Reality television

[mightyWBA]

Television today seems awash with "reality" shows.How many have their been,and which one was the first?

[dotjhawkes]

It depends on what exactly can be defined as a reality show I think. Back in the 80s I think there was a series on about a family, was it called The Family by any chance? And it was a weekly visit to their home, I think they lived in Liverpool. It was reality TV as we term it now, but back then i think it was more of a documentary. As for Big Brother and the like, what is perceived to be reality about an artificial purpose built temporary habitat, filled with a dozen or so people that have been chosen from thousands and put into an artificial environment.

[gary baldy]

Memory playing tricks dot?
The Family was from 1974 and they were from Reading.
It has been widely credited as the first 'fly on the wall' documentary. In fact the director was interviewed a couple of years ago and he begrudgedly admitted that perhaps he was to 'blame' for reality tv.
I could bore you with a history of the realist documentary - which can be traced back to the 30's -but i think The Family was the first time we followed the day to day 'reality' of peoples lives.
I would argue that Big Brother was perhaps the logical conclusion (the nadir?) of the realist tradition.

[LeMarchand]

Which was first? Don't know.

How many have there been? Way too many.

[dotjhawkes]

Blimey was it 1974!!!!!!!!!! I was still at home then, working in a record shop and just 19!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I know why i didn't actually watch it Gary! I was out on the razzle round Southport!!!!!!!!

[gary baldy]

Razzle and Southport arent two words you hear in the same sentence very often dot!
It was repeated in the 80's so perhaps thats where you got the idea.
I suppose even before all that there was the 7up project (follow kids every 7 years) which started way back in the early 60's.
I think the reality tv that we know and love (?) today only came about with the expansion of cable and satellite channels. It gave programme makers the opportunity to fill loads of air time with relitively cheap tv and counter to that the room was there to offer the 'live feeds' that is such a part of it.
The documentaries of the past we more 'worthy' because there was higher quality control and greater amount of editing because there was a limited amount of time and opportunity to squeeze it into the schedules so it had to pack more of a punch. That has been removed now and programme makers have huge swathes of the schedule to play with and therefore quality control is almost non existent and editing is a dying art.
I believe the concept itself is a valid one - there is just too much of it (content and frequency) and the law of diminishing returns is being applied.

[Alibobs]

Does anyone remember the mid 80's show "Starting Together" about the Welsh couple embarking on married life together. I think they were called Mark & Karen Adams- Jones. Su Pollard sang the nauseating theme tune. Are they still married?

[lionelhutz]

all straight over my head!!

[dotjhawkes]

Oh yes I remember the welsh couple, and then what about Esther Rantzen and the show she did with Sheena Easten, was it called Big Time ? I also remember 7 up as they are the same age as myself. Oh and gary! What about the Dixieland showbar, The Riverside, the Somewhere Else, oh and the Kingsway! Southport rocked!

[lankeela]

I knew one of the lads in 7 up, Tony who wanted to be a jockey but ended up driving a black cab., Is this programme still ongoing?

[lankeela]

Just looked it up - 49 Up was shown in 2005.

[Pippa68]

I loved the repeats of 'The Family' when it was shown in the late 80's. I also remember a one-off follow up with Paul Watson interviewing the Wilkins. I found it very entertaining..far more so than the newest reality shows!

I also remember Starting Together (wasn't that Paul Watson produced too?) & have often wondered if they are still married..mainly because a friend of mine got married at the same time the show was on & they had the same theme played at their recception..arrrrrgh. They are now divorced, by the way.