• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, August 21, 2024

Long live reality TV -- but I’m afraid that reality TV was killed by the creator economy.  Creator content is, in many cases, far more authentic and real than any reality TV has been in years.  Even game shows are dying, as demonstrated when I stumbled on a prime-time show called “The Quiz with Balls” that was actually run on consecutive days on Fox.  If ever there was a sign that the creative well had gone dry, this was it.

I digress.  Sort of.

What we see with creators like Mr. Beast far surpasses the kind of programming we’ve seen on major network reality shows for years.  There are only so many fear-based challenges and awkward dating situations that can capture our attention in prime time.  Even though the formulas are similar when you look at what Mr. Beast is doing, he executes them with a fervor and a tonality that is missing from major networks.

Over the last few weeks there were a number of articles covering the challenges facing Mr. Beast in his partnership with Amazon, and how they have had to postpone the program due to issues with insurance and mismanagement on set.  I don’t doubt any of the issues were real, but I believe Amazon will work it out and the show will launch in due time, and probably be well-received by the audience.

Creator content is more genuine.  It creates a closer connection between the creator and the audience, which is what reality TV did when it first launched:  It created the perception that anyone could be on TV and be a star.  There were Amazing Races and people Surviving on islands.  There was the excitement of watching complete strangers living together who eventually started "being real."  It was intriguing because everyone watching the show had similar experiences in real life. And then, when TV people ran out of ideas, we literally just started throwing large balls at people when they got questions wrong.

Reality TV has been replaced by a dichotomy of programming.  Creator content has spread across the web, as has a resurgence in high-quality programming.  These days we see the biggest stars on TV and not just in movies. Vince Vaughn has a TV show, and it’s pretty good!   Anyone with an audience can be anywhere they want, because these days the audience is more connected to the star than they are to the network where it airs.

This is the key reason why reality TV is dead.  We have officially transitioned to a culture where the person is the star, and not the content.  The content can be changed out, but people follow the stars wherever they land. There are, of course, some minor exceptions.  “Game of Thrones” has created a universe that can thrive on its own without stars, but most major content is celebrity-centric.  In fact, you could probably make the argument that “Game of Thrones” is celebrity-centric since it follows a famous family through history, but once again I digress.

Creators are now celebrities.    Major movie stars are certainly celebrities, and they can do whatever they like, from comedy to cooking shows.  They decide and we follow them wherever they go.  For better or worse, this is our new reality.