Sunday, October 9, 2005

THE THRILL IS GONE? Bill Carter asks in Monday's Times whether the reality tv boom is over. While it's certainly true that ratings are down this fall (why, oh why, can't they dislodge Dr. Hizzy from Tuesdays at 9?), the fact remains that the economics of reality tv strongly suggest it's going to stick around for a long time. It is cheap to produce, easily conducive to lucrative product placement and, when done right, as gripping as the best-written dramas and funnier than the best comedies, often within the same episode.

Where reality still has to prove itself is in terms of the subsequent revenue streams -- do the Survivor or TAR DVD sets sell? What about syndication revenues? Will people watch again when they already know who won?

We've seen the "strategic competition", "talent show" and "who wants to be the next [X] career" concepts in various formats. We're due for the Next Great Reality Paradigm -- and if I ever figure it out, unlike my other ideas, I'm not giving it away for free here.

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