A friend emailed me the ad you see on the left. It's for a new reality program on the TV Guide Channel, "Making News - Texas Style".
Yeah, it surprised me too. I thought they only ran character generated listings.
The ad scared me. Some people already look upon us TV types as shallow or trivial. This won't help.
That ad represents everything superficial TV news can be with none of the substance. I'm not saying we're teaching college level courses on-the-air, but there really is more than pageant winners and cat fighting in the newsroom.
Actually, I can't guarantee the ad's copywriter saw the show, because "Making News - Texas Style" was a lot closer to this reserved blurb in a TV Guide press release.
“These people are as passionate about trying to win a couple of ratings points in Midland, Texas, as the people working at the broadcast networks trying to figure out how to win the fall season,” O’Hara said. “It’s the real Anchorman.”
Will anyone be interested... if they can even find the show? Does the audience have to make an immediate connection with the participants for it to work? I'm not a big reality show fan, so I don't know, but I didn't.
Part of the reason I felt a little empty was the astounding percentage of pad or repeated content used. Everything that was told, was told again - often multiple times. And though that might work for compelling stories, these were not.
This show is scheduled to run 13 episodes. They're using 'newsroom helper' already! I can't imagine what episode 9 or 10 will bring.
I will watch again next Monday; the DVR's already set. Right now, "Making News - Texas Style" is on life support at my house.
It seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. As for "Making News" I had just about the same response when I saw it last night.
http://www.lostremote.com/2007/06/11/model-turns-anchorwoman-at-texas-station/
I just created a season pass on my DVR.
This is going to be an freakin' riot!
Thanks for the heads up.
Hope your foot is feeling better.
You should try swimming... great workout, much easier on the body.
I'm not surprized. If the Hilton debacle merits days of coverage, and we can't find enough local CT stories for a half hour evening news program, then, with all due respect to you and the team, Geoff, it's all a reality show. I now only watch TV news coverage to see the local weather, even if I can get it on line.
Someday, maybe some ND will have the stones to make a local news show worthy of the name. I'll be all over that if it happens.
What passes for "compelling stories" in my current market, which is not a small market:
Someone stole some flower bouquets from an apartment complex and they had it on video. PLEASE LET ___ POLICE KNOW IF YOU RECOGNIZE THIS WOMAN. IMMEDIATELY!
Teased at 10pm and 10:30pm. Second story on the news, behind a murder and in front of Iraq.
What the hey, Geoff? Was I spoiled being raised in front of the CT stations?