Today's number 6 - and reality TV here and at home
"brought to you today by the letters T, V and by the number 6"
Todays number 6. As in Big Brother 6. And while big brother 6 enters its 10th week back in the UK, here in North America too Big Brother 6 is on. Its not plastered all over my TV (mainly because i spend my time watching Rogers sportsnet!) but may well be gripping households across Canada and the US in exactly the same way as the exploits of Nasty Nick, Davina and whoever they are (i havent seen it ok?!) are obsessing the Sun readers and Chris Moyles show listeners across the UK. And more of you besides. I've attached the US BB6 web link if any of you want to know whats going on there. Will keep you amused once your UK fix is over!
I feel wholly unqualified to comment on Big Brother 6 in the UK. I spent the few weeks at home basically drinking with anyone who would come to the pub, and have been here 4 weeks now. But i remember with some fondness wasting many evenings from 10 to 1030 listening to some geordie bloke "3 17 peee emmm. The house mates have been asleep for the last 16 hours...". Wasters.
However, notwithstanding the fact i have no idea what nasty BB has dealt up for this years wannabees, it has been an interesting experience watching some of what passes for reality TV over here. And by over here, i have to include the US as, in the main, the programmes are either wholly or at least mainly containing Americans rather than canadians. Hmmm. Maybe Canadians dont go in to reality TV? Except Canadian Antiques Roadshow. Have seen that on. I'm always just slightly disappointed by that show. The sadistic part just wishes that now and again, they would screen a conversation where they ask someone what they paid for the ugly porcelain thing, and they might say $20,000, to which the expert would reply 'sadly due to a brilliant copying scam we are unable to tell if these are genuine or fake any more so you will be lucky to get more than $250 for it..' Worth the licence fee to get 15 seconds of that a week surely?! (not that i am currently a licence fee payer..)
Anyway, just on the basis of a month here, 3 reality TV shows have jumped out at me which demonstrate some level of the gulf between them and us. Ok, so Canada has Canadian Idol, and those home development shows... and millionaire - and ours must be better as our million is worth twice as much as theirs! - but here are 3 things you wont see on reality TV in the UK on primetime.
1) The Agent
This one is 9 people, who week by week are eliminated in the quest to become the sports agent for Shaun Cody. Now I have no idea who Shaun Cody is, except that he is 6'4", 21 stone and plays American Football. But he is apparently good. I've seen him described as a 'small Richard Seymour'. Again, no idea who he is, but if 21 stone is small, and presumably thats before the padding, god help anyone meeting Mr Seymour on the pitch.
The key to this show is the prize. And its to be the agent for this guy presumably for his NFL career. He is expected to be a 2005 1st round draft pick (apparently this is good!). His first contract will therefore be Beckham-esque. These guys are on literally millions a year. Some guy called Smith just signed a 6 year extension for the 49ers for $49m.
Being conservative, his first 5 year deal is likely to be around $15m. And if you are the agent, you are going to be on 10 to 20% of that. This is serious prize money. They are saying that if Shaun picks the wrong agent (no public voting here, Shaun chooses) it could cost him $20 or $30m! And his agent their cut!
That prize money just blows us away. And more to the point, can you imagine Becks, Gerrard, Amir Khan, Paula Radcliffe, Jenson Button ever opening themselves to this kind of TV show?
Even better, if you can blag winning that one (and apparently some of these 'agents' have no experience in looking after players!), you're made for life.
2) Rock Star
This one is an upmarket fame academy. Because unlike David Sneddon and Alex Parks, who disappeared without trace but presumably lived a millionaire lifestyle for a year, this show gives you the chance to become the next lead singer of INXS. Yes, when they are touring next year, remember that they got their new Michael Hutchence off reality TV in North America! And if you're INXS, you've got concerts and royalties and audiences for life. Or until they sack you.
Maybe Noel and Liam, after they have their next fight, should ask Granada TV to find them their next bassist or something - its not going to happen is it...
3) Elimidate
The clue is in the title. Very much on the blind date theme, except that its 1 man (always the man picking!) and 4 'girls'. And its definitely not blind. They go for a whole day (and night) date, and every few hours, the guy 'cuts' one of them. So the girls basically spend the afternoon on the date slagging each other off, and the 3 that make it to the evening date (in a night club) then try and outdo each other with various loving techniques, some of which arent screenable.. and then the last 2 end up in a hot tub with him, exchanging more than words until he decides to pick the slapper.. (the slapper has always been picked so far - i watch it 3 times last week!) I'm intrigued too by his rational for picking. He dumps the fit phd student for not trying hard enough to slag off the others and 'compete' for him, then when its down to 2 slappers, picks the one that is entering some Louisiana pageant for having 'brains and beauty'. Now i'm no expert, but qualifications arent high on many pageants lists of entrance requirements are they?
By the way, this show tours different towns and you can enter on line (i'm reckoning Brian at least will be interested in that!).
Just 3 TV shows we wont be getting at home. And just goes to show that old saying is still true... 'only in America'
Todays number 6. As in Big Brother 6. And while big brother 6 enters its 10th week back in the UK, here in North America too Big Brother 6 is on. Its not plastered all over my TV (mainly because i spend my time watching Rogers sportsnet!) but may well be gripping households across Canada and the US in exactly the same way as the exploits of Nasty Nick, Davina and whoever they are (i havent seen it ok?!) are obsessing the Sun readers and Chris Moyles show listeners across the UK. And more of you besides. I've attached the US BB6 web link if any of you want to know whats going on there. Will keep you amused once your UK fix is over!
I feel wholly unqualified to comment on Big Brother 6 in the UK. I spent the few weeks at home basically drinking with anyone who would come to the pub, and have been here 4 weeks now. But i remember with some fondness wasting many evenings from 10 to 1030 listening to some geordie bloke "3 17 peee emmm. The house mates have been asleep for the last 16 hours...". Wasters.
However, notwithstanding the fact i have no idea what nasty BB has dealt up for this years wannabees, it has been an interesting experience watching some of what passes for reality TV over here. And by over here, i have to include the US as, in the main, the programmes are either wholly or at least mainly containing Americans rather than canadians. Hmmm. Maybe Canadians dont go in to reality TV? Except Canadian Antiques Roadshow. Have seen that on. I'm always just slightly disappointed by that show. The sadistic part just wishes that now and again, they would screen a conversation where they ask someone what they paid for the ugly porcelain thing, and they might say $20,000, to which the expert would reply 'sadly due to a brilliant copying scam we are unable to tell if these are genuine or fake any more so you will be lucky to get more than $250 for it..' Worth the licence fee to get 15 seconds of that a week surely?! (not that i am currently a licence fee payer..)
Anyway, just on the basis of a month here, 3 reality TV shows have jumped out at me which demonstrate some level of the gulf between them and us. Ok, so Canada has Canadian Idol, and those home development shows... and millionaire - and ours must be better as our million is worth twice as much as theirs! - but here are 3 things you wont see on reality TV in the UK on primetime.
1) The Agent
This one is 9 people, who week by week are eliminated in the quest to become the sports agent for Shaun Cody. Now I have no idea who Shaun Cody is, except that he is 6'4", 21 stone and plays American Football. But he is apparently good. I've seen him described as a 'small Richard Seymour'. Again, no idea who he is, but if 21 stone is small, and presumably thats before the padding, god help anyone meeting Mr Seymour on the pitch.
The key to this show is the prize. And its to be the agent for this guy presumably for his NFL career. He is expected to be a 2005 1st round draft pick (apparently this is good!). His first contract will therefore be Beckham-esque. These guys are on literally millions a year. Some guy called Smith just signed a 6 year extension for the 49ers for $49m.
Being conservative, his first 5 year deal is likely to be around $15m. And if you are the agent, you are going to be on 10 to 20% of that. This is serious prize money. They are saying that if Shaun picks the wrong agent (no public voting here, Shaun chooses) it could cost him $20 or $30m! And his agent their cut!
That prize money just blows us away. And more to the point, can you imagine Becks, Gerrard, Amir Khan, Paula Radcliffe, Jenson Button ever opening themselves to this kind of TV show?
Even better, if you can blag winning that one (and apparently some of these 'agents' have no experience in looking after players!), you're made for life.
2) Rock Star
This one is an upmarket fame academy. Because unlike David Sneddon and Alex Parks, who disappeared without trace but presumably lived a millionaire lifestyle for a year, this show gives you the chance to become the next lead singer of INXS. Yes, when they are touring next year, remember that they got their new Michael Hutchence off reality TV in North America! And if you're INXS, you've got concerts and royalties and audiences for life. Or until they sack you.
Maybe Noel and Liam, after they have their next fight, should ask Granada TV to find them their next bassist or something - its not going to happen is it...
3) Elimidate
The clue is in the title. Very much on the blind date theme, except that its 1 man (always the man picking!) and 4 'girls'. And its definitely not blind. They go for a whole day (and night) date, and every few hours, the guy 'cuts' one of them. So the girls basically spend the afternoon on the date slagging each other off, and the 3 that make it to the evening date (in a night club) then try and outdo each other with various loving techniques, some of which arent screenable.. and then the last 2 end up in a hot tub with him, exchanging more than words until he decides to pick the slapper.. (the slapper has always been picked so far - i watch it 3 times last week!) I'm intrigued too by his rational for picking. He dumps the fit phd student for not trying hard enough to slag off the others and 'compete' for him, then when its down to 2 slappers, picks the one that is entering some Louisiana pageant for having 'brains and beauty'. Now i'm no expert, but qualifications arent high on many pageants lists of entrance requirements are they?
By the way, this show tours different towns and you can enter on line (i'm reckoning Brian at least will be interested in that!).
Just 3 TV shows we wont be getting at home. And just goes to show that old saying is still true... 'only in America'
posted by CBC at 8:22 pm
2 Comments:
Nice? presumably its not repeated as they are having text polls in Canada while its on... any UK voting going on? My money is on some bloke from Beavertown (just for that alone)
beaver? i dont get it
Post a Comment
<< Home