Q&A with TV Week

Image Courtesy of ten play.com.au

Emma Norris, a Journalist from TV Week, took some time out during her busy week of covering the 56th Logie Awards for a quick Q&A about Reality TV and the impact it’s having on the Logie Awards.

Q. Scott Cam won the Gold Logie and beat big TV personalities such as Asher Keddie and Andy Lee, do you think this says a lot about Reality TV and just how popular it is?

A. Absolutely! I have to admit I was a little surprised about Scott picking up the Gold Logie, I thought that Asher Keddie would have had it in the bag for sure. I think it all comes back to the huge following reality shows like The Block have in Australia, not only do viewers fall in love with the shows but they also fall in love with the people in them (and Scott has hosted The Block for a good five years.) I think it also comes back to the relatable ‘every man’ factor- Scott Cam is a carpenter (and I suppose, a ‘typical Aussie larrikin’) who has been able to carve out a successful career in the media, which would certainly ramp up his popularity.

Q. Is Reality TV becoming more and more popular?

A. I would say that over the last decade reality TV has become just as popular, if not more, than scripted programs. I think their success can be partially attributed to the fact that compared to a lot of scripted TV shows, reality shows can be quite low-cost to produce but still reel in a huge audience. My prediction is that in the future as new show formats emerge, the popularity of reality TV is just going to continue to grow and grow.

Q. MKR won the Logie for the Most Popular Reality TV Program, was that a shock?

A. Not at all! This series of My Kitchen Rules has consistently dominated its time slot in terms of ratings, so it definitely has a huge fan following! Not only that, but there’s been so much hype and drama around the show (whether it’s the feud between Kelly and Chloe and Vikki and Helena or the speculated flirting between Bianca and Christo) that it’s kept people talking throughout the whole series- and that counts for a lot. I did think that The Block Sky High was in with a chance in this category, but ultimately it’s no surprise that My Kitchen Rules was the fan favourite.

Q. What do you think makes that show so popular?

A. It’s all about the drama! While I’m sure people do enjoy the cooking aspect of it (Australians are becoming more and more obsessed with cuisine and fine dining, and that is reflected in the growing popularity of shows like MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules) it’s the conflict between contestants that keeps people watching! I also think that shows like My Kitchen Rules appeal to the ‘every man’. Unlike reality shows like Real Housewives of Melbourne or Australia’s Next Top Model (which could be described as ‘aspirational’) viewers find the contestants on My Kitchen Rules relatable, which in turn makes them more invested in what goes on in the show.

 

A Look at the Logies

The Block host Scott Cam has won the Gold Logie for 2014. The carpenter turned television presenter thanked former producers who assisted him early in his career, cameramen, the Nine network, his co-host Shelly Craft, Block judges and of course his family.

While accepting his award he said, “This is really fantastic – to be in this position you’ve got to have a great show to work on and I’ve got a great show with The Block. We put together a show that families and kids love to watch. I really love being part of the Channel Nine family. They’ve been extremely loyal to me.” He finished by joking, “I guarantee you this will not be a door stop at my place.”

Scott Cam takes home the Gold Logie for 2014. Photo Courtesy of http://iris.theaureview.com

 

Scott Cam was up against five other nominees for the Most Popular Personality on TV. They were:

• Andy Lee (Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year Asia, Nine Network)

• Asher Keddie (Nina Proudman, Offspring, Network Ten)

• Carrie Bickmore (The Project, Network Ten)

• Essie Davis (Phryne Fisher, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, ABC1)

• Stephen Peacocke (Darryl ‘Brax’ Braxton, Home and Away, Channel Seven)

With Cam taking out the Gold Logie for 2014, this is a big win for Reality TV. Having gone up against such popular and strong personalities such Andy Lee and Asher Keddie, (2013’s Gold Logie winner) and beaten them, demonstrates just how popular Reality TV really is.

While Scott Cam may have won the Gold Logie, My Kitchen Rules beat not one, but two series of The Block – Sky High and All Stars in the category of Most Popular Reality TV show. Manu seemed a little overwhelmed as he accepted the award. “The final is on Tuesday so watch it again, because we’re amazing,” he said.

While the Logies are over for another year, we still have a lot to look forward to with Australian Reality TV shows. Tomorrow is the season premiere of House Rules and coming up is the final for So You Think You Can Dance Australia. The Voice and The Voice Kids is also set to hit our screens soon and another season of The Block will air towards the end of the year. Watch this space for more information on these shows.

Life on Mars

This is just amazing. This a post written by a fellow student in my class. This show, if it goes ahead, again proves the point that there is literally a Reality TV show for everything! No matter how crazy you think the idea might be, a TV show can almost always be made from it. How it will work remains to be said, it will be interesting to see if it goes ahead.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

Image source: http://www.webpronews.com

There’s an endless stream of reality shows out there. There’s the cooking shows; Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules, the renovation shows; The Block, the singing contests; The Voice and The X-Factor, the let’s-lock-people-in-a-house-together-and-see-what-happens shows; Big Brother. But a reality show that will help choose 40 people that will be sent to Mars on a one-way ticket? Yes, you read that right.

Mars One (based in the Netherlands) is busy making plans which will see humans inhabit and live permanently on Mars by 2025. The organisation intends to launch a reality show that will help decide just who will be among the 40 people heading on a one-way trip to the red planet.

Over a thousand candidates have survived the first round of the application process (more than 200,000 applied since April last year). As the remaining candidates go through new tests and simulations in the next phase…

View original post 195 more words

Reality TV vs. An Unborn baby

Josie Cunningham will stop at nothing to get her dream of stardom. Photo courtesy of http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/04/20/British-glam-model-to-abort-baby-to-appear-on-big-brother

There are thousands of young adults out there willing to do anything in order to make it onto Reality TV and get their five minutes of fame. One wannabe superstar has gone too far.

Josie Cunningham, a pregnant British escort wants to be a famous glamour model and she will stop at nothing to make her dreams come true, including aborting her unborn baby.

Ms Cunningham told the Sunday Mirror that she’ll have an abortion now that she’s been offered a spot on the reality TV show Big Brother. The mother of two told the British newspaper that she does not want being pregnant to hold her back while she chases fame. She says, “I’m finally on the verge of becoming famous and I’m not going to ruin it now.”

“An abortion will further my career. This time next year I won’t have a baby. Instead, I’ll be famous, driving a bright pink Range Rover and buying a big house. Nothing will get in my way. I’ve also had loads of other offers to further my career – and I’m not willing to give them up because I’m pregnant.”

Ms Cunningham who fell pregnant while sleeping with one of her escort clients is 18 weeks pregnant. Her reasoning for having an abortion falls outside the British National Health Services guidelines and the 1967 Abortion Act which states that, “terminations may be carried out if continuing the pregnancy would damage a woman’s physical or mental health.” Because of this, she is seeking an abortion from a private clinic.

The Sunday Mirror conducted a poll which showed that 92 per cent of respondents would refuse to watch the TV show Big Brother if she appeared after having an abortion.

Will she get on the show? Only time will tell. Watch this space for more information.

The Block Kicks Down My Kitchen Rules

Last night’s The Block: Fans vs Faves final smashed TV ratings and knocked rival show My Kitchen Rules down to fourth position on the ratings list.

Across the five major capitals, almost 2.2 million Australians tuned in to watch the Blockheads go to auction. When including the regional figure, ratings sore to almost 3.1 million.

In a strategic move by the Nine network, they split their finales into different segments in order to bump off their rivals from the top spot. The successful move saw the Reality TV show claim the top three positions in last night ratings.

In a shocking finale, The Block snagged over 2 million viewers. Photo courtesy of http://www.smh.com.au

The “winners announcement” portion of The Block nabbed 2.18 million viewers; the auctions netted 2.16 million while the rest of the episode was watched by 1.89 million.

Channel’s Seven’s My Kitchen Rules followed in fourth place with 1.65 million viewers.

While these ratings are impressive, they are disappointing when compared to The Block’s previous season, Sky High, where the winner’s announcement was watched by 2.81 million people across the five major capitals.

This year’s auctions of the couple’s apartments were possibly one of the most nail-biting and intense auctions than any previous season. Each team broke the record for the highest profit made in the show’s history and took away over $500 000 each.

In the end, underdogs Chantelle Ford and Steve O’Donnell took the title for winners of The Block: Fans vs Faves.  Their apartment sold for $2 470 000, an incredible $636,000 above their reserve price.

The Block has already begun filming for it’s next season and it set to air later this year.

How Real is Reality?

Real Housewives of Melbourne star Jackie Gillies has blamed editing for her perceived name-dropping on the Reality TV series.

The star has been publicly criticised for her repeated references to her “rock star” husband, Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies, on the show.

Gillies told Nova FM, “ I actually only say it like twice on the show and editing makes it sound like I say it a million times. It’s so embarrassing. That’s the only thing that I wasn’t used to with this whole TV editing.”

So it seems Reality TV isn’t as real as we are led to believe. Producers will manipulate the footage they have to make it more entertaining and more controversial in order to get more viewers.

Former Hills star Audrina Patridge, has also given Reality TV fans a reality check by revealing to Celebuzz that most of the bitchy catfights, backstabbing, coincidental run-ins, tears and tantrums were pretty much all staged.

“It’s really a mixture… some of it was real and some of it was very guided and manipulated and kind of verbally scripted. We would always have to keep our phones with us filming a scene… if we were at lunch they’d text us like, ‘Ask her this’ or ‘Try to get this out of them,” says Audrina.

How much of what we see on Reality TV is real? Image courtesy of licelalgecera.wordpress.com

Another former Hills star that has shed light on the not-so-real Reality TV show is Kristin Cavallari. She told E! News, “I faked relationships and I faked fights. They [producers] really just manipulated situations and put us in situations that we normally wouldn’t have been in, or we’d have to film something that maybe happened a month ago or hasn’t happened yet.”

Admittedly Reality TV shows such as Real Housewives of Melbourne and The Hills are shows that thrive solely on controversy and drama. But what about shows like My Kitchen Rules, The Block, MasterChef and The Voice? These are shows that have other focuses but still also entice viewers by the drama that occurs between contestants. How real are these shows? Watch this space for more info.

Reality TV, A Pathway to a Better Future

Former Laguna Beach and Hills star Lauren Conrad (LC) is at the top of game and it’s all thanks to Reality TV. Although she may not have a TV crew following her around anymore, the reality star-turned fashion designer and author is still a major celebrity. Miss Conrad appears on the cover of next months Allure magazine, where she opens up about her reality TV past, her fiancé William Tell and her career.

Lauren Conrad has used her Reality TV past to her advantage. Image courtesy of desareesoto.blogspot.com.au

The now 28-year-old first came into the starlight at the age of 18 when she was cast in the reality television series Laguna Beach. She then went on to star the spin-off series, The Hills, which documented the lives of herself and her friends.

LC says that doing the popular MTV series definitely changed her for the better. “Doing reality television for such a long time made a big difference,” she explains to Allure magazine. “People were in my bedroom. You have to represent yourself well no matter what you do.”

Unlike many of her former Laguna Beach and Hills co-workers who have long been forgotten, Lauren managed to leave the show with her reputation intact (which definitely can’t be said for Heidi and Spencer) and today, she’s at the height of career.

Without shooting to stardom in her hit Reality TV shows, it’s highly possible that LC wouldn’t have the same successful career she has today. The same can be said for a many other Australian Reality TV stars turned celebrities. For example, Blair McDonough first came into the limelight in 2001, when he finished runner-up in the Reality TV series Big Brother Australia. Since then, he’s appeared on TV shows such as Sea Patrol, Neighbours and Winners and Losers. Blair told the Herald Sun, “Big Brother was the series that launched my TV career, it got my name out there.”

Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald (Big Brother) and Sophie Monk (Pop Stars) are just two other examples of how people turn their 15 minutes of fame on a Reality TV show into bigger and better things. Both Fitzy and Sophie have gone on to have successful career are now hosting popular Sydney radio programs.

More than just Besties

The beloved My Kitchen Rules contestants Carly and Tresne today revealed that they are actually in a committed relationship. The NSW due, promoted as best friends who live together, revealed in a exclusive interview with New Idea that they have been a couple for eight years and had a commitment ceremony two years ago.

The bright and bubbly MKR contestants reveal the truth about their relationship. Photo Courtesy of Yahoo News

The girls had asked producers not to reveal their relationship, as they didn’t want to be judged by their sexual preference. Food Technology teacher Carly, explained to Channel 7’s Sunrise, “We wanted to go on the show as ourselves and have people judge us on our cooking and not our sexual preference.”

Carly added that although Australia is a very open-minded country, they felt Australia might have treated them differently if they had gone on the show as a lesbian couple. It is a cooking show after all, so they wanted their cooking to shine before people knew that private part of their lives.

Estate agent, Tresne, also revealed that, “We applied to be on MKR and said we were best friends … but producers picked up we were a couple straight away.”

MKR executiveproducer, Evan Wilkes told news.com.au that the show respected Carly and Trene’s decision not to disclose their relationship. However, the friendly, quirky couple, which have won viewer’s hearts since entering the show as gatecrashers, said that the timing felt right for them to reveal this private part of their lives. Carly said, “It wasn’t something that we planned to do, but it just happened really organically. We want to be a role model for people in the same situation.”

MKR Judge Manu Feildel’s commented on the 2Day FM breakfast show, “We don’t care what relationship they are in. We judge their food. It doesn’t change anything with Pete and I.”

However, it’s obvious that viewers care about much more than just the food. The fact that this revelation has made major headlines across Australia clearly demonstrates the impact that Reality TV stars have and just how involved viewers get in every aspect of their lives.

Welcome to Reality TV

You’ve finally got a minute to yourself so you plonk yourself down on the couch, turn the television on and start channel-surfing. You come across a show where couples are racing around the world in competition with other couples. You change the channel again and see young teenage mums living out their drama-filled lives.

On channel after channel it seems we are being bombarded with Reality TV, but it appears that Australia loves it!

With Channel 7’s, My Kitchen Rules and Channel 9’s, The Block taking out first and second position in TV Ratings for Monday, 10^th March, it’s evident that Reality TV is taking up a large portion of our viewing time.

While no one could ever replace Joey, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica, Ross and Rachel from Friends, we are also finding ourselves rooting for Carly and Tresne on My Kitchen Rules or Dale and Sophie on The Block.

The genre of Reality TV now encompasses a plethora of unscripted dramas. Anything from weight loss journeys to dating shows to make-over shows to, just about any competition you can think of, plus a few more, can now be seen our television screens.

Just a selection of the Reality TV shows available to us at the touch of a remote. Image courtesy of http://www.theprofessionalsprogram.com

It’s our curious minds and the competitive streaks in us that draw us to such shows. You can’t explain why you must know who Lauren Conrad is hating and loving on The Hills, you just need to know! It’s the same with your favourite couple on The Block, you need them to win, otherwise… well, they just have to win!

Within this blog, I will look at all things Reality TV. What are the latest Reality TV shows? What are they like? Why do we watch them? What kinds of people go on these shows? Nothing will be left uncovered. Welcome to Reality TV.