Reality TV in General
 

I know there is a thread running right now covering the Duggars, but how many of us watch Reality Shows.

Personally, I cannot watch the Duggars, just freaks me out - a show built around a baby producing machine and a control freak - ugh.

But, I will admit to watching and enjoying The Incredible Dr. Pol, the Dutch Vet who has his clinic in Michigan. I think I am attracted to him from the way he really loves this country and does not hesitate to show it. I also watch Cesar Milan (one or two L's?), the Dog Whisperer. Out of nowhere I found a show on the Hawaiian Vet which is really great, unfortunately they only shot a few shows and then it ended, hopefully it will come back. I also watch "Say Yes to the Dress" - for one thing I cannot believe people really spend that sort of money on a wedding dress .........................

Other than those shows, nothing else interests me. What about you .........

I find almost all reality TV boring and overdone to the point of nausea. And in the end, for what and who cares? It's entertainment in the lowest form. Whether it's dancing, singing, pretending to choose a mate, sucking up to Trump, or running around the jungle naked, it holds my interest for about 10 seconds. The only exception for me is the old original reality TV show "Survivor" which I find to be like watching a sport being played, but even then it's hard for me to watch a whole season of it. Where will "reality" go next? Anyone remember the Jim Carrey movie, "The Truman Show"?

Please understand that I am not judging here. I'm just sharing my own personal opinion and not reflecting on others choices. It's obviously popular or there wouldn't be so much of it. For me, however, it can not compete with a well written and well acted drama. My only real regret about "reality TV" is that it supplants what might be more entertaining and enriching programming.:boom:

I like the cooking contests -- Master Chef, Chopped, etc. My favorite is Face Off on SyFy. I love watching the transformation of the models into creatures, plus the contestants really do help each other out. No backstabbing on this show. I hate the Survivor type of shows. I've watched some of the "people" shows on occasion but never really got into them. Say Yes to the Dress is fun to watch when nothing else is on.

I love to watch "Botched" followed by "Good Work" on E!. Doctors Dubrow and Nassif are a kick and their patients are usually hysterical. One of their offices is in my hometown of Newport Beach so I know the turf which makes it even better.

Never heard of either of these shows, thanks for the heads up.:clap2:

I like reality shows. My favorites are Yukon Men, Life below Zero, Buying Alaska, the Little Women shows (LA and NY), Boomtowners, The Little Couple, Ice Road Truckers, Restaurant Impossible, and Hotel Impossible. It looks like I'm enamored with cold weather but not to experience it in person:1rotfl:.

John

I do not think I could have stated it better, except, I do not think I/we watch any of the "reality" shows.

My thoughts exactly. Life itself can be a very harsh reality. I need fiction and diversion sometimes.

I enjoy some of the cable reality shows.
American Pickers is usually entertaining. Dr Pol and the Hawaiian & Yukon Vets. And a couple of the house flipping shows, Flip or Flop & Flipping Boston.
Most of the TV reality shows though... I'd rather read a good book on my Kindle. :read:

I really enjoy So you think you can Dance. I find the talent and the choreo amazing. I also like the house makeovers though I am not a faithful watcher do anything but SYTYCD. I have been watching Border Security and find it interesting as well as Dr. Pol and Cesaer Milan. There is a wedding planner show that is also fun to watch periodically. I guess like everything, it is each to his own.

LW888

Love them...I watched them when they we on Beverly Hills housewives. Both appear to be fabulos plastic surgeons...... Love them...

I personnally watch all the realitity TV, favorite....Survivor.....Apprentice is my least favorite, but I still watch it. trump is a pig sometimes when it comes to women......and hes sometimes wrong, although his kids always agree with him. you gotto follow the money....

Love to watch other peoples lives, makes me appreciate mine even more.

I agree with you completely.....except for the big bang theory.......sort of dying but still sometimes funny....

We are followers of Big Bang, but it seems to really be struggling now that Penny is legit and making a real living and cut her hair and got all growed up! I really like Howard's wife (cannot think of her name), she is much under rated and is a very clever comedienne. Also like Stew in the comic book shop - I think he is in the new Melissa McCarthy movie, I saw a quick review and thought it was him. He also is very clever and under rated. Did you see the one where he and Amy went to the movies and Sheldon turned up - great writing. I saw "Amy" on an old What not to Wear and she really does look much like Amy on Big Bang. In real life she is Mayim Hoya Bialik, American actress and a real neuroscientist. She is very well spoken and looks like a geek!

This is a great show, but can the writers keep the quality going much longer?

I've always preferred nonfiction books and documentary movies and now watch quite a few reality shows, usually competitive shows or those that highlight people with some type of talent or experience, like the veterinarian shows and Pit Bulls and Parolees. I also enjoy makeover shows, and there are a lot for houses and cars, although I'll admit to only watching the beginning and then skipping to the end to see the transformations.

My current favorites are Masterchef (especially the Junior version), Face Off, SYTYCD and of course a lot of House Hunters.

I also watch true crime shows, but only those that focus on the forensics and police work that went into solving a crime, like Homicide Hunter with Joe Kenda. And only if they aren't too gory.

The only show I watch that's in the vein of "people living their lives" is the Little Couple, because it's very sweet and their journey has been inspiring.

I love House Hunters and renovations. AND I like True Crime too. Wasn't thinking but that IS reality TV.

I like "Cops", "Cold Justice," "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," "Property Brothers," and "My Cat From Hell". "Survivor" reminds of my what my workplace is like, so I'm not a fan of "Survivor." I'm not into the singing, dancing, mate finding, bridezilla or wife swapping shows.

Love Anthony Bourdain - but, can you believe what he eats and drinks:yuck:. I'd be doing the dead canary scenario by now - flat on my back with legs in the air.

Never watched Survivor but do like a lot of HGTV, Ghost Adventures and The Dead Files (I know, I'm weird)...now I'm watching Married at First Sight...total junk but I find it fun. Steve hates reality TV but I will find him watching with me. Sometimes it's just fun to fill your head with something that's fluff....after all, we lead such stressful lives here in TV. It is sooooo hard deciding where to eat or checking that we get the tee time we requested!

I need to try out for Married at First Sight. My husband proposed the weekend of our blind date and we were married 30 days later. That was 33 years ago. Hope it works.

So many characters on TV and families on TV are dysfunctional...that is what makes they interesting to most. Sometimes they act out what may only be a passing thought for the rest of us. Normalcy doesn't attract viewers.

I do like American Pickers and occasionally I watch Shark Tank, but that's it for "reality shows."

The only reality TV show I ever watched was The Brady Bunch. I quit watching because it was always Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

Awwwww, that is a very romantic story. :eclipsee_gold_cup:

Reality?
 

Nothing "real" about reality TV, it's staged to the hilt. But otherwise, it would be pretty boring and filled with goofs. I like Dr. Pol because he and his wife and staff are so genuine. There was also a nifty program about a woman whose young family lived and worked a sheep farm (Shear Madness?), but I haven't seen it since the first season. Does anyone know if it is still around? I still enjoy PBS for it's excellent programming.

My reality favorite would be Judge Judy!

My Fav was Gilligan's Island, now that was real.

House Hunter's here too.

It's funny what people focus on............."a $50 light".

Maryanne or Ginger?

Apparently I do not understand the definition of "reality shows"?

So let me do a are not ,are

to me reality shows are not cooking shows, selling real estate, home improvements

to me reality shows are Housewives of, Kardashians, cooking shows that become outlandish contests, Jersey Shore or any show displaying bad behavior ridiculous face/body lifts.

In the latter category I believe such show are very detrimental to our society because as you note people actually copycat these idiots

I do not watch any reality show and a select few of the cooking shows that are serious about quality cooking that can be enjoyed by the average person

Reality of the shows.
 

I agree with you. Seems that most don't know what a reality show is. Most are not real because the director/producer steers the show off set combined with the overinflated egos of the people.

You know, I wasn't really thinking of those either. I do watch some of the Property Brothers and House Hunters on occasion.

Some reality
 

I also watch reality tv and love the home fixer upper ones.....flip or flop, property brothers, buying and selling, income property and House Hunters. Also all of the food competition ones...chopped, top chef, Master Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, Next Food Network Star as well as others. DWTS, Survivor and The Amazing Race are good too. The deplorable reality TV shows, in my opinion are The Kardashians, 19 Kids and Counting, all of the Housewives Shows and Sister Wives. I'm sure there are more. Certainly it's "each to their own" when it comes to what we like and don't like. There's no wrong or right. Just a matter of personal taste.

Maryanne

according to wikipedia---this counts too

Science[edit]
This genre documents scientific analysis or exploration firsthand.
The Crocodile Hunter (1997) (The Discovery Channel)

I think that's the only reality show I watched with my kids or watched at all. That guy use to make us laugh. I remember the time he was swimming with jelly fish and about fifty of them were biting him and he saying "oh mate, that hurts". Another time he's riding an elephant and sees a python or some other venomous snake and jumps off the elephant to catch it. We were all pretty sad when he died from some "sea serpent' [sting ray?] that spiked him in the chest while he was swimming.

Hands down, Love Americas got talent!