reality tv?

while still in my holidaying mood, most of my nights are spent plonked in front of the idiot box (well, come to think of it, thats how i spend my nights in Perth, but thats besides the point...). anyway, 8tv seems to have an endless supply of reality tv shows, there's at least one on every night (yes, i still am astro-less and watch free tv)

i must admit, i do enjoy a string of reality tv shows, although after sometime it gets stale (think survivor, the bachelor etc..) and it got me thinking, what actually makes good "real" tv? (yes, i'm so free to even analyse alll these shows i watch!)

here's what i think:

1. have a cast of entertaining people: opposing personalities who will definitely clash (think cat-fights in "america's next top model", feuding young ppl and old ppl in "survivor"); quirky entertainers (the whole idol franchise... need i say more?)... and its funny how they say reality tv isn't scripted when sometimes it so obviously is!
2. having twists that will keep the audience on their toes ("amazing race" and "survivor" has their fare share of those), it wouldnt hurt if u adapted your formate every once in a while... keeps your series going for longer...
3. have a great editing team on board... have u ever noticed in "amazing race", how "close" the last 2 teams are towards the end of the episode, how it looks like they're actually neck-to-neck, but in actual fact they're but 5 minutes apart or something? and also the effect music has on certain scene to create suspense, humour (a deapan is only effective with accompanying music..).. but really, the editors of "idol" and "amazing race" are genius, they know just what is right for good tv
4. just think of anything possible you can make people do, throw in a cash prize (or equlavent), and you have people lining up to sign up.. really, deep in everybody everyone wants their 15 seconds.... think wacky ppl on "idol" who can barely sing..

but these shows are entertaining none the less... some people say that reality tv is so well accepted because people see themselves in the "charcters", and that is true to a certain extent... especially when people go all out to get their hands on some green...

so yea.. this is what i have observed from the many many reality tv shows i've watched..

on a side note: those who follow malaysia's most beautiful, who the heck put jessy in the final 2?? (i only watched last week's ep since coming home..) i think malaysians really are blind if she wins.. *shudder*