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Global cast to help Survivor stay afloat

By Alan Simon (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-09 10:13

It is not difficult to dislike reality TV. There is little to stimulate one's intellectual faculties and certainly nothing of any far-reaching importance. Yet here they are and, judging by their phenomenal popularity, surely here to stay.

An estimated 19.2 million people, Britain's biggest TV audience in five years, tuned in to the final of Britain's Got Talent to watch Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle denied victory by street dancers Diversity, while Kris Allen's earlier victory in American Idol was watched by 29 million viewers and drew 100 million votes.

Original reality TV programs, including Candid Camera, survived on non-competitive entertainment value without the need for weekly losers and survivors. The 21st century wave of reality TV programs, however, could easily be called Elimination TV, since the main weekly hook in Idol, Survivor, The Apprentice and Big Brother, is seeing who gets voted out. This fundamental change in the genre has been a ratings winner, for sure, especially in the United States.

Strangely, though, the modern breed did not originate in the US, but in England. It was a TV producer from London, Mark Burnett, who conceived both Survivor and Donald's Trump self-promo vehicle, The Apprentice.

Burnett's shows are now shown throughout the world but guru of the genre though he might be, he needs a tap on the shoulder - and quick. Mark, your biggest hit is way too tired. Survivor needs shaking up. No more of this 16 Americans nonsense; the time has come for International Survivor.

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