Studio Production: TV Show Research!

I am excited to begin thinking of ideas as I've already got a few waiting to be written down. I want to create something new and entertaining which people can get involved in instead of just answering questions. To do more research first though, I began looking at a variety of TV shows from;
*Game show
*Debate/Chat show
*Reality shows
*TV show (scripted)

Game shows are so popular amongst audiences these days, this is because they are entertaining, stimulating and have something new happening all the time which keeps the audience engaged. In game shows the hosts are usually very energetic, loud and get involved in the games. The contestant age really can vary as it depends what sort of game show it is. There is so many sub categories in each TV show category itself. Saying you're going to produce a game show still doesn't narrow it down as you have to decide if the game is going to be serious, for an amount of money, messy, enduring, or funny. Game shows should always have new games created especially for the content as this builds a remembrance for the game and distinctive features which will want people tuning in again and again.

I looked at game shows which are an influence to what I want to do and found the following.

Total Wipeout can often be seen as fake and cheesy the way the contestant react to questions, however the show is extremely entertaining as the challenges they face aren't what you'd generally see in a studio production. The game really pushes the limits and challenges contestants to battle against a series of obstacles to get to the end of the course. I really like this as the challenges are always new and different - you won't see them on any other TV show.

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here is a huge influence to me as the challenges are always very enduring. The challenges aren't fun in particular for the celebrities however watching at home is very entertaining. The challenges are very unique to television and although sometimes they repeat challenges (food challenges) it's because the audience love them so they never get bored. The hosts on the show are very influential as they have little jokes they say throughout which makes it more funny.

Debate/Chat shows have been done SO many times and there are possibly hundreds out there, however they seem to be bringing out new ones every day. Chat shows/debate shows have the same strategy however the host and contestants you have make the whole tone of the show completely different. For example Alan Carr: Chatty Man and The Jonathan Ross Show are completely different - however both interview type shows. Alan Carr is very bubble and energetic, usually always wearing bright clothes and messing about on set, however Jonathan is very smart and doesn't jump around as much - he's still funny, but in a slightly less enthusiastic way. Alan Carr is always drinking on his show, offering contestants a drink too sat very close to them on a sofa. However Jonathan is very sophisticated with his queue cards on his large desk and sat not as close. The point is that although when we first think of a debate/chat show being 'boring' and 'over done', when we think of individual shows, some can actually be really entertaining. However it depends on the concept you have, the host and the interviewees/panellists.

Alan Carr: Chatty Man.

Jonathan Ross Show.

Reality Shows are very huge - especially in the UK with shows such as Big Brother, The X Factor, Made In Chelsea and Dancing on Ice. Each of these shows is completely different and can stand out to a variety of audiences. Although they are reality shows something is always happening on them to keep the audience enticed and engaged. Reality shows need to keep the audience involved and often do 'set ups' especially with shows such as 'Made In Chelsea' this is because peoples lives aren't always exciting. So they often arrange for two people who don't like each other to be in the same room to trigger a reaction. Big Brother is a reality show, however could fit into the game show category too as they must complete tasks and challenges to survive and be rewarded in the house.

An example of a successful reality show is The Apprentice. In 2011 the show hit 8.80 million views, which is a huge comparison to when it begin in 2005 with only 2.60 million views. A group of aspiring business men/women compete against each other to get the chance to work with the host, Alan Sugar. Although the show is reality based, we know it's never going to be boring as it's heavily planned out and scripted (task wise) so the contestants always know what they are doing. Alan Sugar is a very strong character which is what makes the show so successful, he's very honest and opinionated about things and it's amusing seeing the contestants so scared. The music in the show is also very helpful in creating atmosphere and the audience will always be able to distinguish it to being related to The Apprentice.

The Apprentice

Scripted TV shows (soaps, dramas etc) are very popular and probably the most popular in television. This is because consumers want to be able to sometimes escape from their lives and soak into a television show which has it's own drama, to escape from their lives a bit. The audience are very entertained by these shows however you must be able to create an enticing pilot story line or the audience won't understand anything and producers will not want to run it after the first episode. In the pilot episode, you must explain everything and introduce the main characters, the plot and idea needs to be established and often leaving it at a cliff hanger is a good idea as viewers will want to know what else is to come. 30 minute TV shows are often filmed on a huge set, however if you are usually a small studio, that can work too. An example of a successful kids television show is Sooty. 

Sooty

Sooty is the longest running children's television programme in the UK. The concept is pretty simple with only one human on set and a lot of puppets, yet the programme has been so influential and engaging for the audience. The television show didn't only create TV content, it also did live stage productions, created merchandise and created a film.