MCOM 1003 - Carlin Whaley

 Carlin Whaley                                                                                                                                                   10/21/20                                                                                                                                                            Term 3 Paper

Reality Television Critique

     Television programs have an interesting way of catching your attention or may even cause you to lose interest in the show. Each program has unique ways of formatting their shows to form around what the producers believe the audience wants to see. Whether they are successful at getting the attention of others is all dependent on what is spiking the interest of the audience in the world at the time. Producers and actors also can have a huge effect on how popular their show is by how they advertise their television shows. 

     In some cases, some programs may be targeting a specific group, but everyone as a whole. They may be wanting to gain the attention of anyone they are physically able to. For example, the show “The Bachelorette” is a very popular show that started streaming the 16th season last week. Along with “The Bachelorette” there is also “The Bachelor” that is identical in structure, they just switch between girls and guys each season. The show picks between 25-30 men or women to compete for the love of one person by going on dates, traveling the world, and even meeting the parents as contestants get dwindled out. By the end of the show, a lucky someone will be engaged to marry the chosen girl or guy. The producers use the strategy of getting attractive individuals onto the show and creating drama to keep the audience entertained and wanting to watch the next episode to see what happens next. This specific show attracts all kinds of groups young and old. 

     There are also shows that just target one specific group of people and sometimes this could lead to the show being unsuccessful. In this case, “Sweet Home Alabama” would fit this description. “Sweet Home Alabama” caters to more of the southern and country group more than anyone else. Other groups may just watch this show because they think it is interesting or just to make fun of it, then the audience would more than likely just be southern people. This show features a girl or a guy, like “The Bachelor” each season with a group of the other gender to come on the show to compete for the love of one person. The producers of “Sweet Home Alabama” would also do their best to keep the show interesting with attractive people and drama to keep their audience entertained. Unfortunately, since “Sweet Home Alabama” only targeted one group of people the show did not end up being very successful and it soon ended after the fourth season. 

     We see all the time that a new show will either last for years on end or they may only last a year or two. This is because the producers will direct their show only to one ethnic group or it may just not be the kind of entertainment people are looking for. The most critical part of a show is getting others' attention and keeping them engaged. If the audience is not entertained or does not enjoy the show, they are more likely not going to want to watch it again. Producer's jobs are to figure out what is getting the attention of people during the time of their show that they are wanting to air. The producers also have to stay on top of what is changing throughout the world to make sure what they are putting into their show is what the people want to see. 

     Social media is a very critical part of the behind the scenes action of a program. You may see at times where social media may sometimes start an individual's acting career. Younger generations are starting to get famous off of apps like TikTok and Youtube leading to producers wanting them on their show for more views. There are also many different ways that the show can be advertised on social media like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. A lot of younger to middle age actors will see that they will more than likely have a youtube channel. You will see that some will vlog and talk about their everyday lives along with the show they are on, or they may just have the channel to keep their fans updated on how the show is going. TikTok is another big platform that you will see actors and producers constantly advertise their show, seeing as how TikTok is very popular right now. Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and TikTok are most likely where teenagers or people in their mid-twenties would find their favorite influencers. Facebook and Twitter may be the place to find actors for older audiences. Social media is the best way to news out about new shows and ongoing shows for producers and performers.

    Being the huge animal person that I am I would more than likely produce a show about saving animals. In the show I would have a pet sanctuary with wonderful workers; ones that work at the sanctuary and then other workers that respond to calls on strays. We would mainly just have cats and dogs because those are the prime animals that become strays. I would make sure to include how we raise money for vet bills and food for our animals. Including the fundraisers we hold and the merchandise that we sell to help raise money. Also, include the adoption process that would encourage others to come and adopt from us. When a person contacts us wanting to come to look at the dog, we will ask for permission to film the process for the show to encourage others to do the same.

     Reality television comes in all different shapes and sizes where the producers try to connect with many different types of ethnic groups. Television is a great source of entertainment once you find what you are looking for. There are so many different varieties of shows so it may take some searching to find the perfect show for you. Producers have to be on their toes on what is popular in entertainment to keep their audiences entertained and if they are not their show may come to an end sooner than expected.