Whose reality is this??

“Reality television is not the end of civilisation as we know it; it is civilisation as we know it. It is popular culture at its most popular, soap opera came to life.” Germaine Greer.

The commercial success of Big Brother demonstrates significant changes that occurred within commercial entertainment industry. The recognition of those working in the media industry acknowledged that audiences are becoming increasingly knowledgeable (and cynical) about the strategies used in the construction and delivery of various forms of factual entertainment.

The structure of the program itself, runs like a drama. Narration is provided to divide the multiple storyline, usually three per episode. Big Brother’s open narrative and storyline is determined by the housemates, making the construction of reality in the program vital to the flow within the episodes.

The physical separation between the ‘worlds’, Big Brother house and the outside world, makes for a spectacular realisation of the fundamental aspect of the show, it’s a game. There is no reality like it, specifically created situations and characters for ratings and appeal. Within reality television there are three formats programming can take. Programs may include real footage instead of studio based programming, have a structured narrative like a documentary, or function as a game show.

Big Brother is classified as a docu-soap. Within this format, a series, cliff hanging, segmented narrative with multiple narratives, viewers are introduced to character and are pushed to develop relationships to the characters and the program is filmed from one location and this location becomes increasingly familiar to viewers. The docu-soap is created to define reality itself. Drama at any cost approach to programming.

I think the biggest impact that reality television and Big Brother in particular have on society is that it forces audiences to define their own notion of the ‘real’.