# Scripted vs. Unscripted



## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

Just wondering, which types of shows do you prefer?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Scripted. But that's obvious from my blog's name.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

Didn't see _Both_ or _Either_ as an option so I didn't vote.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Scripted, with the exception of "Hell's Kitchen" and "AI". I might pop in to watch "Survivor" every now and then.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Scripted (and not the scripted _reality(?)_ shows).


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## sorentodd45 (May 12, 2009)

The only reality show I have ever watched was FOX's Trading Spouses. You just had to love that "God Warrior" lady!

Otherwise it's scripted only for me.


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

Even the "unscripted" shows are scripted -- they are edited to maxmize and fabricate drama.


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## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

A nice 12-0 so far. And they say scripted dramas are dead. Pshaw.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Top Chef is about the only "reality" show I watch regularly.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

There, I busted the skunk 

Actually, I am probably a "both" person as I can't really say I prefer one over the other. That being said, I'm more likely to feel antsy about missing an unscripted show (that I like) than a scripted show (save _Lost_).

So my 50/50 scales tipped towards the unscripted side.


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## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

I proudly claim to have never watched a reality show EVER!


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

I worked with a guy who's roommate who was on a reality show (Beauty and the Geek, I think it was). He said it was not really scripted, but that the producers would come in and offer "spiffs" for certain activities. For example, any guy that cried on camera would get a $500 bonus, and a fistfight was worth $1,000.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

We need a "neither" since I don't watch "shows," unless you count NFL games as unscripted shows.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Good Scripted television all the way, reality tv is the biggest pile of garbage on the planet sucking what little intelligence people have left right out....


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

No preference as there's no head to head comparison.
I watch Survivor, but there's not a scripted program like it.
I watch CSI, but there's no unscripted program like that.

/yawn


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Like television, life is no longer just 'black & white'. Neither of your inflexible options come close to representing my views.

To start a poll and give responders only two choices is to try to force us all into one of two boxes. Next time you start to think of a poll, give it some additional thought and provide more representative choices. 

Because my choice is not represented, I am not voting.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Marlin Guy said:


> I watch CSI, but there's no unscripted program like that.


Ummm, yeah, there is. It's called "The First 48". And there are several documentary type shows including "Forensic Files" and "The Real NCIS". Once you watch those, you see how fake and silly the network CSI type shows are.

Aside from those, there is very little 'unscripted' TV; "COPS" (and clones), traditional daytime game shows, that Drew Carey improv show and maybe some of the morning talk shows. Even the News is scripted to some extent.


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## ycebar (Oct 27, 2007)

no vote for me either as i am a fan as both, espicially "The First 48" and "Crime 360"


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## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

Nick said:


> Like television, life is no longer just 'black & white'. Neither of your inflexible options come close to representing my views.
> 
> To start a poll and give responders only two choices is to try to force us all into one of two boxes. Next time you start to think of a poll, give it some additional thought and provide more representative choices.
> 
> Because my choice is not represented, I am not voting.


A valid view, but the poll, like I said, is about what you _prefer_ to watch, given a choice between the two. The impetus for the poll were the incessant claims that drama series are a dying breed, and in a few years nothing but contest shows and reality television will grace our screens. But as we can see that's not really the case, is it? My own opinion, but I abhor the so-called reality shows. I see no value in them whatsoever, whereas great dramas like Breaking Bad, Dexter, etc. etc. only keep going stronger, in my view.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

pablo said:


> A valid view, but the poll, like I said, is about what you _prefer_ to watch, given a choice between the two. The impetus for the poll were the incessant claims that drama series are a dying breed, and in a few years nothing but contest shows and reality television will grace our screens. But as we can see that's not really the case, is it? My own opinion, but I abhor the so-called reality shows. I see no value in them whatsoever, whereas great dramas like Breaking Bad, Dexter, etc. etc. only keep going stronger, in my view.


This has been a surprise to me, a very pleasant surprise. It never occurred to me when I started my blog that we'd see a significant expansion of new scripted programming on cable.

I figured we'd have to support a few such shows just to keep things going. Instead, I have to pay attention because of the growing number of scheduling conflicts. And I have too much recorded for season shifting. I'm happy with this situation.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

If you reach waaaaay back in time, MTV's Real World could be considered the first of the modern reality shows, and it's producers have gone on to give us many other shows in the genre. That first season of Real World was actually pretty interesting and gave some insight into youth culture at that time. Since the participants had never seen such a show, the whole thing was more real and less staged. Unfortunately, as the popularity of reality programs grew participants and producers quickly learned to exploit the format for hype and ratings.

Going back even further in time, if I remember my TV history correctly, there was a PBS documentary on in the early 70s about a typical family. During the show, the parents went through a divorce and the son came out as gay. (Google search turns up "An American Family" from 1973.)


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

I find nothing wrong with TV today - scripted or not. If the program entertains, does it matter if it's reality or not? I watch a lot of TV and I don't necessarilly chose to watch a show based on genre. If it's good, it's good... a bad reality show stinks as much as a bad scripted show. 

If you don't watch and enough people follow suit, it'll be gone ... it's that simple ... scripted or unscripted.

Producers and networks follow a simple formula: if the viewership is high, they make money. If not, they'll try something else ... it's the nature of the beast. I suppose as time goes on and TV morphs into something else, we'll find plenty of fault in it, too. 

And, of course, there's just no pleasing everyone.


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## jeffshoaf (Jun 17, 2006)

HDG said:


> I find nothing wrong with TV today - scripted or not. If the program entertains, does it matter if it's reality or not? I watch a lot of TV and I don't necessarilly chose to watch a show based on genre. If it's good, it's good... a bad reality show stinks as much as a bad scripted show.
> 
> If you don't watch and enough people follow suit, it'll be gone ... it's that simple ... scripted or unscripted.
> 
> ...


I agree with most of what you say, but there's one point you don't make: If a show's viewership is high, that network and every other network will try to make that same show again and again and again, to the point where even if the original and some of the copies were good, the concept is beaten to death and there's no originality left.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

jeffshoaf said:


> I agree with most of what you say, but there's one point you don't make: If a show's viewership is high, that network and every other network will try to make that same show again and again and again, to the point where even if the original and some of the copies were good, the concept is beaten to death and there's no originality left.


True, true, true, jeff ... and it doesn't matter if it's scripted or unscripted, does it? So nothing has changed. TV is TV ... it is what it is _(God I hate that cliche!). :nono2:_


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

pablo said:


> A valid view, but the poll, like I said, is about what you _prefer_ to watch, given a choice between the two. The impetus for the poll were the incessant claims that drama series are a dying breed, and in a few years nothing but contest shows and reality television will grace our screens. But as we can see that's not really the case, is it? My own opinion, but I abhor the so-called reality shows. I see no value in them whatsoever, whereas great dramas like Breaking Bad, Dexter, etc. etc. only keep going stronger, in my view.


Actually I would not take this poll or any poll here and draw these type of conclusions. Polls here are best a finger in the wind of a specific subset of the population. And not given a neutral response skews the numbers (I did not vote because of no neutral response).

You also got the possibility that the person that is more likely to vote would be a person that does not like reality shows. There is a definite a group that takes pride in hating reality shows and wear it like a badge on their sleeve. These people are more likely to be vocal and more likely to vote. On the other hand.. The reality TV person is more likely to like both and when given this poll would do what I did and ignore it as there is not a vote I can place. I am truly neutral and watch both. I have found good entertainment in both and have found bad entertainment in both. Personally in terms of scripted T.V., there is very little I would consider well scripted in my opinion and I am on the constent look for shows that I find entertaining and well written. At this point I would give FlashForward a thumbs up as a new show with potential. In terms of DEXTER... Who ever writes his sisters script need to do a much better job in my opinion.. but I wondering a bit off course.

I do agree with the comment about remaking shows to death. Good Examples of that is the CSI series and all the different Dance shows. Bottom line.. People providing entertainment need to do a better job at creating the product and need to know when to let it die.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

SayWhat? said:


> Once you watch those, you see how fake and silly the network CSI type shows are.


I know CSI is fake and silly.
That's why I watch it. That and the fact that it's so pretty. :grin:
That doesn't mean it isn't entertaining.
Bugs Bunny is also fake and silly, but it's quite entertaining.


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## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

24
Lost
Numb3rs
The Mentalist
Chuck
Fringe
Cold Case
Heroes
CSI Miami
30 Rock
American Idol
Letterman
Conan
Leno

FlashForward
The Forgotten
NCIS LA
V


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## Movieman (May 9, 2009)

I voted scripted. I watched some reality shows at the beginning but now its way too much. If the vote was up to my wife it would be unscripted.


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## jkane (Oct 12, 2007)

My wife is a "reality" show junkie. Drives me crazy. I try to explain to her that they are scripted. There is NO WAY the camera can take the angle shots it does during conversation scenes unless they are having multiple "takes" with the actors saying their lines into the camera. How gullible are people who watch those and think they are even remotely real!?


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

I voted scripted with the feeling that most of the "reality" shows I watch are still scripted or at least structured. Survivor is what it is because of the format that the show sticks to and Hell's Kitchen is also fun to watch because of the way it is set up. Most of the shows I watch though are fully scripted. CSI, Fringe, Leno, Lost...

Scott


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

I can say for certain that "Survivor" isn't scripted. HOWEVER, there's a lot more to Survivor than people see. I've been talking to a guy who works next to me who was on Survivor: Gabon. One story he told was that a Tribal Council can last for up to THREE HOURS. At one point, Jeff stopped everything, told the crew to turn the cameras off, and lashed out a little at the contestants complaining that they weren't giving him (and the show) anything to work with. If I remember the story correctly, it was because all the contestants were trying to keep their mouths shut so as not to risk saying anything that would get them voted off next time.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

jkane said:


> My wife is a "reality" show junkie. Drives me crazy. I try to explain to her that they are scripted. There is NO WAY the camera can take the angle shots it does during conversation scenes unless they are having multiple "takes" with the actors saying their lines into the camera. How gullible are people who watch those and think they are even remotely real!?





djlong said:


> I can say for certain that "Survivor" isn't scripted. HOWEVER, there's a lot more to Survivor than people see. I've been talking to a guy who works next to me who was on Survivor: Gabon. One story he told was that a Tribal Council can last for up to THREE HOURS. At one point, Jeff stopped everything, told the crew to turn the cameras off, and lashed out a little at the contestants complaining that they weren't giving him (and the show) anything to work with. If I remember the story correctly, it was because all the contestants were trying to keep their mouths shut so as not to risk saying anything that would get them voted off next time.


My thought on the multiple "takes" is really that the editors of the reality shows really splice together two unrelated scenes and make them seem as if one resulted the other. Using the Tribal Council example again, Perhaps with cameras rolling, Jeff is going through a bunch of mundane dialog (never to be seen on camera) and the contestants stare into space, look disgusted, whatever. This is captured on camera. Later in the night, Jeff asks a specific question that will be aired and the response may actually be the staring into space video that was captured earlier in the night.

The producers do try to tell a story .. hence "reality" isn't really reality, but it is unscripted.


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

I primarily watch sports. I guess that would be unscripted.The ads which take up half a football game are scripted so I didn't vote.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

pablo said:


> Just wondering, which types of shows do you prefer?


Somebody has write scripts to get the junk started.


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## primetime (Mar 23, 2007)

I voted scripted since I can't stand most reality shows. I watched the first episode of Survivor and haven't been back. I have never seen more than 5 minutes of American Idol because I remember Star Search and I hated that show as a kid. The Bachelor and such drive me crazy with just how bad they are. 

I guess I tend to think of reality shows as the future ruination of TV. TV execs like them because they are cheap to make and somehow appeal to some lowest common denominator in all of us to attact an audience. A show like Arrested Development gets cancelled because it is easier to make a cheap reality show and get the same or better ratings. I understand that is the business of TV - > make a show, sell commericals, see if you have a profit at the end. I just fear this will end my enjoyment of TV as more and more scripted shows are replaced by shows about a group of people assigned a task or put in a room to fight or f***. I remember watching MTV Real World in college and the only reasons people watched was for the inevitable fight between Puck and someone or the hook up between room mates. I don't think a lot has changed with the genre they seem filled with people who I wouldn't want to be around in real life so I have zero interest in their fake/contrived/over the top problems. Eventually Fox will just boil all this down to just throwing people in a pit and seeing what happens after a week of no food and complete boredom. It will draw great ratings and make the cover of the December 12, 2012 TV Guide and probably star a washed up "celebrity" from some branch of the Kardashian family.


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## Galaxie6411 (Aug 26, 2007)

Well IMO every show is scripted it is just to what degree, but the shows that are being called "reality" are definitely not my cup of tea. I can't think of 1 "reality" series that I watched the whole season of. I take that back, as I write this I remember watching the whole season of one of the Real Worlds, mainly because it was in a very local city so I was curious what they did since I knew the town.


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