Reality television refocuses approach
Coming this fall: all new reality TV series Long Island Landscapers and Meet the Tanners, giving you a glimpse into the lives of the hottest men and women around. No, these won’t actually premiere this fall, they’re part of a PBS ad campaign poking fun at reality TV. But for many network executives, finding a way to counter declining viewership on some of the longest-running reality TV shows is anything but funny.
Just two years ago, reality TV was popping up everywhere, whether it was the newest Bachelor gracing the cover of People Magazine, or the College Board asking about the genre on the SAT. In the past year, ratings for shows such as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars might have fallen sharply, but the genre itself might be here to stay.
“On most shows, ratings will decline after 10-plus years,” said Ron Simon, curator at the Paley Center for Media. “What networks are working on now is the idea of rejuvenating reality concepts.”
Simon warns that when producers like those of American Idol start to multitask and produce multiple other shows, it can lead to a decline in quality. American Idol’s season 12 finale in May drew 14.3 million viewers, down 33 percent from the previous year’s finale according to Nielsen, a global information and measurement company that tabulates TV ratings. It was the first time an Idol finale had fewer than 20 million viewers.
One possible reason for this decline is simply that viewers have matured and unlike scripted shows, which can mature with their audience, long running reality TV shows remain more stagnant. Julianna Paul, a sophomore majoring in Spanish, admits she watched numerous reality TV shows throughout middle school and earlier in high school, but says the novelty of reality TV has begun to wear off.
“My peers and I became completely entranced by those shows,” Paul said. “In middle school, or even elementary school, it was fascinating and new to witness certain celebrities ‘behind the scenes’ or to see Heidi Montag and Lauren Conrad fight for the thousandth time. But then we started to have our own real experiences and not many of us had relationships and experiences that were as ridiculous as the ones presented to us through reality TV shows.”
Still, Simon says that reality TV defied the expectations of early critics — many of whom saw it simply as a “flash in the pan” — and that it has proven itself as a viable genre.
“There’s an immediate identification with the idea of seeing someone like yourself on television as opposed to seeing someone trained deliver lines,” Simon said about the appeal of reality TV, adding that many up-and-coming cable networks have established themselves as legitimate competitors by producing reality series such as A&E’s Duck Dynasty.
According to Simon, the plethora of subjects covered by reality TV is part of what makes it so entertaining. Reality shows seem to cover every topic, from 20-somethings partying on the Jersey Shore to sassy housewives.
This year, channels such as USA and TNT that have produced successful drama series also began breaking into the reality TV market with shows such as The Moment, Summer Camp and The Hero.
And despite the drop in ratings, people are still watching: in the last week of July, for example, two reality shows, The Challenge: Rivals II and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, were the top rated cable originals.
Audrey Chai, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said she still enjoys watching reality TV and has noticed a shift in the subject matter of the shows themselves.
“A lot of new reality TV shows highlight this theme of grand scale living and like to give their audience a glimpse into the very tiny portion of the population that gets to live extremely rich lives,” Chai said.
One such show, E!’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians, launched its eighth season in June, averaging 3 million viewers, a 6 percent improvement from last summer’s opener as well as making it the most-watched premiere in three years.
Simon notes that scripted comedies have recently adapted the documentary style of reality TV shows such as Kardashians, creating the mockumentary format popular with shows such as The Office and Modern Family.
Brittany Fleck, a freshman majoring in human development and aging, said she prefers the dramatic depth of scripted shows that allow her to invest in characters and story lines.
“The more continuous plots give me something to look forward to when I watch the show each week,” Fleck said.
Simon says people often see reality TV as a guilty pleasure, yet networks see it as a way to counterprogram and balance their various scripted shows. Furthermore, the advent of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have presented shows with new ways to engage the audience and promote online discussion. And perhaps most importantly, the various subcategories of reality TV broaden its appeal — something that would be integral to sustaining the genre into the future.
“It’s something almost the whole family can talk about,” Simon said. “You probably can’t get the whole family involved in Breaking Bad but reality TV can appeal to different demographics.”
Follow Kate Guarino on Twitter @km_guarino