Reality show overload |
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Zach6848
Junior Executive Joined: 19 Sep 2010 Location: Amishland, Ohio Status: Offline Points: 764 |
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I think the quality shows have just become more concentrated. Like, most of the shows we see now are sh*t, reality shows that the networks can pump out quickly and VERY cheaply. But if you look at some of the shows that are touted as great by most everyone, almost ubiquitously, the production values and quality of those shows are probably better than they've ever been. Sitting down to watch some of these shows is akin to watching a movie for the first time, due to the great cast, the effects and costumes and sets, and some great writers. So it's just become more concentrated, much more potent, in some cases. So while you have to tread through a sea of absolute sh*t, reality shows, awful carbon-copy sitcoms, contest shows, etc. when you do find a legitimately good show, you can bet it will be excellent.
Most networks are catering to the lowest common denominator, but there are a few networks who take a break from that and give something to us, viewers with a discerning eye, that's worth watching. Reality shows are generally cheap, formulaic, easy to produce, easy to come up with, and very easy to get viewers. Look at Hoarders, for an example. There's no lack of content there. There are plenty of people with houses filled to the ceiling with worthless junk, and people are heavily drawn to the 'freakshow' aesthetic. As in, 'look at what these dysfunctional people are doing, isn't it strange?' sort of thing, and people love that sh*t and eat it up. Even those of us here who are more perceptive probably tune in to some of these shows, just to see what insanity is happening on the screen. It's like rubber-necking when you pass a bad car accident on the interstate. It's almost an irresistible instinct. In-general, the shows that actually take alot of money to make, and alot of effort from the people involved, turn out better than you could imagine. Obviously, there are a few outliers to every trend, but it seems to be the case to me that when you discover a good show, it's usually sort of mind-blowing, but you've got to dig through a mountain of bullsh*t to find the diamonds. |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63863 |
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I admit to liking a few of those. I've watched Hoarders and some show about 600lb people. And yes, it's basically to gawk. I also agree with the rest of your post. There've been plenty of good shows over the past few years. The one I like most is The Walking Dead, but Mad Men, Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey and others are considered quality stuff, too. Even the commercials during those shows seem better. |
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i8acannibal
Junior Executive Joined: 19 Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 3497 |
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You can't forget Breaking Bad. AMC has a great lineup of top quality shows. Or Sherlock on PBS. I can't wait for the next season to finally get here.
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Say something clever here...
No, I'm too lazy. Imagine it yourself. |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63863 |
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I wished I'd gotten into that one (Breaking Bad) at the beginning. At this point, I'm not going to watch 5 seasons of it on some binge. I got into the Walking Dead on a weekend binge, but it was only 17 episodes worth. |
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i8acannibal
Junior Executive Joined: 19 Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 3497 |
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I got into it when AMC did the Breaking Bad one night a week marathon. All seasons were split over a couple months. Awesome show that is definitely worth watching if you like Better Call Saul.
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Say something clever here...
No, I'm too lazy. Imagine it yourself. |
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peachblossom666
Junior Executive Joined: 22 Nov 2014 Location: San Diego CA Status: Offline Points: 928 |
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Game of Thrones.
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crainbebo
Junior Executive Joined: 10 Nov 2013 Location: Yakima, WA Status: Offline Points: 3153 |
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There's very few reality shows I like. Mainly shows like American Pickers and Pawn Stars. My family has to watch Dancing with the Stars EVERY Monday night...and the main reason? Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec! Yes, we watch "Shark Tank" and I like Robert...he looks really handsome, and gives off some good deals. Can't stand that Mr. Wonderful Kevin O'Leary. He's the only one that gives royalty deals and too-narrow-of-specifics. "$250,000 for 13%, but I want 75c for each product you make until I make up my $250,000, and then it's 40c...oh and I'll give a 7% royalty on top of that!" If I was on the show, I would ignore Kevin's offers. No fine print.
There are specific "Hoarders" and "Hoarding: Buried Alive" episodes I enjoy - mainly ones where people hoard antiques and electronics. Who knows how many tens of thousands are in antique hoarder's estates. If I had to clean an estate like that, some items would go to me and some items would be donated to antique stores! Unless they are broke, they wouldn't go into the landfill. There were a couple of episodes where hoarders had large lots (thousands) of VHS tapes laying around...plus several VCRs to boot. One hoarder had home-recorded tapes dating back to the early 1980s...imagine how many vintage and rare shows were on those tapes, plus commercials to boot. VHS is slowly becoming a "vintage" video format. |
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Back after a long absence...still hating those commercials. Go away Limu Emu and Doug!
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Ad nauseous
Revolutionary Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 23601 |
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Oh great....
CBS is premiering a new reality show called The Briefcase. Its where somebody opens a briefcase and its revelled what's in it. I wish I making this up. Now they're pulling "ideas" straight outta their asses. Sigh it'll probably be one their "most watched" shows on "America's most watched network" blegh. |
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One good thing about TV-you could always turn it off
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crainbebo
Junior Executive Joined: 10 Nov 2013 Location: Yakima, WA Status: Offline Points: 3153 |
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Oh really? I thought "The Briefcase" was not going to be another frickin reality show. Based off the promo, I thought it was a revival of "The Millionaire" from the 1950s, where an anonymous person gives money to random people...this time in a briefcase.
Looks like CBS has run out of summer options. Of course, Big Brother will be the "most watched" show this summer...bleh. Am I already talking about that show? Wow...time flies, it's almost summertime. ABC is hawking The Bachelorette like crazy...which for me, who cares.
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Back after a long absence...still hating those commercials. Go away Limu Emu and Doug!
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Ad nauseous
Revolutionary Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 23601 |
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Scripted TV isn't much better. "Under The Dome" is back and a new series where animals are turning vicious by James Patterson called "Zoo" is premiering. With that much selection I WILL be looking forward to mowing the lawn to distract me from all this TV crap.
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One good thing about TV-you could always turn it off
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crainbebo
Junior Executive Joined: 10 Nov 2013 Location: Yakima, WA Status: Offline Points: 3153 |
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WOW!
A reality show is cancelled...one that I did not watch at all, and was on ABC, being pummeled by The Big Bang Theory and the rest of the CBS Thursday lineup. http://www.eater.com/2015/5/8/8575273/the-taste-cancelled-abc-anthony-bourdain-nigella-lawson-ludo-marcus-sammuelsson And that "Briefcase" show...a family will receive $101,000 in a briefcase and they have to decide to either keep it all or keep nothing and give it to another family. Is CBS sort-of trying to revive that 1950s show "The Millionaire"...but with less money? We'll see how long that show lasts.
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Back after a long absence...still hating those commercials. Go away Limu Emu and Doug!
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madwoman
Junior Executive Joined: 22 Jul 2014 Location: usa Status: Offline Points: 582 |
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I'm convinced that there are so many "reality" shows because Hollyweird hasn't had many original concepts in years. One network comes up with a concept ("hey, dwarfs!") and suddenly ALL the networks copy it. Dwarfs Pawn shops Storage lockers Hoarding Vocal competition And on, and on.... |
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crainbebo
Junior Executive Joined: 10 Nov 2013 Location: Yakima, WA Status: Offline Points: 3153 |
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Talk about overload! Last night America's Got Talent premiered, Extreme Weight Loss premiered, and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? came back with Jeff Foxworthy after about a 5-year absence. Tonight it's Bullseye on Fox (YUCK!), Celebrity Wife Swap on ABC (double yuck!), a rerun of another stupid reality show called I Can Do That! on NBC and The Briefcase over at CBS. Do the big 4 networks think no one watches TV in the summer? HBO has been my friend so far with movies. Ah, paradise from reality BS.
-crainbebo
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Back after a long absence...still hating those commercials. Go away Limu Emu and Doug!
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usmaak
Junior Executive Joined: 23 Dec 2014 Location: CO Status: Offline Points: 1571 |
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IMO, one reality show constitutes reality show overload. I wish they'd all die.
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i8acannibal
Junior Executive Joined: 19 Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 3497 |
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At least 19 Kids and Counting is getting cancelled. So there's one less. I'm sure 2 will pop up in its place.
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Say something clever here...
No, I'm too lazy. Imagine it yourself. |
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Ad nauseous
Revolutionary Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 23601 |
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Agreed! I can't even stand watching The Voice anymore its gotten so bland! |
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One good thing about TV-you could always turn it off
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Papa Lazarou
Ad Exec Formerly Codtaro Joined: 18 Nov 2011 Location: New Mexico Status: Offline Points: 7710 |
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Banana!
BANANA!! BANANA!!! BANANA!! Banana! |
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crainbebo
Junior Executive Joined: 10 Nov 2013 Location: Yakima, WA Status: Offline Points: 3153 |
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Back after a long absence...still hating those commercials. Go away Limu Emu and Doug!
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crainbebo
Junior Executive Joined: 10 Nov 2013 Location: Yakima, WA Status: Offline Points: 3153 |
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Yes. The Duggars will premiere a new spin off about one of their daughters, I think. More reality trash, more cameras following them 24/7/365, more BS.
Would HBO ever do a show on the Duggars. NO!! Here's the thing, if TLC ever tried to stick a camera in my house, I would kick the cameraman and everyone else working on the show out of my personal life. There are too many dimwits who are the "look at me! I'm so (insert expression) so I need the whole world to see what I'm like" type. -crainbebo
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Back after a long absence...still hating those commercials. Go away Limu Emu and Doug!
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Tiz
Revolutionary I donated! Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 15588 |
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Anything about Alaska is hot right now. And digging for gold. |
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i8acannibal
Junior Executive Joined: 19 Jun 2014 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 3497 |
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Way, way, too many Alaska/gold shows on tv now.
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Say something clever here...
No, I'm too lazy. Imagine it yourself. |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63863 |
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"Smile". Series premier tonight. Two people with gnarly teeth go to a dentist for dental implants and then their teeth aren't gnarly anymore. Seriously. They made this into a TV show. |
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Papa Lazarou
Ad Exec Formerly Codtaro Joined: 18 Nov 2011 Location: New Mexico Status: Offline Points: 7710 |
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^So basically, 30 minutes of disgusting teeth and the one sound no one in the universe would ever willingly subject themselves to?
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Banana!
BANANA!! BANANA!!! BANANA!! Banana! |
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Thor
Revolutionary Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Location: Rockaway, NJ Status: Offline Points: 63863 |
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^ No. 60 minutes! They didn't spend much time on the procedure itself. Most of the time was spent on these people discussing their feelings of low self-esteem due to their nasty-looking teeth. One teenage girl was missing teeth because they never even grew---not even baby teeth. A middle-aged guy had gotten hit by a flying baseball bat as a teenager. |
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Tiz
Revolutionary I donated! Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 15588 |
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^^ A whole hour of people wishing one day they can eat something other than apple sauce.
These people don't have that problem. My 600 Pound Life, going on 3 seasons(why?)now.
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