I can’t stand reality TV. In theory, nothing about it appeals to me and yet I end up watching it from time to time. “True Life” is probably my favorite (check out “I’m an alcoholic” and “I work in the sex industry”). There is something about watching “reality” that’s kind of entertaining. Last week I caught a few minutes of an awards show just for “The Real World” (categories included best meltdown and hottest girl). My gut reaction was that it’s ridiculous to have an awards ceremony for one show, especially that show.

But then I got to thinking. This is a show that pioneered a genre (for better or worse). There are few shows that can claim as much influence on the television industry. Don’t forget that the reality show filming style has also influenced scripted shows like “The Office” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. “The Real World: Hollywood” will mark the show’s 20th season (it started in 1992, so there were actually a couple years with two seasons).

To put that in perspective, “Seinfeld” had nine seasons, “Friends” had 10, “Cheers” had 11, “ER” is in its 14th and “The Simpsons” is in its 19th. Why is a show like “The Real World” able to have a longer run than shows that are considered to be classics?

This is where my problem with reality TV lies. They can make so many seasons because every season is the same as the last one. They just bring in new people, put them in a new location and follow the formula. They don’t have to worry about resigning actors or writers. Each season is self-contained, so they could make 100 seasons if people keep watching.

I watched season two of “Survivor” and season one of “The Apprentice” on the edge of my seat every week. I really got into those shows. I followed the drama, I guessed who would get sent home and I had a good time with it. When the next seasons came along, I tried to watch but I just couldn’t get into it the same way again. It felt like I was getting in line for a ride I had just been on.

Apparently not everyone felt the same way because both of those shows are still on. Reality TV series will live for as long as they have an audience. So if you’re watching a show you don’t really like, do us all a favor and change the channel. Then again, there might not be anything better on.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 2:34 pm and is filed under Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.