- Title: USA: REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS ARE HOTTER THAN EVER ATTRACTING HUGE RATINGS
- Date: 23rd January 2003
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 10, 2003) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) HOLLYWOOD REPORTER COLUMNIST SCOTT COLLINS SAYING: "Early in the history of this reality boomlet that's been going on for three years now, early in the history, we were getting mostly challenge shows. They were "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "Survivor." Now we're at a level wher
- Embargoed: 7th February 2003 12:00
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- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA9LBMKU954SY9LC9FEXJ893WMQ
- Story Text: Reality television shows are hotter than ever, attracting huge ratings from viewers in the crucial 18 to 34 age bracket. If you're a fan, you're in luck because industry watchers say reality television is only going to get bigger.
Reality television shows are hotter than ever, attracting huge ratings from viewers in the crucial 18 to 34 age bracket.
Reality television may not be a brand new idea, but the massive scale is. "What networks are finding out now is that this stuff is taking viewers back from cable," says Scott Collins, a columnist for Hollywood Reporter magazine. "So it's like, 'let's do anything we can to get viewers back from cable."
Reality television shows fall roughly into four categories: challenge shows such as "Survivor," romance shows such as "The Bachelorette," gross out/hidden camera shows like "Fear Factor" and aspirational shows such as "American Idol" and "Star Search." These shows are aimed directly at younger viewers, often featuring sex and comedy. Collins explains that advertisers crave these younger viewers because their brand loyalties are not yet set. And since network television is big business, the bottom line plays a crucial role in choosing programming.
"Advertisers pay more for younger viewers than they will for older viewers. If you have a program that skews very young, 18 to 34 or even 18 to 49, you're going to get more than a show that does better with viewers 25 to 54 or viewers 55+ certainly."
Reality television shows often cost less to produce than scripted shows, and analysts believe their lower cost and popularity of will likely change the face of television.
"You're going to see just the very hottest scripted shows, you're going to see shows like "Friends" and "CSI" and "Law and Order" and everything else is going to be reality. And because these reality shows have a shorter life cycle than the scripted shows, you have 22 episodes per season for a scripted show. For a reality show, you need 6 to 8 episodes, then you need to put on something else. So, it's like the schedule turns over much more quickly than it used to," Collins says.
Among the hottest reality shows right now are romance and aspirational themed shows. "Joe Millionaire" is the latest in the dating genre and has viewers buzzing. Evan Marriott, the star of the show, is a construction worker who makes about $19 thousand (USD) per year. But the FOX network told 20 beautiful women that he was a jet-setting multi-millionaire.
The women were whisked away to France for a one month whirlwind courtship with the faux millionaire. It's a dating show with a twist and Marriott says "Joe Millionaire" offers viewers what they really want.
"It's as real as reality gets. It's people's agendas.
Some people went to the show because they wanted to go to France. Some people went to the show because they wanted to find a guy that had money. Some people went to the show because they wanted, I don't know about true love, but someone they had a connection with. I think that we showed that in the show," Marriott says. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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