I've decided that I'm going to make my millions by creating the ultimate reality show, so when it comes along there's documentation that I thought of it first. I think I might have pitched this one on Facebook or somewhere before, but I want to make sure it's well documented when someone steals the idea. It'll be called Reality Gauntlet (or Jack Of All Trades, I'm not entirely sold on either name yet) and here's how it works. Current shows are based on the premise that a bunch of reality whores are really good at one skill, when in fact we know it has more to do with TV readiness and personality and such. So why not create a show that makes you be good (or at least not the worst of, say, 12 people) at EVERYTHING? You get your usual cast of 10-12 wacky people, and each episode sees them having to master a different reality show genre. It'll have to be played for broad parody to escape legal trouble, but it's probably do-able. So each week the contestants get a crash course in that week's skill, and then boom, off they go and the worst person at the task is eliminated, until you're left with the winner, who is the person was at least able to get by enough to pass each week. You can do:
- A modelling challenge (America's Next Top Model)
- A fashion design challenge (Project Runway)
- A cooking challenge (Hell's Kitchen)
- An obstacle course (Wipeout)
- A singing challenge (American Idol)
- A renovation challenge (like something on HGTV)
- A dancing challenge (So You Think You Can Dance)
- A wrestling/MMA challenge (Ultimate Fighter / Tough Enough)
- A grossout challenge (Fear Factor)
- A straight trivia challenge once there's 3 or 4 people left (Jeopardy) or maybe a Minute To Win It type of deal.
- A survivalist challenge for the big finale (Survivor).
This would of course be grotesquely expensive and probably have legal headaches out the wazoo, but the trainwreck possibilities would be ENDLESS. I await my royalty cheque from Simon Cowell when this happens next fall.
Really? You think so? You think there'd be legal trouble? I think each obstacle COULD be made to be broad enough without mentioning titles or gimmicks to still get the idea across, without legal issue. I think it's an awesome idea.
ReplyDeleteYou need some kind of buying old tat and then hawking it at auction/ to the Pawn Stars kind of challenge as well.
ReplyDeleteA drag challenge? (RuPaul's...)
ReplyDeleteThat's something I could totally see the WWE sending The Miz to participate in. And I, for one, would love to see The Miz compete in a renovation challenge.
ReplyDeleteANYTHING that keeps the Miz out of a wrestling ring iz O-TAY!
ReplyDeleteIsn't this already the premise of The Apprentice? A variety of tasks, none of which are particularly relevant to running a company such as modelling, fundraising, acting.
ReplyDeleteThis is BRILLIANT!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf "Jack of All Trades" doesn't work out as a title, you could adopt the other half of that phrase.
ReplyDeletePremiering this fall, "Master of None"!
Because we're FOX.
Assume FOX viewing positions!
ReplyDeleteAs in a previous thread, I would like to see Jimmy Hart participate in an HGTV show.
ReplyDelete"It's needs more hearts, baby! And more pink!"
For real, I had this idea years ago, I was gonna call it The Best at Everything.
ReplyDeleteYou are watching FOX!
ReplyDeleteWE ARE WATCHING FOX.
Man Vs. TV. :)
ReplyDeleteThats....thats not bad at all. I don't think I would have the people be "wacky" though. I would have them be be fairly normal, if not successful in what they do. You figure the contests themselves would create the "train wreck" element of the show.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be a wet blanket but for the most part, I hate reality TV. However, I recognize millions love it and this show would probably do pretty well.
ReplyDeleteCurrently only watch one of the shows on this list (Survivor.) But I'd watch this.
ReplyDeleteThe Fear Factor stuff alone would get you into trouble depending on what it is. They were all set to run an entire new season this year then had to pull it on the first episode because people were spamming a form letter to The Network saying it was offensive.
ReplyDeleteWhich really goes to show how awful our society has become just in five years. In 2006 Rogan and Co. could get away with anything, in 2012 the show is cancelled before it even airs.
I absolutely LOVE the idea, especially if they got more and more outlandish and parody-heavy as it went on:
ReplyDeleteImagine if they began to self-knowingly scrape the bottom of the barrel by having the contestants, say, bake a cake, spend a day as a mall security-guard, or tattoo a volunteer. It'd be friggin' phenomenal!
Kudos on a brilliant idea, sir.
A reality show getting cancelled before it airs = a very, very good thing.
ReplyDeleteOh for sure, but of all the "reality" shows Fear Factor is the least "reality-ish" to me. At least there's not a "confessional booth" or any of that shit.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'm a big Rogan mark anyway so I'm biased...
Yeah, this is called Big Brother.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, I was having a discussion about this topic at work a little while ago, can you imagine the shitstorm that would happen if Married With Children debuted today in primetime tv on one of the networks? Definitely wouldn't have made it one season.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of this idea is that it's not an entirely new idea, but a rehash of a dozen old ideas.... Because of this I can't believe I doesn't already exist on NBC.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm clear: It's a bad thing that TV has gotten less crass over the years?
ReplyDeleteTBH, yes I think it's a bad thing, sure Married was crass but it was entertaining.
ReplyDeleteLove fear factor just cuz of joe.
ReplyDeleteMarried with children fucking rocked.
ReplyDeleteBRILLIANT.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between a flawed protagonist, a "loveable loser", and a guy who just sucks. And MWC never figured out that line.
ReplyDeleteActually the reason for Fear Factor being pulled was due to one of the stunts being way over the top. The contestants had to play horseshoes and wherever the horseshoe landed was a number. That number was how many ounces of a certain item you had to drink, either horse urine or horse semen. They got in a lot of shit for that and it never aired over here (in North America), although it did air overseas as the video is on the Tube.
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