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Moments where you noticed a "real" TV show was scripted as hell
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Lionel Mandrake
Member
To be fair, they've acknowledged and mocked this. Grant did an IAmA where he said something along the lines of the scripts being the easiest and least clumsy way to get information across, ever since Discovery stopped using the folklorist. And in one episode Adam said, "We're taking acting lessons?" Prompting Jamie to say, "Don't you think it's about time?" I do miss the more off-the-cuff style though.
Pawn Stars has gotten ridiculous. It's always felt scripted, but lately they don't even bother to hide it. They get full-blown plotlines and shit now. The last episode I saw had Chum buying chocolates for one of the "experts" because he had a crush on her. And another time, he bumped into Bob Dylan on the street, after buying one of his records.
And don't even get me started on Subway.
Deadliest Catch is still awesome. There might be some stuff played up for the cameras, but everything still seems legit to me.
Not really scripted, but I was in the audience for a talent competition show, and the staff handed us bristol boards, and painted some of them up to look as though they were fans of those performing. I believed one participant actually had to have another go at singing because the camera crew weren't satisfied with their shots.
LA ink is the worst offender Ive seen. Theres really NOTHING interesting about working at a tatoo shop. So every time they throw in drama its just feels so forced. The worst was the obvious fake marriage between Kat Von D and Jesse James.
Keeping up with Kardashians a close second though. Recent episode spent 15 minutes on the youngest girls trying to clean ketchup out of a marble floor. "Omg its not coming out, mom is gonna kill us we have to get professional help."
Keeping up with Kardashians a close second though. Recent episode spent 15 minutes on the youngest girls trying to clean ketchup out of a marble floor. "Omg its not coming out, mom is gonna kill us we have to get professional help."
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.
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)
There are plenty of docu-style reality shows which are not fake at all. The First 48 comes to mind
Lionel Mandrake
Member
It's no secret that pro-wrestling is fake, but I was always under the impression that it was simply a packed house of crazy fans watching a typical match. When I attended a TNA show a couple years ago, I was surprised when they started handing us signs, and getting shots of crowd reactions between matches.
By scripted I don't think people are talking about literal scripts. Just manufactured.
Well I distinguish between the two because there are plenty (see: TruTV and shit like My Life as Liz) that are literally scripted
It's really bad these days, too. Before they used to try and tweak the plotlines here and there, now most reality shows are done off a script.
Storage Wars makes me sad. I love the show and still watch it believing it's real.. even when I know it's not
This is how I feel about house hunters
Lionel Mandrake
Member
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.
I just like seeing the different houses and locations. I could care less about the people trying to act, I just wanna see cool places. And also play the drinking game for how they complain about stupid stuff, but really, all shows should have drinking games.
Yeah, as long as they still whine about not having 2 sinks in a bathroom or the color of walls its all good for me
TheNatural
My Member!
Reminds me of the TruTV shit. I used to watch a little of this show called 'black gold' or something and it was hilarious all the fake drama they put into working on an oil rig. Every commercial was 'omg what if he cant work or they miss their goal.' The best was the woman 'land owner' they were drilling on property for, they would come up with little things like trash on the ground and her going to the foreman and acting all mad.
How fake it was is the funny part of it. Funny thing is one of the workers and 'land owner' were a couple and photos put on the internet. They were just playing parts.
If you want a real reality show, make one about MAKING a reality show and show all the scripts and how they make them and everything. That would be great.
I respect your will to believe, but there's no way in hell that anything we're seeing in an episode isn't scripted. In fact, I'm willing to bet they actually go as far as re-shooting scenes to make sure they get the proper impact they're looking for. These douchebags(and I say that with complete sincerity since their job is to rip people off) aren't actors and there's no way that every scripted scene works out perfectly. I mean, you can literally hear the awkwardness in some of the lines they say.
And this is just one of the few I've actually seen. I refuse to watch 99% of reality TV, so I cant imagine how bad some of the poorer-produced shows come across.
"this house is 30,000 dollars below our budget and in a location we love but it doesn't have a dishwasher!"
I didn't realize house hunters was fake... I had a feeling... but I never.. haha, screw reality TV! So deceiving.
AMC's The Pitch (their new reality series attempting to ride on the coattails of Mad Men) isn't really scripted.
Companies have two ad agencies pitch advertising campaigns and then hire one, and actually use them.
That's what happens in real non-televised life, except for minor things like maybe they would have more than two agencies pitch their ideas, the timeframe, etc.
Companies have two ad agencies pitch advertising campaigns and then hire one, and actually use them.
That's what happens in real non-televised life, except for minor things like maybe they would have more than two agencies pitch their ideas, the timeframe, etc.
youngplaya21
Member
I miss True Life. If THAT is fake, then they are doing one helluva good job
Evening Musuko
Black Korea
Yeah, WWE will sometimes do that for Smackdown and other taped shows. Sometimes they'll even re-do a match if they aren't satisfied with how it goes and add fake cheers and boos (which can get a little annoying). Obviously they can't really do this during Raw or PPVs because they're live.
oh man everything on HGTV is so fake and the frustrating thing is that it's so formulaic. Meet the couple, meet their problem. meet the expert! Work begins! Oh no! There's a problem!!! They finish. Couple talks about how they had some problems but it was worth it.
I'd just love it for once they were like 'So and so decided to do some renovations. And everything went better than expected.'
I'd just love it for once they were like 'So and so decided to do some renovations. And everything went better than expected.'
Cops was the first modern reality show.
Wow, so pro-wrestling is even faker than the fakeness that everyone thinks it is?
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)
Sounds like a Maury taping
Excellent.
Also, I've been playing guitar for over 10 years and have never heard of 'buckle rash'. lol
TheMan
Member
ah ok. interesting.
TheMan
Member
i know that survivor wasn't the first reality show, but its popularity is what eventually blossomed into the glut of reality television that we have today.
I've been fishing in a lot of those bayous on Swamp People.
Probably the most realistic show because they cant really fake hunting alligators. I have poked some of them in the head with my fishing poles before and they usually just swim off.
Pawn stars is totally fake though. I love watching all those shows though.
Probably the most realistic show because they cant really fake hunting alligators. I have poked some of them in the head with my fishing poles before and they usually just swim off.
Pawn stars is totally fake though. I love watching all those shows though.
Evening Musuko
Black Korea
It's not "pro-wrestling", it's "Entertainment" GODDAMMIT [/vince]
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Well, in terms of TNA Impact, you have to consider that it's an attraction at Universal Studios Orlando, so a lot of the audience doesn't actually follow the story and needs a lot of direction for when to cheer/boo, etc. It's very similar to when WCW Nitro was shot at Disney's MGM Studios as an attraction there.
In terms of wrestling in general, nobody is hiding that it's a scripted program, so WWE editing and re-shooting pre-recorded events shouldn't come as too big of a surprise I'd think. But there are still many (most) fans who bring their own signs, cheer/boo, etc. without any direction from the staff.
Khalifa Jayy
Banned
All those stupid towing shows. So embarrassingly fake.
cartoon_soldier
Member
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.
bengraven
Member
i cant believe how fake these shows are and some people actually believe they are real just because of TruTV
These have actually been verified as fake. They're actors retelling "stories".
Speaking of which, their pawn show, Hardcore Pawn?
Pawn Stars looks like old home movies compared to Hardcore Pawn. That show is the fakest fucking thing I have ever seen.
vas_a_morir
Banned
Pawn stars looks the fakest when they have the scenes in the back office with just the 4 main characters. That's why the fat younger characters don't seem like real humans... because they are shit actors.
I like the Old man's character, though. He reminds me of your typical Southern old man. That type that doesn't move for anybody, and doesn't give a shit about what you think.
I like the Old man's character, though. He reminds me of your typical Southern old man. That type that doesn't move for anybody, and doesn't give a shit about what you think.
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
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