REALITY TELEVISION 

Reality television is a type of television programme which is believed to present real dramatic or humorous situations, presents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of documentary. Although that type of programme has existed in some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity comes from around 2000. Reality television is a wide range of television programme formats, from game or quiz shows which are similar to the strange programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gakinotsukai), to surveillance – or voyeurism – focused productions such as “Big Brother”. Critics say that the phrase “reality television” is somewhat of a mistake and that such shows very often show a changed and highly modified form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes trained to act in certain ways by off-screen trainers, and with events on screen manipulated because of editing and other post-production techniques. Part of reality television’s attraction is because it places ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, “The Bachelor”, a good looking man dates 12 women at the same time, travelling on extraordinary dates to wonderful locations. Reality television also has the power to turn its participants into national celebrities, mainly in talent and performance programs such as “Pop Idol”, though sometimes “Survivor” and “Big Brother” participants also reach some level of celebrity. Some commentators have said that the name “reality television” is not a precise description for several types of programmes. In competition-based programs such as “Big Brother” and “Survivor”, and other special living environment shows like “The Real World”, the producers design the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely unreal world for the competition. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and Język angielski. Poziom podstawowy Próbna Matura z OPERONEM i „Gazetą Wyborczą” Więcej arkuszy znajdziesz na stronie: arkusze.pl 7 settings to encourage particular actions and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of “Survivor” and other reality shows, has agreed with this opinion, and avoids the word ‘reality’ to describe his shows; he has said, “I tell good stories or narratives. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama”.