Reality TV

How does Hill define reality TV?


Hill (2005) defines reality TV as a way to describe a range of factual programming that is popular.  He goes on to say that there are number of variations of styles as well as techniques that are associated with reality TV.  Some of these include; non-professional actors, surveillance footage, unscripted dialogue, seeing events unfold as seen through the camera, and hand-held cameras (to give the 'authentic' look).  The genre of reality has changed and has developed over the past decade.  Reality TV, in the early stages, was associated with on-scene footage.  However, more recently, reality TV is associated with a variety of things - there seems to be no limits.  

Reg and Cathy with two of their children - Cathy Come Home

Watching the early reality TV program Cathy Come Home, directed by Ken Loach, in class, I found it strange that it was classified as 'reality TV', simply because I had a different perception of the genre because of what I am exposed to today.  Cathy Come Home features the use of a handheld camera, and 'real life' issues that people face - in their case, poverty in Britain.  Even though, the program was scripted, the place of reality took place within the concept and meaning of the show rather than the 'actuality' or 'reality' of it.  

Robert Allen (as cited in Hill, 2005) discusses the limits of reality TV as a genre due to the blurred boundaries between fact and fiction.  Given this point, I think personally, watching Cathy Come Home I was able to distinguish between fact and fiction, but was able to also look at the base of reality with the story line.  Just because there was a script used and there were professional actors as the character roles, the filming technique and black-and-white effect on film naturally leans towards a reality TV genre.  


Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular
        Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.