Which tv series coined the phrase "the tribe has spoken"?

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“The tribe has spoken.” If you don’t own a TV or don’t watch

it, you will probably have trouble identi- fying that catchphrase. Host Jeff Probst always speaks the words toward the end of each episode of the consistent CBS hit, “Survivor.” The implicit meanness of the phrase, which no contestant wants to hear because it means you are voted off the show, says a lot about the state of television programming and modern society as well. The phrase also signifies that reality or unscripted television has come a long way from “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera,” the innocent ending to a mild practical joke in the 1950s classic (Weblink 13.1).

Reality television includes an amaz- ing number of unscripted programs. Besides the traditional offerings such as news, sports, and talk shows, included in the reality mix are programs based on

documentaries, historical re-creations, dating, law enforcement and military subjects, makeovers, life changes, docu- soaps, hidden cameras, games, spoofs, talent searches, fantasies fulfilled, cooking, commercial sales, and situation comedies where actors ad-lib dialogue without a script (Figure 13.1).

Since 2000, the reality television genre has been a ratings powerhouse with real- ity shows such as “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” in 2000, “Survivor: The Aus- tralian Outback” in 2001, and “American Idol” from 2005 to the present topping the charts over all other shows. One might think there is nothing but reality shows on television, but that is not the case, of course. Nevertheless, reality still dominates schedules and viewer preferences and is the hope for the relatively new broadcast network, The CW. Formed in 2006 after a merger with UPN, a Paramount/CBS

Television Chapter

Television enables you to be

entertained in your home by

people you wouldn’t have in

your home.

David Frost, b. 1939 WRITER, HUMORIST, JOURNALIST

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network, and The WB, a joint venture of the Tribune Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Studios, The CW debuted with a two-hour season premiere of the quasi- talent show “America’s Next Top Model.” To attract the desired 18- to 34-year-old viewing audience, The CW plans to only air young prime-time soap operas and reality shows.

According to Nielsen Media Research for the 1994–1995 season, only two shows could be considered reality-based: “NFL Monday Night Football” and “60 Min- utes.” The ABC sitcom “Home Improve- ment” was the number one show. For the 2008–2009 season, six of the top ten rated programs were reality shows, with more than one quarter of the prime-time episodes as well as cable channels A&E, Bravo, Discovery, and the History Channel dedicated to the genre. “American Idol” topped the list and charges up to $1 mil- lion for a 30-second advertising spot. In a testament to the enduring popularity of “Idol,” it was reported that home view- ers cast almost 100 million votes during the final showdown of the 2009 season between favorite Adam Lambert and dark horse Kris Allen, with Kris winning the competition. Furthermore, the judge everyone loves to hate, the British music entrepreneur Simon Cowell, is also a judge for the Independent Television Network’s (ITV) program “Britain’s Got Talent,” which received international interest after a 48-year-old Scottish church volunteer, Susan Boyle, stunned Cowell and the audience with her beautiful singing voice. A media blitz followed, resulting in over 100 million users watching her perfor- mances on YouTube. In a surprise finish, Boyle ended up taking second place, with a dance group taking first.

The founder of reality programming is Allen Funt (Weblink 13.2). During World

War II while serving in the Army Signal Corps, he experimented with portable radio equipment. He was a writer for “Sweetheart Soap,” which was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s radio program; he came up with funny skits for the popu- lar “Truth or Consequences” show; and he headed what he called “the stupidest show in radio,“ a program called “Funny Money Man,” which was turned into a syndicated comic strip. His interest in gags that made fun of ordinary persons led to “Candid Microphone,” which aired on the ABC Radio Network in 1946 (Weblink 13.3). The next year he took his show to television where it eventually became the smash hit “Candid Camera” in 1953. At one time or another it aired on all three major networks. The show originally consisted of good-humored practical jokes pulled on unsuspecting individuals who were unaware they were being filmed. When the joke had run its course, the catchphrase, “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera” would be spoken amid laughter. But not everyone laughed. In an era in which security cameras were

Figure 13.1 In 2003 “The Joe Schmo Show” on the Spike TV cable channel parodied the reality game format by using actors to fool one contestant who thought the game was being played for real. Matt Kennedy Gould (center) never guessed that he was the star until he was told during the final epi- sode. Receiving all the prizes and money offered during the show ameliorated some embarrassment he might have felt. But in a 2008 interview he confessed, “If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t do the show at all. Honestly, the show really made me feel dumb. And I never felt like that before. I did it because I needed the money.” In 2004 the same producers debuted “Joe Schmo 2,” which parodied the reality dating show genre.

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not common, few appreciated the joke played on them. For every scenario that aired, about 20 were rejected because the person did not smile or sign a neces- sary release form for the show. Funt later produced a feature-length reality-based motion picture, What Do You Say to a Naked Lady? (1970).

The first documentary-style reality show seen in America, “An American Family,” was broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network in 1973. Directed by Alan and Susan Raymond, the 12-part series followed the highs and lows of an actual family—Bill and Patricia Loud of Santa Barbara, California, and their five children (Figure 13.2). The series became controver- sial as the family dealt with highly personal issues, including an impending divorce and their son Lance’s homosexuality, using nonintrusive camera techniques similar to today’s “Survivor.” In 2002 TV Guide maga- zine listed the program as number 32 of the “50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.” The family reunited 30 years later for “A Death in An American Family,” which documented Lance’s addiction to crystal meth and his struggle with HIV/AIDS.

In March 1988, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), two important Hollywood unions that represented thousands of actors and writers, went on strike. The SAG strike was less than a month, but the WGA strike lasted five months and devastated the fall lineup of scripted shows. Since television producers did not have shows to air, many popular programs delayed their start until December. However, inno- vative executives realized, as some already knew, that there could be programs with- out the need for actors or writers.

Two hits begun in 1989 required little writing and acting—“Cops” and “Ameri- ca’s Funniest Home Videos.” “Cops” used actual footage from videographers riding along with police units. It was the brain- child of John Langley and Malcolm Bar- bour, who pitched the concept to Stephen Chao, a Fox television programming exec- utive who liked the raw edge of the show, its inexpensive production costs, and its appeal to a young, male demographic valuable to advertisers (Weblink 13.4). Fox, the network that gave “The Simpsons” the green light, is known for being innovative when it comes to programming. “Cops” garnered four Emmy nominations and concerns from social critics about stereo- typing African Americans and southern Anglos. “Funniest Home Videos” was produced by Vin Di Bona for the ABC network and was based on a popular Japanese show, “Fun TV.” Each week the studio audience voted for a top video, with an end-of-the-season winner receiv- ing a $100,000 prize. Originally hosted by comedian Bob Saget, Tom Bergeron is the present host (Weblink 13.5).

“Home Videos” put entertainment producers on notice that everyday per- sons with their video camcorders were potential contributors to their shows.

Figure 13.2 A family portrait of the Louds of Santa Barbara, California, doesn’t reveal the hidden tensions that “An American Family” on the PBS network revealed. The show was the first documentary-style reality program on television.

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In 1991 this trend led directly to what is considered to be “the most famous home video of all time”—the beating of Rod- ney King by members of the police force, taken by amateur George Holliday. King was a recently released convict whose alcoholic father died at age 42. Holliday was an upper-middle-class son of an oil executive, who had been born in Canada but lived most of his life in Argentina. King was out of work and angry. Holliday was a manager of a plumbing company and contented. King was beaten severely by members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Holliday was watch- ing the beating through the viewfinder of his new $1,200 (about $2,000 today) Sony Handycam. King was African Ameri- can, Holliday was Anglo. Excerpts were shown throughout the world, and when the police officers were initially found not guilty in April 1992, many blamed the video for causing unrest that led to the worst civil disturbance in the history of the United States (Weblink 13.6). The vio- lence claimed over 50 lives, caused 2,300 injuries, resulted in hundreds of arrests, and cost more than $1 billion ($1.6 billion today) in property damage (Figure 13.3).

The year 1992 also introduced televi- sion producers and audience members to the strange world of voyeurism. “The Real World,” the first reality-based series to appeal to an enormous television audi- ence, premiered on MTV (Figure 13.4). Co- created by soap opera producer (“As the World Turns” and “Search for Tomorrow”) Mary-Ellis Bunim and documentary film- maker Jon Murray, “The Real World” fea- tured a familiar scenario of several strangers living together in a beautifully furnished house in a major city while viewers watched how their relationships disintegrated or prospered. After a long battle with breast cancer, Bunim, 57, died in Burbank, Califor-

nia, in 2004. Nevertheless, Murray continues to produce reality-based programs. In 2009 MTV aired Pedro, a movie based on the “Real World: San Francisco” cast of 1994, which featured the sad but inspirational story of Cuban American HIV/AIDS victim Pedro Zamora (Weblink 13.7).

Figure 13.3 This high-contrast and blurry still image taken from a television monitor shows Los Angeles police officers Wind and Powell standing over the crouched form of Rodney King in front of his automobile.

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Figure 13.4 In this publicity photograph of the fourth-season cast of “The Real World” (set in Lon- don), all act like the best of friends until they live together with intrusive microphones and cameras.

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In 2009 the genre was criticized for seemingly exploiting willing, yet naïve par- ticipants by airing their public confessions and unusual behavior such that as shown on “The Bachelor” and “The Real House- wives of New Jersey,” as well as the sensa- tional breakup of Jon and Kate Gosselin in “Jon & Kate Plus 8” and the inner life and struggles of the single mother of 14 Nadya Suleman in “Octomom: The Incredible Unseen Footage.” There was also concern among critics and television executives that some members of the general public might perform dangerous and unethical acts in order to get the attention of real- ity show producers. Richard Heene and his “balloon boy” hoax as well as Michaele and Tareq Salahi who crashed President Obama’s first state dinner were all hoping to attract attention by their antics.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARK BURNETT

Despite the criticisms of reality televi- sion, the title of “king of reality TV” has to go to a British citizen, Mark Burnett, 49, who almost single-handedly defined the reality genre. His list of hits is impressive: “Eco Challenge,” “The Apprentice,” “The Contender,” “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?,” and of course, the winner of them all, “Survivor.”

His life sounds like a pitch for a new situation comedy show (Figure 13.5). Mark Burnett was born in England in 1960. At 18 years old he joined the British Army Para- chute Regiment. He fought in Northern Ireland and in the Falkland Islands. After his discharge in 1982, he left for America. Since he had only $600 (about $1,500 today) in his pocket, he stayed with friends in Southern California. He hoped he might become a mercenary who helped train

Central American military forces in the ways of weapons, explosives, and tactics. But a talk with his mother convinced him to pursue a less romantic lifestyle—at least for the time being. Instead, he was hired as a babysitter for a Beverly Hills couple with a young son and then as a nanny for two boys in Malibu. His selling point to the par- ents was that he could do the dishes and be a bodyguard to his young charges. Not surprisingly, “Commando Nanny” was the name of a scripted pilot he sold to the WB network based on his early experiences liv- ing in Los Angeles.

From that toehold in America, he quickly advanced from selling himself to selling insurance, T-shirts, real estate, credit cards, and television programs. In fact, as a T-shirt salesman in Venice Beach, California, he realized that “the same strategies that applied to selling T-shirts apply to selling TV shows. I still use them today.” His love for physical challenges and salesmanship came in handy when in 1992 he joined a team of fellow adventur- ers for the grueling “Raid Gauloises,” in which four-person teams from around the world competed in a variety of athletic tests for five to seven days over four con- tinents. Seeing the potential of “Raid” as a television program, Burnett sold the idea of his renamed “Eco-Challenge” to MTV executives with teams who biked, rafted, and climbed their way around Moab, Utah, in 1995. With the success of the show, Burnett was on his way to becom- ing a full-time television executive.

“Survivor” has its roots in Burnett’s home country. In 1988 British television pro- ducer Charlie Parsons conceived of a show he called “Survive!” in which four contes- tants were shipwrecked on a desert island. The concept was inspired by William Gold- ing’s 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. Renamed “Castaway,” the concept was pitched to the

Figure 13.5 As his towering pose and rugged, accessorized outfit suggest, Mark Burnett is a macho dude. He is a survivor not only of the British Army Parachute Regiment, but also of network television.

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British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) by Parsons for the Planet 24 television com- pany, owned by the Irish political activist and rock star Bob Geldof. The BBC liked the idea so much they decided to produce their own version of the show, “Castaway 2000.” Parsons and Geldof then sold the idea to a Swedish production company with the new name “Exhibition Robinson,” in honor of the novels Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe and The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. The Swedish program featured the setup now familiar to American audi- ences—16 contestants and a camera crew were left on an island for six weeks. Every week, one contestant was voted off until there was a winner. Controversy ensued after the first contestant voted off tragically killed himself. Nevertheless, by the fourth season the last episode was one of the high- est rated shows in Swedish television history.

In 1996, Burnett talked with Parsons at a party and discussed buying the U.S. rights to the program. Burnett pitched

the show to all the major networks with- out success. Finally CBS reconsidered and gave it a try. The first U.S. “Survivor” aired during the summer of 2000. It became more than a hit—it was a cultural phe- nomenon, watched by over 70 million viewers. It earned over $50 million for Viacom, the parent company of CBS. It gave its 16 contestants their 15 minutes of fame and then some. The star of the show and winner of $1 million was a “gay, over- weight corporate trainer from Newport, Rhode Island,” Richard Hatch. Later, Hatch was sentenced to four years in prison after he was convicted for not paying taxes on his winnings (Figure 13.6).

Since 2000, Mark Burnett has been the executive producer of more than 40 televi- sion programs, including “The Apprentice” for NBC, in which contestants or B-level celebrities vie to work for real estate tycoon Donald Trump and his comb-over; “The Casino” for Fox, which documented the efforts of owners, employees, and

Figure 13.6 Although the infographic at the right of the website page indicates that viewers thought former Navy SEAL Rudy Boesch would win the $1 million, Richard Hatch came away with the cash. This website for the first “Sur- vivor” contains familiar fea- tures—top four final words, profiles of the contestants, the logo and slogan “Outwit Outplay Outlast,” and three promotional references for the next show, “Survivor: The Australian Outback.”

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gamblers during the reopening of the Las Vegas Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; “The Contender” for NBC, produced with DreamWorks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and actor Sylvester Stallone of Rocky (with boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman conducting on-air interviews); and “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy for Fox. In 2009 Burnett ventured into the genre of documentaries when he produced a series for the History Channel, “Expedi- tion Africa: Stanley & Livingstone,” in which four adventurers retraced the 19th century journalist Henry Stanley’s search for the explorer Dr. David Livingstone.