Bringing out the reality in reality television
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from reality television, it’s how far from reality these shows have become. There was a time when competition-based reality shows all but dominated popular television. Whether it was a collection of strangers living in a house, hopeless romantics looking for love, or one of the umpteen more talent based programs, it was virtually impossible to avoid reality television.
As these shows became more popular, the need for spectacle outweighed any adherence to reality that may have originally existed in the show’s format in an attempt to separate any given show from the rest of the pack. This caused reality television to spiral out of control and into the realm of satire, with some shows feeling more fake and scripted than the typical fictional television program. Reality television became a weird modern day gladiatorial competition where only the most melodramatic and nasty programs seemed to survive.
Even my favourite subgenre of reality television—culinary competitions—felt the need to go over-the-top as viewers started expecting as much drama as possible packed into each episode. The one show that has seemingly escaped the need for added drama and toxic competition is The Great British Bake Off (GBBO).
I had arrived very late to the GBBO party—arriving just in time for dessert—and became a regular viewer during the latest series, before losing most of its original cast as it switches networks. Aside from finding the hosts, judges, and contestants very enjoyable to watch, what initially struck me about GBBO was how “real” it felt for reality television. Instead of cussing each other out and throwing various culinary implements around the tent when they lost, bakers always congratulated each other on their well-constructed dishes.
Each baker had distinct personalities instead of filling common archetypes and, honestly, most of them were no more exciting than people you’d find picking up a bag of icing sugar at the local supermarket. It was refreshing to watch a competition where, aside from being incredibly talented bakers, there wasn’t a disconnect between how viewers and contestants act.
Reality shows can be saddled with the uncanny valley effect, where the participants seem human, but something always feels a little off. GBBO was exciting because it felt like you were cheering for your cousin, coworker, or aunt to take the top prize.
There were, of course, little hints of television magic that were inserted to make sure that the show ran smoothly. There’s no way that Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood made all of the sample dishes, but that’s just the reality of making a hit television show. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins always had the best quips and history factoids to pair with each dish, but the camaraderie between everyone in the tent always felt genuine.
The popularity of GBBO, which is sadly losing most of its core cast (and likely its uplifting appeal) when it switches networks next season, is a testament to the idea that there’s an audience for programs that don’t sacrifice reality for the show.
Photo courtesy of Love Productions.