Reality TV is a type of television program that films ordinary people in their daily lives. This type of television series began in 1973 in Santa Barbara, California, when a family was filmed for 7 months in their daily life. At the time this show looked more like a documentary. But, it is in 1999 that John de Mol, found the concept that we know today with his show “Big Brother” which consists in filming 24h/24h, about fifteen people with different characters during 3 months. In this article, we will highlight the spread of reality TV in France.
The advent of reality TV in France
New friendships, betrayals, conspiracies, tensions, and so on. This is the concept of reality TV as we know it today. People have become so addicted to these stories that they can no longer do without them.
After the success of the Big Brother show in the Netherlands, the concept of reality TV was soon exported to many countries, including France, where it had a very high audience.
In France, reality TV started with “Perdu de vue”, a TV show that was broadcast on TF1 from 1990 to 1997. Its aim was to find people who had lost sight of each other. Then, in 2001, the reality TV industry took another turn with “Loft Story” on M6, which revealed to the public many personalities such as, Christophe Mercy, Julie Mercy, Loana, Marlène Duval, etc.
The success factors of reality TV
Reality TV has been very successful because it is primarily a source of entertainment, so it can be an opportunity for some to escape their daily routine by watching others’. That’s why broadcasts are often done at the end of the day, because that’s when people go home.
These types of programs allow viewers to see that they are not alone, by comparing themselves to others with the same characters and reactions.
Another factor contributing to the success of these programs is the fact that they are filmed as series. So they are not actors playing a role but people living their lives, which leads to real family discussions, real love stories, etc.
As far as the candidates are concerned, reality TV shows are great opportunities for them to meet people they would not have been able to meet before. It can also be an opportunity to meet producers and professionals in the field.
In the end, some participants earn large sums of money, while others hone their talents or leave the programme with a clearer idea of what they want to do with their lives, like Emilie Nefnaf who set up her hairdressing salon and Marlène Duval who became a businesswoman.
