What is a ‘Lifestyle’ programme? (OVERVIEW)
Lifestyle programmes promote health which enable people to increase their control over and to improve their health. Lifestyle programmes are structured, action orientated and designed to help individuals improve their health and promote healthy behavior. They target a range of different concerns within people, from physical activity, stress, smoking and nutrition. They are usually set in a various places but most commonly in workplaces, public initiatives and the community itself.
What is ‘Reality TV’?
Reality TV is a genre of TV programming where documents, unscripted situations and actual occurrences, are often featured an unknown cast. This genre highlights personal drama and conflict to a greater extent. Reality TV programmes have standard tropes = TV confessionals which are used by cast members to express their thoughts which often double as the shows narration. In competition based reality shows, they have common elements such as participants being eliminated per episode for example in ‘Big Brother’. Reality television has faced significant criticism since its rise in popularity. Much of the criticism has centred around the use of the word “reality”, and such shows’ attempt to present themselves as a straightforward recounting of events that have occurred.
History Of Reality TV
The genre began in earnest in the early to mid-1990s with The Real World. It then exploded as a phenomenon in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the global success of the series Survivor and Big Brother. Reality television as a whole has become a fixture of television programming. In the United States, various channels have retooled themselves to focus on reality TV, most famously MTV, which began in the 1980s as a music video pioneer, before switching to a nearly all-reality format in the early 2000s.
Structure & Format
Reality TV shows are supposedly populated by real people — average Joes, geeks, the girl next door — not actors.
(“The Real World,” “Survivor,” “The Bachelor” and “American Idol,”)
A Little History… After these shows had been aired, it became apparent that may other people took their interest to a whole other level and so people started to audition to be apart of Reality TV shows. This applies to those who wanted to be actors and be on screen. With new ‘actors’ involved, it meant that shows were more scripted and not necessary focused on ‘the real world’ involving them.
Illustration… Reality shows typically don’t have scripts, but there is often a shooting script or an outline that details aspects of an episode or part of the show. For example, on shows like “The Real World” and “Big Brother,” which take place in confined quarters, the outline might give directions for which rooms or cameras to focus on. In extreme cases, a shooting script might include a storyboard — a visual representation of the concept that physically illustrates what will occur in a scene.
Focus… Some Reality TV shows focus on different challenges which they advertise, letting the audience know what is happening in certain episodes and others. For example, there may be a game going to be played on a show leaving the audience to ask themselves ‘who is going to win?’ Depending on the people involved in the show, the audience will make their own opinions on who they think will win…
Production… Ultimately, reality producers and editors have a lot of control over what happens on the show, just by the sheer fact that they’ve put the people together in certain situations, and they’re controlling what footage gets aired and what doesn’t. They can also use a device known as frankenbiting to edit together conversation excerpts or sound bites to create a whole new dialogue or conversation. Frankenbiting — and a savvy editor — can essentially create alliances, crushes, fights and relationships. Footage that was captured days apart can come to appear as one scene or situation.
Episodes… Reality TV programmes promote real life situations, themes and scenarios. With this in mind, the purpose of the episodes is to promote different situations, problems and resolutions so that the audience can relate in anyway they possibly can and maybe cause them to take action in their own situations too.
Length- Typical reality programmes usually last about an hour. Whether it be two 30minute sets or an hour straight; depending on the actually TV programme.
Series- The amounts of episodes in a series varies depending on the type/aim of the reality TV programme and the format of the programme. For example, The Jeremy Kyle show is a tabloid reality TV show. Tabloid talk shows have sometimes been described as the “freak shows” of the late 20th century since most of their guests were outside the mainstream. The host invites a group of guests to discuss an emotional or provocative topic – ranging from marital infidelity to more outlandish topics – and the guests are encouraged to make public confessions and resolve their problems with on-camera “group therapy”.
From my research, I have found that ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’ (tabloid format) has about 150 -260 episodes in a season.
Narrative Themes… Typical reality shows are used for confrontation of problems which are stressed within a group of people. These problems are then addressed publically allowing the audience to get involved. The Jeremy Kyle Show is a confrontational show, addressing problems which Jeremy and his crew behind the scenes help participants to solve.
Setting… Lifestyle/Reality programmes are set in different places depending on the aim and type of the show. They may be set in kitchens (cooking shows), jungles (e.g Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here/ Bear Grills). Others such as Big Brother would be set in a house. The thing that sets shows such as Big Brother aside from other shows is that, in every series they use the same house and features which allows the audience to make a quick recognition of what the show is. Real Husbands Of Hollywood would also come into this. Studio set shows hence ‘Jeremy Kyle’ are usually used for confrontational purposes.
Mise En Scene…
LIGHTING… Natural lighting is usually used to make the shows more realistic and convincing. However, high-key and low-key lighting may be used depending on the purpose of the show hence, what they are trying to show their audience.
MUSIC… The music used matches the type of show and its purpose… on a cooking show, you’re not really going to come across Drake playing in the background… Maybe on Big Brother but on Real Husbands Of Hollywood, you never know but there is no doubt about it.
SOUNDS… Natural sounds are usually used… specifically to make the show more realistic and a reality programme.
THEME SONG… Reality sh0ws usually have their own theme song too. Allowing quick recognition from the audience and so the shows reputation can be sustained.
EDITING- CAMERA ANGLES, (the length of the camera shots are used to make the audience feel as if they were actually there when it has been viewed on TV.. you seem to look at the person or people who are speaking.. Not only this, along with most featured of a reality show, different angles/shows/transitions/pace of all these, will be shown differently depending on the shows purpose and what they are trying to promote to their audiences.
COLORS… Shows usually have their own colours which they use to attract their audiences. They use the same colours, also allowing the audience to recognise the show straight away. Jeremy Kyle uses the colour blue. Big Brother also uses blue and if you put 2&2 together, you may agree that the blue is used to match the fact that brothers are male and blue is stereotypically associated males.
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