[chubigans]

So Worlds Worst Tenants comes on after the awesome World's Wildest Police Videos on Spike, so I decided to watch it. It's a show where the group above works for landlords to serve property tenants with warnings or eviction notices, and are usually bizarre situations. Liked the first episode enough to keep watching. Then the third episode completely shattered any illusion of reality they were trying to convey.

-They need to find out who's been dumping medical waste in the trash bin before the city fines the landlord. So they set up a hidden camera and come back "24 hours later"...wearing the same clothes as the day before.

-The tenants or bystanders on the show act angrily/hostile towards the guys, which is common. They also make it a point not to stare at the camera, which is important for actors but not so much when you're on reality tv and you're supposedly not an actor. The first thing someone would ask is, who the hell are you and what are these cameras doing? (the camera crew make no point of hiding either; they're getting shots where they would be plainly visible.)

-They spot a group of redneck guys using illegal automatic rifles on a makeshift firing range, which is what the landlord got complaints about, so they need to put a stop to it. Instead of calling the cops, they get right into the backyard and get into a confrontation with them. Then they call the cops. Who are on the scene in this remote location within seconds.

-In fact, every time they call the cops, which they do frequently, they'll respond within seconds, probably standing steps beyond the camera shot.

So yeah, kind of a bummer because I like the people the show is based on, as they seem pretty genuine. But geez, there's no way I can watch anymore of this show.

edit: I know all reality shows are fake in one way or another, duh. :p I'm talking about moments where it's immediately obvious.

[Outlaw]

Every single moment. 100% of reality shows are scripted.

[chubigans]

Every single moment. 100% of reality shows are scripted.

Oh I know that, but the good ones don't blatantly give themselves away like the example above.

[jaxword]

You have to be really gullible to think that all "reality" shows aren't planned and scripted. What did you think all those writers and directors in the credits did?

[LM4sure]

That storage wars rip off show, can't remember what it's called. I googled it and found out the guy on the show was some be movie actor. God, that show is terrible

[Rafa=FedKilla]

When I haven't seen any police brutality on Cops.

[Imbarkus]

You have to be really gullible to think that all "reality" shows aren't planned and scripted. What did you think all those writers and directors in the credits did?

How did this come about? Didn't we originally move to reality TV because of the writer's strike? Because TV producers didn't want to pay writers?

I think all the writers who didn't want to write total hack trash got canned and all the new "writers" are just scumbag producers.

[Nappuccino]

You have to be really gullible to think that all "reality" shows aren't planned and scripted. What did you think all those writers and directors in the credits did?

write the narration and direct the narrator/editors?

[chubigans]

You have to be really gullible to think that all "reality" shows aren't planned and scripted.

I know they're all planned and scripted. That's not the point I was trying to make.

Think of it like a boom mike in a movie. You know you're watching a movie, you know it's fake, and yet when it accidentally appears on screen you immediately snap out of the movie's logic.

[kisaya]

There was this one fight in Jersey Shore that really looked scripted. This video did a good job exposing it.

[faceless007]

Every single time they cut to a reaction shot of someone's face accompanied by a dramatic BOOM sound effect, I think how stupidly contrived that edit is and wonder when in the shoot that close-up shot was really pulled from.

[Clayton Bigsby]

I was watching Hardcore Pawn the other day....That shit is probably the most obvious example of being scripted.

[Divvy]

How every single challenge in Hell's Kitchen ends in a tie breaker.

I mean come on, at least TRY to hide the fact that it's rigged.

[Yagharek]

In MacGyver when Murdoc kept coming back.

[chubigans]

I hate it when any show cuts from what we're seeing to a "talking head" that isn't describing something that happened, but is acting like it's happening. "Oh man Lisa totally is getting on my nerves...I hope she can cook that dish properly or else!" But if that part was shot already, then we know she knows what's already gonna happen. Unless they shot the talking heads during the timeline of the show, which seems nuts.

My head hurts.

[Korey]

All reality shows in that vein are scripted.

There are people on this board who cling onto the belief that Storage Wars isn't scripted.

[danwarb]

Ghostwatch.

My mum jumped up and switched off the TV at the end in a panic. A classic.

[jaxword]

write the narration and direct the narrator/editors?

How did this come about? Didn't we originally move to reality TV because of the writer's strike? Because TV producers didn't want to pay writers? I think all the writers who didn't want to write total hack trash got canned and all the new "writers" are just scumbag producers.

That would explain why reality tv is such garbage, the "writers" are third rate hacks. "Hey Snooki, just say something bitchy here and Paulie, say 'Settle down bro!' and we have a scene!"

[WinoMcCougarstein]

How every single challenge in Hell's Kitchen ends in a tie breaker. I mean come on, at least TRY to hide the fact that it's rigged.

I also hate that. Also, I'm pretty sure there have been more than one plants on that show.

Pawn Stars also has its moments where it seems very scripted.

[Seanspeed]

Pawn Stars also has its moments where it seems very scripted.

'Has its moments'?

The entire thing is completely scripted. Every minute of every episode.

[ronito]

I have a friend that was on a french reality TV show and on the first day of shooting they were like "Ok, here's your script. You meet our contestant and..."

And the sad part of it was that it was incredibly obvious that it was all staged. Like they had my friend ask "So are you on vacation? Do you live here or???"

I'm like "Well they ARE surrounded by a camera crew...."

Really painfully awkward. What I don't get is that it didn't need to be so fake. They could've just had the narrator introduce my friend and explain the situation. Instead of trying to make it all look like some miraculous event.

[Orayn]

'Has its moments'? The entire thing is completely scripted. Every minute of every episode.

That's why I prefer American Restoration. Similar premise, but the characters are more believable and a lot less unpleasant.

[LegoArmo]

On Teen Mom when they're complaining about having money problems, when they get paid tens of thousands to do the show.

[MrDenny]

All reality shows in that vein are scripted. There are people on this board who cling onto the belief that Storage Wars isn't scripted.

Storage wars is definitely scripted.
I remember one episode where the guy hired twin "psychic" sisters.
They sensed dark magic in one of the lockers, turns out there was a voodoo shrunken head in there.

On Teen Mom when they're complaining about having money problems, when they get paid tens of thousands to do the show.

Haha, I always laughed when they have trouble with the rent.
It's not like mtv pays them after the season is over.

[Korey]

I also hate that. Also, I'm pretty sure there have been more than one plants on that show. Pawn Stars also has its moments where it seems very scripted.

It is.

So is Iron Chef America, although it's more of a "game show" format.

[a Master Ninja]

There is a difference between the producers rigging situations and encouraging behavior and people reading lines of dialog. Granted it's not a difference that makes for good television.

[saltinekracka]

Storage wars is definitely scripted. I remember one episode where the guy hired twin "psychic" sisters. They sensed dark magic in one of the lockers, turns out there was a voodoo shrunken head in there.

That was painful to watch.

[ThisWreckage]

Reality television was brought about by writers strikes and television companies not wanting to shell out. A lot of shows really did start off as non scripted, but the networks soon realized that non scripted television is boring television. It then became obvious that certain contestants could fabricate drama and the networks rolled with the fabrications to spice things up. It then became obvious that a lot of human beings are not creative types and the writers were called back in to constantly fabricate every single bit of reality television.

[pj]

When I read a post on gaf that said "house hunters is fake", I realized that house hunters is fake.

Google confirmed

:(

[GloveSlap]

Tru Tv has terribly scripted shows. There a Storage Hunters episode that had fake CG explosions when they opened one of the lockers. Apparently those pesky meth cookers like to leave booby traps.....righhhhhhhht.

Viva La Bam had some fake CG explosion when they shot a CG cannonball at Don Vito's island Tiki bar, or rather some crappy stand that Vito pretended he cared about.

The Pawn Stars dream sequence featuring Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was terrible.

Hardcore Pawn is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine. The family drama seems really scripted but some of the customer interactions seem somewhat legit, this is Detroit we're talking about after all.

[Korey]

When I read a post on gaf that said "house hunters is fake", I realized that house hunters is fake. Google confirmed :(

Yep. House Hunters is fake too. I had to stop watching it after I found out, it's just too insulting and awkward watching "normal people" try to act

Keeping Up with the Kardashians (and all of its spinoffs) is the worst offender by far

[TheMan]

Reality television was brought about by writers strikes and television companies not wanting to shell out.

didn't the reality tv craze start with survivor? i don't recall there being any strikes at that time.

[Trick_GSF]

Mythbusters.

So shite now.

[MrToughPants]

Survivorman isn't scripted.

[TheMan]

Mythbusters. So shite now.

half their "myths" are trying to prove whether viral videos are real/plausible and they almost never are. it may be time for jamie and adam to hang it up.

[Malleymal]

the Kardashian show is not a reality tv show. it is a sitcom

[Divvy]

half their "myths" are trying to prove whether viral videos are real/plausible and they almost never are. it may be time for jamie and adam to hang it up.

Fire vs. Ice was pretty damn awesome though.

[Korey]

Survivorman isn't scripted.

Unlike Man vs Wild (Bear Grylls)

[friskykillface]

Haha I was about to mention that part in Viva la bam with the CGI cannonball hitting don vitos tiki bar. Made me laugh.


But yeah, mostly every reality show is scripted.

Some are ok to watch though, yuuuuuuuuuuupppppppp


And hardcore pawn, they had a Detroit red wings retired player "work" there for one episode and some guy brought his jersey to sell to him, lol dat unexpected.

[Hero_of_the_Day]

'Has its moments'? The entire thing is completely scripted. Every minute of every episode.

Fuck yeah, that show is so blatant. I had a friend tell me she loved the dumb guy once, to which I responded by telling her Raphael is my favorite Ninja Turtle and had to explain what they had in common.

All reality shows in that vein are scripted. There are people on this board who cling onto the belief that Storage Wars isn't scripted.

Storage Wars is a good time sink, but yeah. Obviously scripted.

That show with the two guys in a van driving around buying peoples garbage makes me want to murder people with some of the scenes they do, though. And those fucking gun shows on discovery where they invent shit that already exists. The fucking love story plot line they ended a season with resulted in half my brain cells committing suicide.

[Vulcano's assistant]

I think in Pawn Stars case, and many other cases, editing makes it look more scripted than what it actually is. For instance, in many drama reality shows, editors use shots of the participants texting to pass it as if they were crying.

[Imbarkus]

didn't the reality tv craze start with survivor? i don't recall there being any strikes at that time.

Now I was working in TV at the time and there definitely were threats of Writer's strikes looming. It took some years for the strikes to occur (second season of Heroes, as I recall), but if I remember correctly there were threats of a writer's strike in 2001, right before I left TV.

Survivor, Boot Camp, a bunch of forgotten ones. They were all developed in anticipation of needing ways to fill time slots without actors and writers. Now, the incredible popularity they immediately garnered just aggravated the conflict further, but probably delayed the strike until it eventually happened in 2007.

Hey, I remember right, found an article to confirm: http://www.salon.com/2011/04/26/10_y...riters_strike/

[youngplaya21]

It usually hits when the star in the show visits someone, and the person answering the door acts like they're surprised that they showed up, and yet the camera angle is inside the damn house. How did the camera man get inside and you not expect _____ to show up?

Plus Ghost Hunters died for me when I say the YouTube video of the live episode. I at least held on to a sliver of hope that SOMETHING was real (shut up, I was young), but that killed any doubts

[TheOnlyMook]

It seems that most of the reality shows on TV these days are scripted. Especially everything on TruTV and most of the shows on Spike

[Jezabel]

that absolutely painful "Storage Hunters" show.

the one episode where the locker "exploded" was cringeworthy

[Divvy]

There was this scene in some real estate reality show where it was focused on the the character waking up and answering a phone call.

AS IF THERE WAS A FILM CREW SITTING THERE ALL NIGHT WAITING FOR THE CALL

[Kyou]

"Let's see what's in this storage locker. Lesse... one shoe... some old Burger King.... a broken dresser... OH MAN THE FROZEN HEAD OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN THIS IS WHY I DO THIS THAT'S A 5000 DOLLAR BILL ALL DAY LONG!"

[The Awesomest]

Not ecactly the same thing, but all those damn sob stories on American Idol and shows of its ilk. All of them. So many of them. Why are there so many.

[Loxley]

Ghostwatch. My mum jumped up and switched off the TV at the end in a panic. A classic.

My girlfriend is really into shows like this (even though I personally believe that the paranormal is complete bullshit). I forget which one specifically, but there's one of these ghost/spirit hunter/watcher/finder shows that she likes better than the others because "it's not scripted".

Yeah...

[Kyou]

That show with the two guys in a van driving around buying peoples garbage makes me want to murder people with some of the scenes they do, though

American Pickers is the worst about this.

"Hey what about that sign on the lawn over there?"
"I dunno that's been laying there 20 years"
*lifts up sign*
*grass is completely green underneath*