Posted by Smalls at adsl-63-196-58-145.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net on January 20, 2004 at 13:36:51:
In Reply to: speaking of Idol, please tell me why posted by Nixx_is_a_girl on January 20, 2004 at 13:24:58:
95% of reality television is made, not because it's "what the audience wants"... not because it even gets good ratings... but because it is obscenely cheap to make.
And that's why it's all such lazy crap as well. If you can produce an hour-long reality show for 10% the cost of an hour-long drama or two half-hour comedies, who the hell cares if you only get 30% of the audience, you're probably making far more money-to-investment than with real television.
Which sucks.
Because then... yes... since most reality shows on television are ripoffs of other reality shows from Europe or Japan, you can then... after the sheep have gobbled up your crap about seven horny models in a house eating worms and singing showtunes... throw the original show on teevee for almost nothing (because the two channels in the two different countries are probably held by the same multi-national...) to hold another slot for a while.
And who cares if THAT gets 10% of the given timeslot, you essentially got it for free from another part of the same megacorporation you answer to about the bottom-line anyway.
It's not about entertaining you, it's not about even mugging for the lowest common denominator...
It's about dicking over writers and actors by dangling paltry prizes and fifteen minutes of fame in front of sexy morons from Topeka.
Blah.
Mike