[youngplaya21]

miss it? they are still releasing new episodes as of a few weeks ago (and no, its not fake. there is actually a behind the scenes episode btw)

What? Damn, never knew that. Everytime I pass by MTV, eithr Teen Mom or 16 and Pregnant is on. Glad it's not over

[Yaboosh]

But see I don't mind House Hunters scripted because I watch it as, someone showing me 3 houses, what would I pick? Fuck whoever the couple is. It is easy to see that is is scripted from the fact that nobody would decide which house to buy from just 3 picks.

Yep. House Hunters is fake in a perfectly acceptable way. Property Brothers is not.

[JambiBum]

[hgplayer1]

COPS and The Real World was enough reality TV for me.

Cant stand the stuff they show now.

I especially hate the HUGE pauses and camera changes or cutting to commercial for suspense just to hear someone say yes or no.

Shows like Wipeout are awesome though.

[danwarb]

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...

Ghostwatch was great because it was a 90 minute TV movie, set up like one of those paranormal investigation shows to investigate a supposed haunted house. Host and presenters playing themselves. A lot of people fell for it at the time, up until the angry spirits possess the studio and network and are transmitted through your TV.

[Megadrive]

All reality shows are fake. I'm just going to keep posting this. Deadliest Catch is also fake. All reality shows with "episode storylines" are fake, like when they manufacture drama between the crew members or they focus on hazing a new member of the crew, or shit like that. They're all acting. Fake.

Next thing you'll tell me is Jon Benjamin Has A Van is scripted. For shame.

[timetokill]

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

Aw man, you guys are telling me COPS is scripted?

Fuck... :(

[Flying_Phoenix]

Pretty much all "reality" TV shows are fake. I'll even go as far as to say even shit like Shark Tank is 90% controlled. However there are some things that annoy the shit out of my after the 12 years of reality TV domination:

- We've officially time traveled to the 1950s. Racism and Sexism is turned up to level 11. Now, yes I realize that stereotypes exist for a reason, because they tend to be true. But I 'm sorry I highly doubt that a black family raised in a upper middle class neighborhood will act "ghetto". This is painfully obvious in those bridezilla shows or well really any reality TV shows. Also, yes I realize that in current society many women may not like stressful situations and what not, but how come every time I see a competition involving "experts" and one of them is a woman, she is quickly overworked. You are supposedly the leader of a very successful small business, how the fuck can you not talk to people or crumble under pressure? That makes no fucking sense, you wouldn't have never had the title the show claimed you had then.

- Why are any of the Jersey Shore guys trying to fuck Snookie? If you are rich, famous, and "good looking", you wouldn't be trying to fuck Snookie.

- Hey you were on Undercover Boss! What you didn't notice the cameras!?

- "Feel good" endings. I know I just said Undercover Boss, but its the perfect example. For those who don't know about this show, it involves every working persons dream. The CEO of the company is going to spend one week in YOUR shoes. They experience your pain, they experience your hardship, and he comes alone some incredible workers who have financial troubles but still go out of the way for their company, just to succeed. So the CEO has a euphoria, he realizes that he needs to give back to these workers. So he rewards these workers with $5,000 and a paid vacation. Wow that's nice right? He really cares? Except he fucking doesn't. $5,000? He wipes his ass with that. If he really gave a shit he would have sacrificed his wealth and Swiss bank account and have some of that money trickle down to those workers. He would have pulled a Ricardo Semler and would have given the employees more rights so they couldn't get fucked again. But no, this man is a saint because he spent a week in the employees shoes, saw that half of them had shit lives, and decided to give a few of them some money, with the thought of "holy shit just imagine how many of my employees have just as shitty lives!" Cross his mind. The thing that makes me pissed about this is that people buy this as "if you work hard, things will come to you." Bullshit, if it wasn't for the CEO working undercover, these people would still be living shit lives, and are most likely are after that small donation. But of course this isn't real. Its just blatant marketing.


- You know prank shows like Jackass where they prank someone, they get pissed, and than they say the line "HE GOT AWAY!" The fucking camera man is right there!

- The auditions in American Idol spinoffs that are clearly staged. The worst is with little kids. Who seem to know EXACTLY what to say with the perfect quick witted comments. The only thing that rivals it is when a bad audition happens and one of the panelists are prepared to do something with it. Like get up on stage and dance with a prop in hand. Or have some type of background music while they duet with the contestant on stage that is VERY specific (something that the DJ just couldn't have on the fly).

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

This shit is the worst.

[LAUGHTREY]

True, but it's a small portion of the show. The appeal is just watching the fishing and shit that happens during it. I mean, people have died during the show. That's kind of hard to manufacture. Edit: That, and the fact that they're mostly transparent with their production, with several behind-the-scenes specials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr4H7QgeEjQ

That was pretty fake-ish to me. It was either to cause drama or to discourage an undoubtedly huge influx of people who try to get a job up there because of the show.

[KillGore]

Aw man, you guys are telling me COPS is scripted? Fuck... :(

Is it? I always thought this was the exception....fuck

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Excellent. Also, I've been playing guitar for over 10 years and have never heard of 'buckle rash'. lol

Not saying the show isn't fake, since it obviously is. But, my friends and I use the term all the time when looking at guitars and I've seen plenty of eBay listings use it as well.

[smurfx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...ZxNSjow#t=114s

one of my fav moments in fake real tv.

[chubigans]

Oh man, undercover boss might be the worst I've seen.

Secret Boss: "hello, nice to meet you."
Employee: "hey man, I'm gonna show you how to clean a toilet today."
"ok sounds good!"
"ok, just use the brush and scrub clockwise like this..."
"ok, got it."
"so my wife has cancer and my son is autistic."

Which of course sets up the nice Cancer/Autism treatments the boss will give the employee at the end of the show. Seriously, who spills their life's story to a stranger surrounded by cameras like that.

[adamsappel]

Excellent. Also, I've been playing guitar for over 10 years and have never heard of 'buckle rash'. lol

I've heard it, it's not an uncommon term. It obviously refers to scratch marks on the back of a guitar from a belt buckle, though I imagine this was a bigger problem in the 1970's, probably exclusive to country pickers and their Telecasters.

I have always hated reality tv. Survivor was good in the first couple of seasons, but it just became too formulaic. Survivorman isn't scripted, but then again it's often kind of boring. I hate eating shows where hosts won't say they dislike something or won't choose a "best" food even in a competition.

[chubigans]

"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!"

I laughed way too hard at this. Bwahaha

[Takao]

Yeah, the reality of that show was broken by something similar for me. They opened up a locker, pulled out a picture in its frame, IMMEDIATELY broke open the frame, and found $800 taped inside. It's unbelievable enough that the money was in there, but the fact that they broke the frame the second they opened the locker (before looking for other obvious goodies inside) was just unbelievable. Other examples of scripted reality shows: - Pawn Stars, when someone traded in a "real" ball and chain, and SHOCKER, the dumb guy accidentally breaks display glass with it. - also Pawn Stars, when a guitar brought in and sold on the show was (and still is) really from some Las Vegas rock and roll museum - American Restoration, when the old broken and rusted item they started with was a completely different model of the nice shiny new item they "fixed" - Cash Cab, when they film the people getting out of the cab from the outside. If they were random people, then how'd the camera crew get to the destination before the cab, set up the equipment to get that shot every time - Dave Chappelle standup, when you realize that he really wasn't in a plane hostage situation ... but he's such a good story teller that you don't question it at first

One of my friends (who's not an actor or anything like that) actually caught the Cash Cab last month, so it's random to some degree. She won like $400.

[jaxword]

They're not. Most good reality shows are planned, but not scripted. Only the gutter of the genre like Operation Repo are both. By planned I mean the producers/writers just come up with a situation to throw the cast into. Even trash like jerseylicious works this way (I know someone on the crew)

Yes, but they're still scripted in that they obviously can't let the people do/say WHATEVER they want and they have extremely careful control over everything that the public sees. Like, ok, you take 8 hours of "real" conversation and edit it down to 20 minutes with lots of camera cuts and pans--even if the dialogue is "real", that's still so scripted and planned that it may as well be actors reading off a page for all the realness it has.

[AlexMogil]

That Love it or List it show on HGTV is the worst.

Here's the couple
Here's their house
Here's their renno budget
Here's their house budget
Wife: I want to move
Husband: I want to stay

Act 1
Hillary draws hilarious sketches of owners impossible demands
Dave finds first house: EWWW YUCK WHAT ARE YOU THINKING JESUS NO
Hillary finds something wrong with the plumbing and the fake contractor says 'Well dere's a prablem.'
Hillary has to remove one part of the renno
Owners get a little mad.
No one is happy.

Act 2
Dave finds another house: Ok, hey you know this kinda works, but wow let's maybe just stay in our home because Hilary is going to be juuust fine
Hillary finds the studs in the walls are made from bones and the electric cabling is made from water
Fake contractor: 'Dats gonna cost a latta money'
Hillary: Sorry no toilet
Couple fakes getting mad, flips over tables, camera films them from far away
Hillary gets fake upset and frustrated 'How was I to know a house would have problems, I'm only a designer/contractor!'
No one is happy.

Act 3
Dave finds Heaven on Earth for twenty bucks
Hillary pulls off a miracle
The couple decides the opposite what you would expect
I'm not happy.


To my wife, this routine is Shakespearean.

[mattiewheels]

My friend was one of the 'bad' auditions on American Idol back in 04, and he made it on the show in a clip where he sings for Simon, Paula, etc.

He told me later that he never sang for them, but for a different set of judges. Meaning that every bit of interaction and referencing that they do with my friend was just done like a script from what the original judges said to him. Weird.

[Battlezone]

Someone mentioned Shark Tank: I had a conference call a few weeks ago with one of the producers of Shark Tank about my "startup" being on their show. I had never seen it before, so I didnt really know what it was. But I found out that the negotiations you see are real, but nothing is binding, and the actual deals are worked out off air. You're not obligated to take their deal even if you've accepted it on-camera. ABC gets either a percentage of equity, or a percentage of the licensing in the company, once you have signed papers. The actual pitches last about an hour, and that's obviously trimmed down for the show.

I went back and watched some episodes, and still found them entertaining. I guess I just don't understand why people feel the need to fall over themselves pointing out reality shows are fake. Maybe I'm just used to people telling me wrestling is fake, as if it's some grand secret I didn't know. Who fucking cares? It's entertainment.


Edit: I also can't believe nobody's mentioned the NES-001 episode of Storage Wars. That's my favorite episode of the show.

[cajunator]

Someone mentioned Shark Tank: I had a conference call a few weeks ago with one of the producers of Shark Tank about my "startup" being on their show. I had never seen it before, so I didnt really know what it was. But I found out that the negotiations you see are real, but nothing is binding, and the actual deals are worked out off air. You're not obligated to take their deal even if you've accepted it on-camera. ABC gets either a percentage of equity, or a percentage of the licensing in the company, once you have signed papers. The actual pitches last about an hour, and that's obviously trimmed down for the show. I went back and watched some episodes, and still found them entertaining. I guess I just don't understand why people feel the need to fall over themselves pointing out reality shows are fake. Maybe I'm just used to people telling me wrestling is fake, as if it's some grand secret I didn't know. Who fucking cares? It's entertainment. Edit: I also can't believe nobody's mentioned the NES-001 episode of Storage Wars. That's my favorite episode of the show.

The NES episode was unreal. It was hilarious how fake that was. Asking 13k for an old beat up NES that didnt even work. Even a total idiot would be able to figure out that its worthless.

[DR3AM]

it seems to me that most shows start out real but as the show gets more popular, the producers start throwing more random stuff into the mix

[Karsticles]

Biggest Loser has to be real. You can't script weight loss.
COPS? I always thought that was likely real. Last I saw an episode they busted a party with like 200 people at it. That's quite a scene to pull off just to fake ticket a few college kids. Lots of junky houses too, etc.

[Lionel Mandrake]

If anyone wants to see a more down-to-earth Pawn Stars...

Insomniac with Dave Attell
Show pitch

[megarockexe]

Does "Fact or Faked" count? I know they're supposed to be doing re-enactments but just sitting there watching the setup is just too uncomfortable to watch.

ACTING.jpg

[iammeiam]

The Joe Schmo Show was probably my favorite reality TV show because it being about 80% scripted was the entire point. Watching the lone normal guy react to insanity was fun the first year, and watching them have to adapt the script the second year as one of the 'marks' started to catch on was great. You got to watch somebody on a reality TV show realize the entire thing was scripted.

So nobody tell me that Joe and Jane Schmo were also scripted actors, you will break my heart.

(It is funny to go back and watch the first season and realize Dr. Pat is Kristen Wiig before she had a career.)

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Every single time i have been subjected to NEXT!

[border]

How can ghost hunting shows not be real?

If you were going to fake evidence of the paranormal, surely you would come up with something better than what they do. Every episode is a bunch of dudes saying "Oh I just got chills!", unidentified noises, and EVPs that sound absolutely nothing like what they are supposed to. I fucking love the EVPs.

"When we asked the spirits what they were doing here, our digital recorder picked up THIS!"

*audio of garbled nonsense*
Subtitle reads: "Get out of my home!"

I wouldn't expect them to come back with video of a full blown apparition or anything as then it'd be an obvious fake -- but shit, if they are faking it you think they would at least try to give me some distant wailing sounds or more objects being moved around.

[Flying_Phoenix]

My friend was one of the 'bad' auditions on American Idol back in 04, and he made it on the show in a clip where he sings for Simon, Paula, etc. He told me later that he never sang for them, but for a different set of judges. Meaning that every bit of interaction and referencing that they do with my friend was just done like a script from what the original judges said to him. Weird.

Could you explain this a bit more? Do you mean that during auditions there are different judges that judge and on the show Paula and Simon then make the outlandish comments? Or that they simply mimmick what the other judges say?

[J.W.Crazy]

On the show Oddities a few times they've shown old electrical equipment with clearly fake lightning style bolts of electricity shooting out from it. I also happen to to see someone who was described as an eccentric regular customer doing a bit part on the Onion sports show on Comedy Central.

Please tell me Hoarders isn't scripted. If it is, I'll never get my father to clean his house.

I don't know if it's scripted but I heard an interview with one of the psychologist from the first season who said she refused to film certain episodes for the second season because the hoarding seemed too new to be real, like the people were doing it just to be on the show. As far as she could tell every episode she filmed for the first season was real, and they never coached her or told her it was fake but some of the places the called her out to after the show got big felt off. She seemed like she wanted to say more but couldn't.

[border]

The first season of American Idol was cool, because at the time you could honestly believe that all the "bad" auditions were legitimately bad. And the judges probably ended up seeing all that stuff and making those shitty singers cry. But after the show got popular, you know everybody was just hamming it up trying to get on television.....and you know that the TV judges are not coming anywhere near the people that suck.

[Sobriquet]

how fake were the first few seasons of the real world?

The first two seasons weren't fake at all.

Not all reality television is fake, but it can be edited to create drama when there was none.

[Ermc_G6]

I have been wondering to what degree Top Gear is scripted.

Obviously SOME of the things are scripted, and I think the guys sort of play along with it, and some times things are quite clearly not scripted. There are quite a few moments though where I'm just not sure...

[mattiewheels]

Could you explain this a bit more? Do you mean that during auditions there are different judges that judge and on the show Paula and Simon then make the outlandish comments? Or that they simply mimmick what the other judges say?

I think so, he was having a conversation with the judges, so they had to make it match by having the 'real' judges read the dialogue again.

[kottila]

Antiques roadshow isn't scripted and it is the best reality show ever made

[Freshmaker]

MTV's Fear.

It was obvious from the concept.

"Sit in a deadly machine and flip the on switch."

Yeah, that's a challenge that works if you can't guarantee that the thing won't turn on.

[FyreWulff]

- Cash Cab, when they film the people getting out of the cab from the outside. If they were random people, then how'd the camera crew get to the destination before the cab, set up the equipment to get that shot every time

This was explained in an AMA. If you accept the Cash Cab, you get back out and fill out paperwork and so on, since it falls under game show rules. That's where they get your destination and such. I believe the camera crew follows close behind and gets the exit shots. They can do editing like that as long as none of it affects the outcome of the game.

edit: a fake component of that show is the cash they give them at the end. It's fake money that they take back, the contestants actually receive the money as a check in the mail.

Here's a FAQ

[Sobriquet]

Excellent. Also, I've been playing guitar for over 10 years and have never heard of 'buckle rash'. lol

It's a common term, mainly used in vintage guitar sales.

[Karsticles]

How can ghost hunting shows not be real? If you were going to fake evidence of the paranormal, surely you would come up with something better than what they do. Every episode is a bunch of dudes saying "Oh I just got chills!", unidentified noises, and EVPs that sound absolutely nothing like what they are supposed to. I fucking love the EVPs. "When we asked the spirits what they were doing here, our digital recorder picked up THIS!" *audio of garbled nonsense* Subtitle reads: "Get out of my home!" I wouldn't expect them to come back with video of a full blown apparition or anything as then it'd be an obvious fake -- but shit, if they are faking it you think they would at least try to give me some distant wailing sounds or more objects being moved around.

If they made massively fake evidence, then it would be obviously fake. They have to make vaguely fake evidence, so people argue.

[jaxword]

If they made massively fake evidence, then it would be obviously fake. They have to make vaguely fake evidence, so people argue.

Well, that and ghosts are real.

Only a disgusting AtHEIST would disagree.

[border]

If they made massively fake evidence, then it would be obviously fake. They have to make vaguely fake evidence, so people argue.

Like I said though -- the fake evidence is just so god-damned dull. My girlfriend watches Ghost Adventures, and there are entire investigations where all they come back with is some poor EVPs and testimony about how they felt a presence in the building. If that shit is fake, why not at least have some banging noises or some objects that are rigged to fall off a shelf or something? There would still be plenty of room for debate there.

I honestly think that the shows are not fake. It basically seems like people spending a lot of time in a dark building, then struggling to come up with any evidence of the paranormal. I can't count the number of episodes I've watched, and the most exciting thing that's happened is a large flag pole that was propped against the wall falling down (of course not even caught on camera).

[border]

This was explained in an AMA. If you accept the Cash Cab, you get back out and fill out paperwork and so on, since it falls under game show rules.

If you don't accept the Cash Cab, do they just tell you to get the fuck out? Or will the guy actually take you to where you want to go? :)

[jonremedy]

As someone who works in the TV biz, let me tell you that there is no script written before filming. While the crew may hope for certain situations to arise, there is no direction given to any reality TV-show contestant. This is on Survivor and other similar competition-shows at least.

*All of the above is true for Norwegian shows only. I can't for certain say how it's done in America.

[border]

I don't think many shows are scripted, but probably most of them are probably about creating fake drama and tension.

Storage Wars seems like a pretty good example. Why should I care if one of these yokels makes $500 on a locker or loses $500 on a locker? They are being paid way more than that to be on the show. Whether they make money or lose money is irrelevant. Maybe there is no script and maybe they don't know what's in the locker already, but it kinda disrupts the entire structure of the show to realize that their paychecks are probably 10x greater than what they are spending.

[Tence]

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

Yeah it started in 1997 with the Swedish Expedition Robinson and got worse with the Dutch Big Brother in 1999. All well before any strike.

[catfish]

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

scripted loosely. that's why that shit is so fucking popular, because it's ultimate lazy work for writers. you hire some famous people, the stupider and more vapid the better and then tell them 'you go get your dog washed and be a cunt to your boyfriend while you're there'

and scene, print money.

[Persona7]

People actually think Pawn Stars is real? Wow.

I only watched a few episodes a few years ago but it was definitely 100% scripted even though they try to make it seem like it is not.

[Jay Sosa]

don't wanna sound condescending..but realized? They're all scripted to some degree.

[Tence]

don't wanna sound condescending..but realized? They're all scripted to some degree.

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.

OP knows. He is talking about blatant examples.

[Previous]

COPS can't be that scripted, just watch any of the episodes with car chases/crashes on camera. Unless they invented some sort of low budget cgi that looks better than a big budget movie.

Most of the on foot exchanges are the exact same thing though..
"Have you been drinking tonight sir?"
"no officer nothing at all... uh well a couple beers maybe"
"Can I see some ID?"
"uhh I left it at--*runs away*
*officer tackles him 3 feet away/uses a tazer*
*officer pulls meth/coke/weed/whatever out of the suspects pockets*
"Those arnt my drugs officer, these are my friends pants i didnt know they were in the pockets"

Also, someone please tell me Whale Wars is fake..those people are too crazy