately depends on the content, a celebrity face is needed to front a reality show - it could be Pravesh Rana or Amitabh Bachchan...and that's the range!!!" Sharma explained.

Amitabh kicked off the trend with STAR Plus' Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000. Since then, though reality show formats have primarily involved the general public,big names from showbiz have never been absent.

Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Mithun Chakraborty, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra and the likes have already had their stint with TV, while Hrithik Roshan and Sanjay Dutt are lined up to make their debut soon.

In fact, celebrities like Farah Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Anu Malik and many other singers and composers are now a staple on India's reality show scene.

Niret Alva, executive chairman and co-founder of Miditech, laments that the market in India is not mature enough to think of formats sans the glamour quotient.

"In the West, there are beautiful formats, which are not high cost, which do nothave celebs and yet they work thanks to powerful storytelling. It's sad that ina country of 1.2 billion people, we are still celebrity-obsessed.

"Hopefully, over time the scenario will change and channels will start focussingon making stars out of the ordinary man."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher is as blunt as it gets. He says forget television, nobusiness works without Bollywood these days.

"It's strange that the platform which was for common people has become celebrity-driven, but I think without actors and Hindi cinema nothing works, no nationalpaper, no news channel and, similarly, no reality show," Anupam told IANS.

"Cinema is an integral part of everybody's life and an actor's life - what he does or doesn't do - make top stories in every medium - print, online or electroni

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c. That is the time we are living in," he added.

For an audience that is comfortable shelling out only Rs 200 to Rs 500 for cableTV or DTH services every month, channels are pouring millions into Bollywood stars' pockets and on elaborate sets just for the sake of some publicity.

According to industry estimates, celebrities get anything between Rs.100,000 andRs.10 million per episode. The pay package can be much more when actors like Amitabh, Shah Rukh, Salman and Akshay are on board.

Sometimes the cost of the celebrity is more than the entire cost of producing the show but, as Sharma points out, "What's the point of producing a show in a tight budget which nobody sees?"

So, for channels, it's all worth it!

"Celebrity presence cannot be just measured in the slot rating or the rating oftheir show. Their presence creates a lot of buzz, attracts attention to the channel, there is a lot of PR (public relations)...and it can have a positive rub off on imagery and perception. All these things are important for a brand and haveimmense value," explained Nikhil Madhok, senior director, Marketing and Communications, Imagine TV.

Nevertheless, Ashvini Yardi, programming head of Colors, believes "there has tobe a direct connect between the celebrity and the viewers".

"A celebrity is important only if he fits the show perfectly. There is no pointin 'force-fitting' shows with celebrities just for publicity," she said.

Reality wave hits Indian televisionApril 08, 2005 10:41 ISTShare

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thisAskUsersWrite aCommentIs the era of soaps and family dramas on television coming to an end? Dopeople prefer a reality show to a prolonged television drama?

Yes! The times are a-changing and the buzzword today is reality shows. These shows are all about formats and television programme producers see a huge opportuni

ty in India for them.

So what are formats and how do they work wonders for broadcasters? With the unprecedented success of programmes like Kaun Banega Crorepati on Star Plus and Indian Idol [ Images ] on Sony, it has been proven that formats are a huge success in India.

KBC and Indian Idol have made history in terms of people's participation and have been great revenue generators as well.

Fabulous formats

The excitement of putting up a show like Indian idol reflects in the elucidationof Sanjiv Sharma (of Optymystix Productions) on what constitutes formats. "Formats can either be dramas or non-dramas. A drama could be something like the Jassi Jaise Koi Nahin and the best illustration of a non-drama programme is Indian Idol. But the fact is there is a lot of drama in non-drama formats, which leads to the programme's success," Sharma said at the session on 'Building successful formats' at the annual entertainment event Frames 2005 organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Mumbai [ Images ].

"The best thing about a reality show is that it is real, it is interactive: theviewers could decide who would be the Indian Idol," he adds.

"Reality shows see the dreams of millions of Indians come true. They relate to t

he characters who appear on the shows, and this makes the shows more meaningfulthan any tearjerker. The money-spinners can be in the form of quiz shows, panelshows, celebrity guest shows which give the audience the power to decide the next move and also be a part of the great show," explains Sharma.

The concept of a format show has evolved over the years; it varies from in different places. And yes, formats work wonders.

"There have been shows like Khulja Sim Sim, a remake of the American show, Let'sMake A Deal. Here the viewer could play and participate in the show. Same withthe case of Kismey Kitnaa Hain Dum, a remake of famous British hit, Night Fever.It featured a karaoke contest where viewers could sing along.

"The best part about these shows is that the viewers went through the trials andtribulations of the participants. Indian Idol was a complete reality show: a reality show and a talent show as well! It was a result of a cleverly constructedscreenplay, which empowered the audience to select their personal favourites soit clicked," Sharma says.

Idol worship

When Freemantle India came to India with the idea of launching Indian Idol, thecompany never imagined that it would take the country by storm.

A remake of the famous hit, Pop Idol, which has set record in all countries, reg

istered historical ratings in India as well.

The ingredients of an ideal reality show is simple, "It must appeal to all. It i

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s a craft, it is a drama that unfolds in front of you," says Gavin Wood, director of production, India Freemantle Media.

"The idea should be original and entertaining. The best part of a reality show is that it guarantees success and there are valuable lessons to be learnt about viewer's tastes and preferences. The reality shows makes sure that the dreams come true and the risk of shattering the dreams of many others," says Wood, who has

tried and tested the format in other Asian countries as well.

Humility was the key to the success of Indian Idol, says Nikhil Alva, Chairman,Miditech, one of India's leading production houses.

"It was difficult to change the 'reality sucks in India mindset.' It was a 24x7nightmare to produce a programme like Indian Idol," says Alva. Indian Idol has changed the mindset of the broadcasters who are more open to reality formats, which are certain to click.

Wood says that the only thing to keep in mind is, "The format should be tested and proven, the content has to be localised, the format should not be altered as

small changes can bring far reaching effects."

"India was an interesting market for us. It was challenging because it wasn't just a singing competition; the size of the production was huge. Dealing with thecrowd, collecting the votes was difficult as we received 35 million votes for the last episode," Wood reveals.

Chances of copying exist but the chances of failures are 90 per cent as people favour only the original show.

After the huge success of Indian Idol, Freemantle Media plans to host in India one of their most popular shows later this year. "We are planning to introduce The Apprentice, later this year. The show will be telecast on the Star network," s

ays Wood.

Agrees Anupama Mandloi, program director, Sony TV, "Reality show is a huge market in India. The search for memorable characters was difficult. We knew that anything to do with music and Bollywood would be addictive. Our success proved that'reality is stranger than fiction'."

Indian formats

"Made-in-India formats have their own charm. It is all about people's participation, journey to fame and a lot of passion and emotion," says Tarun Mehra, vice president (marketing) Zee Network. Highlighting the reality shows on Zee Network,Tarun Mehra said that formats as simple as Antakshari have proved that India has the potential to develop and sustain such formats.

"Antakshari was born on September 3, 1993 and is the oldest running format showin the country with about 600 episodes. More than a million people across the world have auditioned for it. Another success has been Sa Re Ga Ma, which also brought talented singers like Shreya Ghosal [ Images ] to the forefront at a very early age. The recent Cinestar Ki Khoj introduces young talent to the glamorous world of Bollywood.

Announcing Zee's next mega plan, Mehra said, "Our next reality show will be Business Baazigar [ Images ], which the catch-line -- Idea lao, Paise le jao -- a game which will test the intellectual and entrepreneurial capability of people of

different age groups. The whole idea is to bring forth the power of an idea andprovide them the finance to take off," says Mehra.

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Agrees Wood, "India has a great potential to produce its own formats. We may discover some formats that existed earlier and got sidelined or forgotten. We can work on them as well. Indian formats have the potential to go global as the passion and creativity in India grows in the years to come. This will drive the growth of the television industry in India."