IRODERICK ROXAS/Daily Bruin
By Terry Tang
Daily Bruin Senior Staff Unless they spent summer vacation on a
secluded island (without any camera crews near by) most people will
express some reaction upon hearing the names Richard, Rudy, Kelly
or Susan. They, along with the 12 other contestants of
“Survivor,” have the name recognition of TV stars
because, well, they are. Besides injecting new life into a time
usually reserved for reruns, “Survivor” has become a
pop cultural juggernaut. By taking the game show premise to an
entirely different level””mdash;forcing contestants to live together
24-7 and do physically harrowing tasks for a reward of one million
dollars””mdash;the program has ignited an impending onslaught of
copycats from TV networks. Between “Who Wants to Be A
Millionaire” and CBS’s other un-scripted, reality
program, “Big Brother,” some writers and actors may be
pondering the reality of their job opportunities. But some would
argue that the only real aspect of these shows is that the
contestants really aren’t actors. After all, the outrageous
stunts of “Survivor” has put it in a different genre
from reality shows like “Cops” or
“America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Carefully
plotted challenges and the clashing of all the different
personalities pushed together were part of the thrill for viewers.
“”˜Real World’ and “˜Survivor’ are all
contrived in a way,” said Jill Stein, a professor in
sociology at UCLA. “You have a camera crew of 50 nearby. The
contestants are never really in danger. It’s all constructed
to put them in a certain situation.” In Stein’s
opinion, these kinds of programs fulfill an innate, voyeuristic
need to see ordinary people sweat under pressure. “Whether
you’re watching over the neighbor’s fence or through a
TV screen, you get an opportunity to judge others,” said
Stein, director of the UCLA LeRoy Neiman Center. Especially devoted
to American studies, the Center follows cultural and media trends.
Watching the people on “Survivor” eat, compete and give
heartfelt soliloquies, however, never felt voyeuristic for some
viewers. While taking summer school to complete her degree, Kathy
McElroy, a graduate of molecular cell & developmental biology,
tried to make time on Wednesday nights for “Survivor.”
But she saw the island adventure as a fun flick, not a documentary.
“I didn’t feel like I was prying in their business. I
just watched them prance around,” McElroy said. “They
were very amusing for the most part. The show made good fodder for
the dinner table.” Aside from plans for a second round of
“Survivor” in the Australian Outback, every major
network is developing another incarnation. ABC, for instance, plans
to launch “The Mole.” For three weeks, ten contestants
will compete in different games in top-secret locations. But
unbeknownst to them, one player is actually a mole who tries to
sabotage the group’s efforts. Meanwhile, FOX is readying
“Temptation” where unmarried couples stay on an island
with other singles. At the end, each must decide whether to stay
together or look for other fish in the island sea. Reality programs
that have no grand prize at the end or immunity challenges may find
it harder to reach the same audience. Last August, FOX debuted the
first episode of “American High,” which documented the
senior year of 12 suburban students. Although no students in the
group were voted out or dared to eat rats, each teen wrestled with
their own issues on-camera. Producers focused on blending into the
program and letting the kids tell the story. “It
doesn’t have a gimmick. It’s a straight-out
documentary. It needs time to build an audience. The other shows
don’t,” said Jonathan Chin, producer and cameraman for
“American High.” “I watched
“˜Survivor’ too but it’s a different experience
than “˜American High.'” Despite positive reviews
from critics, “American High” was canceled after two
weeks. Chin cites the show’s time slot against the critically
panned “Big Brother,” which benefited from a
“Survivor” lead-in. “The thing for us is that we
don’t know if it’s because people are just not
interested in real, real life or if it was the competition,”
said Chin, who is working on airing “American High” on
another network. “In “˜Big Brother,’ there’s
really no story. It’s a flaw of the show — if you have a
boring bunch of people, you’re screwed.” Fortunately
for “Survivor” alumni, America doesn’t seem to be
bored with them. Aside from signing endorsement deals for products
and popping up on every talk show, many of them have filmed guest
spots on shows like “Becker” and “The
Hughleys.” Thanks to “Survivor,” some have been
able to shoot for stardom. Sean Kenniff, the island’s
resident neurologist, decided to take a leave from his medical
practice and hired three agents. His decision to become a Hollywood
player has elicited some criticism. “It’s sad that
someone who spent years in medical school with a practice would
ditch it. What does that say about us as a society?” Stein
said. “But then again, if I was discovered tomorrow, I might
say “˜To hell with this teaching job.'” Another
pressing issue of the reality genre is revenue for TV networks and
production companies. From a network executive’s point of
view, these programs are economically sound ventures. They are
usually cheaper to produce because they don’t require a cast
of actors and a writing staff. This, however, does not signal a
draught of sitcoms and dramas. According to Brian Lowry, television
critic for the Los Angeles Times, 30 new pilots were picked up for
this fall season, down from last year’s total of 36. Lowry
attributes the decrease to ABC ordering more of its
“Millionaire” franchise. “There has been some
drop, but not a huge drop,” said Lowry. “I think the
real impact won’t happen “˜til January or
February.” Chin, who has experience in both narratives and
documentaries, believes there’s room for both fictitious and
real TV. “The question is how far the reality TV wave will
go,” Chin said. “I mean, how many
“˜Survivors’ can there be?” “I don’t
think they have to worry about reality TV. The strike is something
to worry about,” continued Chin, referring to the ongoing
strike between the Screen Actors Guild and advertisers. When the
actors’ and screenwriters’ contracts expire in July and
May, respectively, a union-wide strike could delay the following TV
season indefinitely. As a result, reality TV will have plenty of
prime-time hours to fill, giving average citizens the chance to
become overnight celebrities. “These kinds of shows are here
to stay,” Chin said. “And with the strike, we will see
a lot of these shows for next year.”
UPCOMING REALITY SHOWS Network Title Premise Status ABC The Mole
Ten contestants take on physically challenging tasks in top-secret
location. But one is a mole sent to sabotage the entire group’s
efforts. Contestant search in progress. HBO Green Light A series
documenting the film-making process as a winning screenplay is
chosen to be made into a feature film produced by Matt Damon and
Ben Affleck. Contestant search in progress. Scheduled to air in
January 2002. NBC Chains of Love One woman is chained to four
different men, all competing to be her sweetheart. Set to air in
summer of 2001 CBS Survivor: The Australian Outback CBS wouldn’t be
doing its job if it didn’t capitalize on the success of its island
juggernaut Set to air Jan. 28, 2001, after the Superbowl FOX
Temptation Four unmarried but committed couples, at a crossroad in
their relationship and 30 singles travel to an exotic location to
test the waters of temptation. Not yet in production Original by
JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web Adaptation by HERNANE TABAY/Daily Bruin
Senior Staff