2nd Draft

What are the typical conventions of Reality TV shows making particular reference to Big Brother?

The typical conventions of any Reality television show is that they offer “a set of rules”[1] whereby the contestants must obey by to make it relate to its genre. Other conventions of reality TV show include: “contestants voted off, private Interviews, tasks, and being filmed 24 hours”[2], and this is all too win a cash prize. There has been an increase in viewers for reality TV shows after the success of Big Brother, with statistics showing that “the first British Big Brother Series (2000) had 7.5million viewers voting on the final eviction”[3]. What is different about reality TV is that it claims to show “realism”, but does it just expose different representations of people? Moreover Reality TV has changed the viewing habits of people, now drawing them into a world of voyeurism like the reality TV show “Candid Camera” whereby the audience “was not able to contribute or affect events in any ways”[4] and away from the typical entertainment television.

The history of reality TV had started from the programme “Candid Camera” in 1948, this type of reality TV is a “voyeuristic programme, where the participants are not aware that they are being filmed”[5], but in the 20th century we are now introduced to reality TV shows such as, “The Osbournes, “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here”, “Supernanny” and “Big Brother”, where the contestants now know that they are being filmed. This can start that argument that is reality TV in the 20th century really real? As contestants know that they are being filmed, so they may act different, the programme “Dead Set” is a acting out programme copying the conventions of Big Brother. If we were to compare “Big Brother” with “Dead Set” would we be able to see a difference as contestants on “Big Brother” know that they are being filmed and they may act in certain ways.

Different types of reality TV shows have a mixture of codes and conventions “to concoct something different”[6] from the different types of reality TV shows such as: “Docusoaps”, “Voyeuristic TV”, “Reality game shows” and “Celebrity reality games shows”, it is harder to label what genre they belong to. “Genres work by providing conventions which allow efficient communication between producers and audiences”[7], this may be the case in some shows such as Big Brother, where by they have a mixture of “Docusoaps” conventions, where the audience is being passive, and “reality game shows” where “these programmes incorporate voyeuristic elements”[8]. Reality TV programmes may also be seen as “fly on the wall … Reality TV is a development of this form of documentary”[9] again reality programmes follow the conventions of many different reality TV programmes allowing them to have a very flexible genre due to the fact that if the “genre were, literally, the same, there would simply not be enough difference to generate either meaning or pleasuring”[10], relating to the uses and gratifications, where the audiences would not be able to use the media for there own personal use’s.
Also in Big Brother there is a hint of “Celebrity reality game shows”, as some series of Big Brother have had celebrities competing in tasks.
From reality TV taking different conventions from documentaries and other reality TV programmes, we can say that Big Brother belongs to a hybrid genre, as it takes codes and conventions from these genres to again “concoct something different”, therefore theses mixtures of genres creates the communications between the producer and audience.
In many reality television shows, such as “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here” the viewers and the camera are passive observers whereby they follow the contestants going about their daily personal and professional activities, the media here is seen to “inject a drug and that the audience’s behaviour and opinions are therefore directly affected”[11], as they are just consuming what they are being shown and not denoting the text to create there own meanings.
Reality TV shows have increased after witnessing the success of Big Brother a popular offering to reality TV programmes, where viewers watch people interact in a house, but also other statistics show that “while Big Brothers 4 final drew in a peak audience of 7.4 million, viewers fell 2 million short of last years final”[12] this may suggest that the audience had become more “actively engaged in the interpretation of media texts rather than as passive consumers”, showing that they may have realized that the conventions of reality TV shows are not very realistic and not conveying with the genre of reality TV programmes.
The genre of reality TV has now extended due to the fact that “different audiences will use a genre in different ways at different times”[13], there are many different reality TV programmes that thrive to please there intended audience and this may be why there are a wide variety of reality TV programmes. "Super nanny" and "Beauty and the Geek", are both reality TV programmes that have very different conventions, and this maybe be due to the fact that “genre can be approached…from the point of view audience understanding and response”[14], the change in conventions means that they will gain a different and wider audience.
The change in conventions may suggest that the audiences are less active and slightly more passive, as in “Supernanny” parents may learn how to control their children, and in “Beauty and the Geek” the Beauty’s and the Geek, also may learn how to act.

Reality TV has a wide range of different programmes which have different conventions to obey by to create there own audience group moreover, reality TV is being more preferred for those people who find watching ordinary people do outrageous thing, more entertaining than watching talented actors and comedians. “Reality TV” therefore is feeding there audiences as they know something that is acted out is obviously a fantasy, but the audience do not think about the editing that is done in these programmes to portray certain things therefore, they are allowing themselves to be injected with the thought that what they are watching is reality.

These shows claim “realism”, but “decisions on which shots to include were key”[15] so that they could gain viewers. Other reality TV shows such as The Up Series (1964) followed the lives of 14 British children aged 14years, there were shown to represent different socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at the particular time. The Up Series was a serious documentary to inform its audience on the subject of that there child’s social class can predict their future. This reality programmes was a serious programme and also had a meaning behind it plus had something to education its audience about, unlike Reality TV shows in the 20th century where the makers now “manipulated the audiences…contestants…the tabloids and broadsheet press”[16], just in aid for themselves to gain viewers.

Watching other people embarrass themselves in front of cameras has become the new entertainment for viewers, and this could refer to the concept of “dumbing down” as now society is choosing to watch contestants do strange and outrageous things just to be entertained, where as in the 19th century society may have watched reality TV shows such as “The Up Series” the gain advice on what they would want there child’s social class to be. Therefore in the 19th century the media wanted to educate their audiences where as nowadays the media is choosing to allow their audiences to watch reality TV shows that may not have any form of serious social issues, neither any form of education. The media may have resorted to not educating there audience as now social in the 20th century the economy is facing the recession and the media may just want to find quick and fast way to entertain their audience and earn money.

This rise in reality television and also the change in genre and conventions towards reality television reflect the changing tastes of the viewers, who are clearly not fused about the quality of programming as there has been in the past. This may suggest that men and women do not have a great concern about the different and new conventions of reality TV programmes, as they now go out to work. They do not have the time to sit at home and watch good quality movies, with a good narrative structure, they may just want people that they ca to relate to on people TV. It might be that people will change their viewing habits when reality television is nothing of the kind. Maybe reality TV should be name "contrived television" as after all, it is a form of television relying on the editing which makes boring, everyday situations appealing to an audience that is easily pleased and is easily being injected by what the media is giving them.

Big Brother is not the highest rated programme. If Big Brother where to be compared with a TV soap this may be misleading, as TV soaps are aired in the evening where as Big Brother is aired much later giving it a much more smaller audience. But research shows that “In 2003 Reality TV shows still dominated prime time slots”[17]. Reality television has pushed genuine entertainment out of the way and more and more viewers are beginning to watch reality TV show’s, rather than watching programs that were to feature great actors and included excellent story lines. But a new reality show just like “Big Brother” was constructed to attract and hold an audience as it claims to use “real” people in “real” situations, and also chooses to manipulate them to produce narrative and conflict in the programmes.

Big Brother has a variety of different contestants in the house, and favourite contestants may be more likeable on the outside world. When Jade Goody was evicted on 19th January, Big Brother had a high level of viewer, this may be for the reason that, she had created a lot of drama, and the audience may have wanted her to stay or go. On one occasion on Big Brother Jade Goody was “allegedly racist bullying of Shetty on Celebrity Big Brother”[18], therefore on this series of Big Brother Jade has caused a situation which attracted a higher audience and also an audience type that may have wanted to watch this certain eviction interview for surveillance purposes.
Also Big Brother may have a high number of views due to it’s varies different Big Brother shows, also “producers provide different programmes and viewing experiences for different audiences”[19]. This shows a new convention to reality shows, as they provide a wider range of access for their audiences to watch and catch up with what is happening on the show.

The hardest audience type to encourage in watching television is the younger generation, but Annette Hills Research (2002), showed that “young and educated viewers were more likely to watch Big Brother, with more women than men, and also 16-24 years-olds[20]”. Big Brother was a certain type of reality TV show that was superior at attracting a young audience. Statistics show the audience group % of total 8-16 11.5, 16-34 49.3, 35-54 29.2, and 55+ 10.0 also Male 42.4 and Female 57.7. They may have been a higher percentage in females, as they may use reality TV as a form of “diversion in the form of escape from reality, emotional release or pleasure”[21] to their normal lives. Moreover there may be a high percentage of teenagers due to “the actual range of opportunities available to the audience” for example they could use there mobile phones to text votes during eviction this also shows the change in technology. There were also a percentage of men that watched Big Brother and this could be explained by the “available showing at pubs”[22]. The high views for Big Brother may be explained to the new conventions and the wide range of availability it has to its audiences.

Often “the producer’s of the show would have audiences believes that they simply present unmediated highlights-but is that possible”[23], for example in Big Brother 4 “did Jon really bore the other lads to sleep with his detailed knowledge of Star Wars, or did the producers shape the footage that way to construct a representation of Jon that could be easily mocked”. This also they may be seen as biased, as Jon may have been a disliked character in the “outside world”[24] therefore this footage had been edited for him to be seen as a boring character, therefore “the audience’s behaviour and opinions are being directly affected”[25]. These shows claim “realism”. But it is the way the programmes are shot and maybe they should be in a genre of observational documentaries s they are watching people and how they go about living their everyday life’s? In reality TV shows such as Big Brother ordinary contestants are seen to be treated as celebrities even before they appear on the show, as they get their expenses covered for them, so this may be an even bigger encouragement and desire for them to be on television, and also win the cash prize, furthermore this may encourage contestants to act in a way to be liked. Jade Goody had seen her life transform and “Nasty” Nick Bateman had a successful career in the media after appearing on Big Brother. During the “casting process”[26], “contestants were drawn from a variety of ethnic backgrounds covering some of the major ethnic communities in the UK”[27], this shows that Big Brother is trying to create a reach towards a wider audience and have someone they can relate too, here Big Brother may be following the conventions of “The Up Series” as they represented contestants from different social classes and Big Brother was represent ting contestants from different ethnic backgrounds. During the “casting process” they may choose people that they may be seen to cause argument and throw people who would be see to cause big fights and stop communicating in the house and in the house they have to keep communicating for a long time, this again shows how Big Brother, moulds the show to gain viewers, could this also be a new convention for reality TV shows? To place opposites just to certain arguments or is it another way to gain viewers.
Reality shows are cheap there is no need for them to pay for writers, actors, or any rehearsals etc. They use ordinary people, and this is there way of a cheap way to make television. Hour long drama cost around £875,000 per hour and Reality TV cost £114, 00 per hour. Shilpa Shetty was paid between £200,000 and £300,000 for appearing on the show, and this gave Big Brother its most popular rating of10 million viewers. It may have gained this popular rating due to two argumentative people, they may have placed Jade Goody in Big Brother again as they know what high ratings they had given them before.

There are many different types of Reality TV programmes ranging from Docusoaps to celebrity reality game shows, reality TV has also been labelled as a development of fly on the wall documentaries as they take the conventions of this type of documentary. We know that “genres are flexible”[28], but are the main conventions of reality TV shows flexible, as the “conventions of a genre are always in play rather than being simple”, therefore reality TV programmes only change the conventions as a whole just to please and to gain a wider audience. We have learnt that there are a wide range of reality TV shows, which have active and passive audience types, for comparison “I’m a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here” and “Supernanny”, an audience that is watching “I’m a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here”, is active as they may see certain characters acting a in certain way to gain votes, and in “Supernanny” there is a passive audience as they are being taught and told on how to treat there children. Moreover these audiences are again being feed by the hyperdermic needle as the passive audience is agreeing with what the media gives them. The conventions of these two reality TV programmes are different as in “Supernanny” the children are not being voted off, as this is not one of the conventions of this show, but the audience is still watching the children being observed, and in “I’m a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here” like Big Brother the viewer can choose which contestants they want voted off and also which contestant they want to see perform tasks. But these to different reality TV programmes still belong to the genre type of reality TV.

Over all the new and different conventions of these reality TV shows maybe the reason as to why people would rather watch reality TV programmes rather than good quality TV as said before. Also there are varies different conventions that apply for each and every different reality TV programme which may be the reason why there are so many different reality TV programmes around. These different conventions appeal to the different audience types but will reality TV taken over good quality TV, and will one day reality TV be the development of another genre, from the conventions set by reality TV.
[1] Patrick Phillips (1996)
[2] Revision Express AS and A2 Media Studies - Pearson Education LimitedReality
[3] Branston, G., Branston, G., & Stafford, R. (2003). The Media Student's Book. New York: Routledge.
[4] Revision Express AS and A2 Media Studies - Pearson Education LimitedReality
[5] Revision Express AS and A2 Media Studies - Pearson Education LimitedReality
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[9] Revision Express AS and A2 Media Studies - Pearson Education LimitedReality
[10] Steve Neale (1980)
[11] Probert, D. (2005). As/A Level Media Studies Essential Word Dictionary (Essential Word Dictionaries). Unknown: Philip Allan Updates.
[12] Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2004. British Film Institute PG 23
[13] Richard Maltby (1995)
[14] Neale, Steve (2002): Genre and Contemporary Hollywood. London: British Film Institute.
[15] Branston, G., Branston, G., & Stafford, R. (2003). The Media Student's Book. New York: Routledge.
[16] Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2003. British Film Institute. PG 24
[17] Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2004. British Film Institute PG21
[18] She survived Jade, Jo and Channel 4. Now Shilpa reaps her reward Media The Guardian . (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2009, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jan/27/india.bigbrother.
[19] MediaMagazine¦december 2003¦english and media centre – keymediaconcepts
[20] Annette Hill’s research (2002)
[21] Probert, D. (2005). As/A Level Media Studies Essential Word Dictionary (Essential Word Dictionaries). Unknown: Philip Allan Updates.
[22] Branston, G., Branston, G., & Stafford, R. (2003). The Media Student's Book. New York: Routledge.
[23] MediaMagazine¦december 2003¦english and media centre – keymediaconcepts
[24] MediaMagazine¦december 2003¦english and media centre – keymediaconcepts - editing
[25] Probert, D. (2005). As/A Level Media Studies Essential Word Dictionary (Essential Word Dictionaries). Unknown: Philip Allan Updates.
[26] Branston, G., Branston, G., & Stafford, R. (2003). The Media Student's Book. New York: Routledge.
[27] MediaMagazine¦december 2003¦english and media centre – keymediaconcepts – media representations
[28] Andrew Tudor (1986)