[James]

DOCUMENTARY: The Curse of Reality TV
Channel: five
Friday 10th September 2004
22:00 to 23:00

Documentary examining how many of people seeking the spotlight and fame and fortune have instead endured humiliation, deception and victimisation. The programme traces the history of reality TV, from the groundbreaking 'The Family' in 1974 to the latest 'Big Brother' guinea pigs.

They showed a trailer for this tonight. Clips of Ahmed and Emma interviewed.

[BusyBee]

Wonder if this is an updated version cos I remember this being shown a while ago.

[BigSister]

It might have been updated because if it showed Ahmed and emma

[James]

Delusions of grandeur

Ilona Amos

Andy Warhol said everyone would be famous for 15 minutes, and how right he was. But with reality TV fast becoming the most popular genre on our screens, an ever increasing number of nonentities are demanding more than their quarter-hour.

Five’s documentary The Curse of Reality TV carves ever more material out of the phenomenon by looking at the fallout experienced by participants in a range of fly-on-the-wall shows, from 1974’s The Family, the first reality TV programme to hit our screens, to Popstars and the latest Big Brother. Participants from the shows get a further few minutes to whine about how the producers tricked them into acting like themselves.

Vanessa Feltz says being in Celebrity Big Brother was like being stuck in a lift, while busty Becky couldn’t believe the press would "dig up whole stories" about her and print pictures she would never have approved. Come on, Becky - it was Big Brother number five. Haven’t you been watching?

The contestants without exception feel duped, exploited and misrepresented - as if they weren’t expecting any dirty tricks, and believed that they would be in control, not the producers. Tom, winner of There’s Something about Miriam, a show in which a bunch of hunky blokes competed to win the affections of a sultry Mexican model, sums it up perfectly. "We were having such a laugh, we weren’t thinking there could be a snag." But, boy, was there a snag. Long before Nadia puffed and screeched her way into our living-rooms, Miriam, who admits that she was born a man, is the girl who put the TV into reality TV.

When the lads heard the truth about their beautiful seductress, lawsuits followed and the show couldn’t be aired until huge out-of-court settlements were paid. And there’s always a price - a certain amount of cash, or fame, is enough for these people to swallow their pride and endure public humiliation.

Just what is the fascination - is it only the money, or our obsession with today’s cult of celebrity? Unemployed Geordie Peter Watt, star of a programme to be called Back to Work says, "I thought they were going to tell me stuff like how to do a CV and interviews, and things to help me get a job." But to give an idea of what it was really like being trained by Marines, he advises us to watch Full Metal Jacket. "You take part in a programme called Back to Work, you don’t expect boot camp," he moans. So he did a runner, and the producers threatened to rename it Born Idle.

And why do we love car-crash television? One interviewee, talking about Popstars, says, "The appeal for the viewer is that we see dreams coming true." But what about the nightmares? Well, that is when our collective schadenfreude comes in.

Lisa, the Welsh woman from Big Brother 4, who was booed and hissed when she was evicted from the house after only a fortnight, moans that she’s always going to be known as ‘Lisa from Big Brother’. At least she’s known as something, and isn’t that why she went on the show in the first place?

Booing is one thing, but let’s not forget that everyone is a critic. Members of manufactured Popstars band Hear’say had a gun pulled on them by a member of the public, who was heard to mutter, "Hear’say, you’re rubbish."

Perhaps all this cheap telly will result in a new psychiatric syndrome - post-reality-TV disorder - and support groups will start meeting in town halls around the country on Thursday evenings. Hey, now that’s a reality show we could watch.

The Curse of Reality TV, Friday, Five, 10pm

This is from Scotland on Sunday

[Amy]

Thanks James

[BusyBee]

What amazes me is that after seeing what happened to housemates in the previous four series, the BB5 housemates thought they would be treated any different. They must have had their heads in the sand. I saw an advertisement of Emma moaning. To my mind for most of them they will put up with the nasty bits for the chance of publicity and making lots of money. They may all moan, but if given the chance how many of them if they went back in time would not go on the show.

[Di2001]

Originally posted by BusyBee
What amazes me is that after seeing what happened to housemates in the previous four series, the BB5 housemates thought they would be treated any different. They must have had their heads in the sand. I saw an advertisement of Emma moaning. To my mind for most of them they will put up with the nasty bits for the chance of publicity and making lots of money. They may all moan, but if given the chance how many of them if they went back in time would not go on the show.

Agree with what you say, BusyBee.

Must remember that this show is on on Friday!

[James]

It's on now - nearly forgot.

[Amy]

I saw it and I have to say they wanted to go into Big Brother, They wanted to win 70,000 etc so they have to except some of the results of going on to the show and stop complaining about how hard done by they all are!
It must be hard going to all those free party's and movie premieres etc, etc....
Becki says she didn't know the press would drag up all her past PLEASE!!!!!!! of course she knew! she would have been told that the press will do anything to get a story and you don't have to be brainy to figure out that the press WILL find out!
If I went on the show tomorrow, if it were on, I would expect to be treated the same way all of the housemates from past BB's have been treated and If I expect it then surely these people that actually go to auditions must have some idea of what past BB housemates have been through but are still very willing to do the show!
All in all the housemates will never win, the audience will never win, Big Brother will never win and the Press will never win! they'll always be someone some where complaining that they were mistreated!

[Di2001]

I've recorded this but did watch the first 10 mins or so. Looked like it was going to be a good programme.

[rachb]

I watched this aswell and I'm afraid I have no sympathy for them at all.
becki was the worst as if she didn't know what would happen.Claiming that she only looked bad because the others had calmed down by the time she went in was a poor excuse.I think this years housemates have had it quite easy in comparison to previous years.
I did feel sorry for Danny from Hearsay though I hadn't realised what a tough time they'd had.

[Amy]

Originally posted by rachb
I did feel sorry for Danny from Hearsay though I hadn't realised what a tough time they'd had.

So did I Rach Hearsay had it a lot harder than any BB housemate and i feel for them big time! What a lot they've been through!!

[Sticks]

The real irony of Popstars was that the five who lost became Liberty X, are they still going ?

Originally posted by Sticks
The real irony of Popstars was that the five who lost became Liberty X, are they still going ?

The other irony of Popstars is that it was a talent show, not a reality show, in my opinion.

I've seen Liberty X on stage, accompanied only by a single guitarist, James Fox out of Fame Academy, it's then you realise what good vocalists they are, and what a brilliant guitarist James Fox is! Shame he got such a rubbish song for Eurovision, though he certainly proved he was a much better singer than was evidenced by Fame Academy. Really nice bloke, too, by the way!

[Amy]

Originally posted by Sticks
are they still going ?

Liberty X are still going, I'm not saying they are good but they are still going

[James]

Hear'say didn't do too badly though. I think all the original members are millionaires.

[BusyBee]

I must admit I have no sympathy at all for BB5 housemates moaning about how they were portrayed and reactions since they came out. Didnt they watch any of the other series - they knew exactly what was going to happen but because they wanted a chance of fame they decided to become BB fodder. And however badly they think things have been they have made money out of it which is what they wanted.

As for James Fox - I met him last year (at the same event as I met Helen). He performed on stage with just his guitar for 45 minutes and was absolutely brilliant. I dont think we saw the best of him in Fame Academy - and certainly that Eurovision song didnt do him any good. After performing he then spent an age signing autographs for people of all ages and answering questions.

I did feel sorry for Danny though - I think they really had it bad as a group because everyone turned against them because t.hey had been put together for tv and then had a huge hit - lot of jealousy there.