REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS
A crucial factor fuelling to the popularity of Reality Television shows, particularly in India, is the growth of television viewers in the Country. Between 2000 and 2010 paid television penetration increased from approximately 40% of all viewership to almost 80% in India. This has made the television audience of India more diverse.
Till a few years ago, paid television in India was mostly in big cities. However, now the same programmes are watched by people in smaller towns as well. The response to reality television shows in smaller towns is very different from the one in bigger cities. Television is closely tied with the aspirations of people in smaller towns as it represents a means to get closer to the urban and prosperous India.
In the last three- four years the presence of participants from small towns has also increased dramatically on all the reality television shows.
Several reality television shows in India are imitations of their western counterparts. “Kaun Banega Crorepati” the first reality television show in India, was based on “Who wants to be a millionaire”. Many reality television shows such as ‘Indian Idol’, ‘India’s got talent’ and ‘Bigg Boss’ are copies of Western reality television shows.
But things are different in Western Countries, which are the birth place of modern day reality television shows. Vaughn Alaine Marshall, reality television show expert and author of ‘Uberstar’, a book that looks at the world’s largest reality shows has opinioned, “many of the sources I had interviewed were either suffering from psychological illness or had been hospitalised under stress”. “some as a counter were now regular alcohol and drug users”. Nearly all the people he interviewed were regretted the experience, he said.
Just as in India, judges on shows in the US are given the freedom to say what they want even if they don’t have the required qualification and experience to make those comments. However, fear of an adverse reaction from the public that can jeopardise the popularity and profitability of the reality television shows often keeps the behavior of the Judges on shows abroad in check. One of the biggest reasons why contestants remain quite about the humiliation meted out them is the non disclosure deal they are made to sign. In these agreements, the contestants sign away their rights on how they are betrayed, even if it is a legal infringement of their moral rights.
All reality television shows can’t be put under on roof. Some reality television shows, especially the ones that don’t thrive on disputes, allegations, manipulation of emotions and fights, give common people opportunities to start their career. There might be a need to control reality television shows that are all about negativity and a good show must go on.
