Celeb Reality Shows: Where do they go from here?

[WhiteCrow]

Well when Celebrity Big Brother and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here came out in 2001, has-beens were lining up to try and revamp their popularity.

It certainly managed to give Claire Sweeney for instance, otherwise destined for soap star obscurity a new career - much to my wife's annoyance (it's her cousin).

But in recent years the celebs seem to be slowly keeping away, until now only the most desparate and obscure need apply. Last year CBB was won by the only non-Celebrity in there. And all too often instead of Celebs we're now getting "son/daughter/ex-partner" of Celebs.

Surely with the latest Celeb Big Brother and all the negative publicity combined with (hopefully) career destroying press, this is now the death of the Celeb Reality Show for a while? Or will it continue with ever more obscure "Celebs"?

[Anthony Williams]

Personally, I do hope that this spells the death-knell for these dire programmes, where, as Mr WhiteCrow points out, faded celebrities and people who are famous for... well, nothing more than being famous, come to attempt to revitalise their careers.

CBB has been the biggest joke this year, with the entrance of the biggest non-entity "celebrity" herself... Jade Goody.

I hope it's the end of it all... and if so - thank goodness!

Ant x

[Dave Lewis]

I long for Celebrity Cannibal Island, where the likes of Ruth Madoc, Bradley from S Club, Donna Air, and Richard Blackwood are plonked on an island with no food, and the viewing public votes for who gets eaten on the live Friday scoffing show.

If it goes tits up, Rik Waller can be sent in after the third week to eat the lot of them.

[Perry Vale]

What one was Claire Sweeney on?

They'll continue as normal, they get the ratings (& the headlines), which is what matters.

[Wayne]

They'll continue as normal, they get the ratings (& the headlines), which is what matters.

Sadly, Steve is right. They're driven by the media, which makes more people watch them, which in turn ensures more media manipulation, which keeps people watching... & so on.
The circle will never be broken as long as people keep watching. Even when the ratings plummeted for CBB, the scale of media attention to the whole Jade Goody debacle was so hugely out of proportion to it's importance that it pushed the ratings right back up again.

[Si Hunt]

There are a number of unfair points made in the opening post. For a start, Claire Sweeney remained a highly paid television star in "Brookside" for two years AFTER her stint on "I'm A Celebrity", so to say she was "destined for soap star obscurity" at this point is incorrect.

Secondly, in the case of Chantelle Houghton the whole POINT was that she wasn't a celebrity, the challenge being to masquerade as one - and if that appears to represent the show makers proving your point, then that's to expect every celebrity to know of every other. The house, made up of people of all ages, could quite easily not recognise a member of a chart-topping girl band (who would in anyone's book be an eligable celeb) and this was the challenge. But I don't know what point you make with regards noting that she won. Once in the House, viewers vote to keep in the most likeable or interesting contestant, and as we all know likeability has no bearing on fame or claim to celebrity. And this is the key to why it doesn't REALLY matter how many "celebrities" actually appear on these things.

At the end of the day, we have a swipe at the celebrity status of these shows because it's an easy target - "ha! Call it Celebrity Big Brother, I've never even heard of her!". But what exactly is the complaint? If we are lampooning them for not getting bigger names, perhaps it's because a lot of these shows, especially "BB" and "I'm A Celeb" are not actually that fun to be on. That's the point - it's not a jolly for celebrities, it's a challenge involving living in an isolated environment. Commendably, some appear for the sake of that challenge (there have been a number of celebrities on both shows who clearly have a high enough profile and bank balance not to be doing it out of desperation), but essentially it's not a picnic, so of course you are going to get people doing it who need the money.

Yet at the end of the day, does it matter? It's the personalities that matter, and frequently the lesser-known Celebrities turn out to be as much entertainment as the major ones. In fact, experience has shown that those competing in the hunt for a higher profile, or who have been scarred by a previously-higher status one, face a tougher challenge, and therefore provide better viewing.

At the end of the day, the reason these shows are popular is because they are fun to watch. The entertainment value is never adversely affected by the shaky claim to "celebrity" of any of the contestants. And these days celebrity is big money, BECAUSE people buy "Heat" and "The News of the World" and "Hello" and for no other reason. Therefore you can't blame the "celebrities" in question from accepting a large cash amount to appear on a show which is going to boost their profile.

So who is the criticism of "Celebrity" shows full of d-listers actually aimed at? The program makers, for not being able to persaude people successful enough not to need to compete in a torturous endurance challenge to do so for the hell of it? The celebrities, for accepting large pay cheques to improve their profile and land presenting and media work afterwards? Or the public for simply watching a compelling television show? It seems to me that in a sense, everybody wins.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

They're driven by the media, which makes more people watch them

I'd just like to add that I don't buy a paper or a celebrity magazine, and the only media I look at is the BBC News, which doesn't champion BB. I started watching the show because there are a number of D-list celebrities that I'm a fan of, and I was hoping some of them might turn up. Sadly most didn't, but I kept watching anyway to see what it was like, and have continued to do so while it's been interesting. For example, we stopped watching for the week when Jade's Mum was in there, and tuned back in when she'd gone. So as viewers, we haven't been bullied or co-erced into the show, we've simply watched it when we've thought it's going to be enjoyable. It's not been superb this year compared with last years, but it's been okay.

The point is, as viewers we're not trapped in some inescapable circle driven by The Sun, we're just exercising our right to watch what we anticipate we'll enjoy.

Si.

[Ralph]

Sadly, Steve is right. They're driven by the media, which makes more people watch them, which in turn ensures more media manipulation, which keeps people watching... & so on.
The circle will never be broken as long as people keep watching. Even when the ratings plummeted for CBB, the scale of media attention to the whole Jade Goody debacle was so hugely out of proportion to it's importance that it pushed the ratings right back up again.

It all reminds me of "Bread and Circuses"

[Dave Lewis]

It all reminds me of "Bread and Circuses"

Is that the spin-off series where Adrian, Joey, and Aveline joined Billy Smart's?

[WhiteCrow]

It all reminds me of "Bread and Circuses"

Are we allowed to discuss Star Trek in here?

[Paul Monk]

Is that the spin-off series where Adrian, Joey, and Aveline joined Billy Smart's?

Carry on making suggestions like this and the Cannibal island one and ITV will be knocking on your door with a job offer.

[WhiteCrow]

I long for Celebrity Cannibal Island, where the likes of Ruth Madoc, Bradley from S Club, Donna Air, and Richard Blackwood are plonked on an island with no food, and the viewing public votes for who gets eaten on the live Friday scoffing show.

If it goes tits up, Rik Waller can be sent in after the third week to eat the lot of them.

I've often said we have too many celebrities. Like any good farmer knows, when there is an overpopulation of vermin, I mean creatures trying to live off the same resources everyone suffers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cull

Culling is the process of selection of surplus animals from an animal population. In a wild population the selection is often done by destroying the animal immediately, in a domesticated situation the culling process involves selection and the selling of surplus stock. The selection may be done to improve breeding stock, for example for improved production of eggs or milk, or simply to control the group's population for the benefit of the environment and other species.

So I think we do need a celebrity cull. It's always been my shame we never took this up when fox hunting stopped.

[Pip Madeley]

Well, no CBB next year!

The 2008 series of Celebrity Big Brother is being axed in the wake of the race row which engulfed the show's last run, Channel 4 has confirmed. A decision about a return for the reality show in 2009 is expected to be made next year.

The move is also part of a shake-up of the broadcaster's evening schedule which will cull some factual shows. The celebrity version of the show has run for five series and lasts for three weeks at the beginning of the year.

Channel 4 head of programmes Julian Bellamy said: "After the race row, it was constantly in the press and part of the national conversation at a time when traditionally it was off our screens - it feels like it has never been away this year."

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV festival, Mr Bellamy added that resting the show "will benefit the format in the longer term as it will have a bit of breathing space". He denied that last year's race row, which centered on Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty, had deterred celebrities from taking part in the next series. But he admitted there was a "general issue of supply and demand" which was making it harder to book celebrities.

The absence of Celebrity Big Brother will leave Channel 4 with 29 hours of programming to fill in January alone.

Phew, maybe they'll use the money to make some quality programming instead...

[Wayne]

BB needs to go, next!

[Dirk Gently]

Seconded!