Is reality TV a coherent genre? This book addresses this question by
examining the characteristics, contexts and breadth of reality TV
through a history of its programming trends. Paying attention to
stylistic connections as well as key concepts, this study breaks reality
television down into three main 'generations': the camcorder generation,
the competition generation and the celebrity generation. Beginning with
a consideration of the applicability of the term 'genre' for this
televisual hybrid, the book takes a transnational approach to
investigating the forms and formats of reality TV framed by relevant
popular and critical discourses. Key Questions* What formal
characteristics broadly define reality TV?* Can reality TV be
considered a genre when it relies so heavily on mixing together elements
of establishes television genres, film practices and even industries
unrelated to television, such as pop music and modelling?* How can the
genealogy of reality TV programming trends help us to understand the
cultural discourses and concepts with which reality TV is associated.
e.g. surveillance, performance, voyeurism, celebrity and even reality
itself?