Blinded by the Light

I was introduced to the most unique form of new television programming last night, so much so that I will rid my usual veil of disgust that I throw out for television in order to talk about the promise that television has for the future. Last night between episodes of the Sopranos and Entourage, I surfed on over to ABC's westcoast affiliate around 11 eastern time just in time to catch ABC's self touted "groundbreaking" game, variety, reality, community show called My Kinda Town. I have to say that in the world that is television, ABC has created a very entertaining british hosted and influenced televisual experience.

The basis behind the show is that the network choses a small American town, flies two hundred of their residents to a New York studio, sits them town, hypes them up, and offers them prizes through entertaining little interactions via satellite and in studio affecting their lives back home. Last night the town featured was Greensville, Alabama, a typical southern home that when put on screen appeared as though that this was definitly the best thing to ever happen to the whole community.

The show had great gags and a lot of laughs, which when combined, gave the third party viewer (me) an odd sense of community, local tradition, family, entertainment, fun, and all in all a very very unique globally watched local experience.

• The major events included the tallest man in the town watching a giant fire breathing dinorobot destroying his old tractor on the main strip of the town, only to be rewarded his dream tractor immediately after.

• A trailer park resident watching her overly large trailer dissapear on screen, only to follow a then fictional news report about a runaway home in greensville, finally ending in the reward of her home being placed in the dream neighbourhood she always wanted to live in, and a since the scene included the destruction of her television, the show also rewarded her a brand new plasma screen.
  

• There was also the first ever naked Greensville calendar, featuring the quirkiest members of the town, nude on screen posing for different months.
  

• And finally one local fireman was quized on the names of six random townspeople featured throughout the show and when he got them all right, all two hundred residents in studio won brand new Vespa's making Greensville, Alambama now the most unusual commute in all of America.

This show gave me the most unique television experience I have had in a while. Combining variety programming of old, with an odd makeover reality based game show of present. What was so unique was the concept of focusing fame on a small town that would otherwise never be put on the primetime map. The energy in the crowd was so unique and warm, for everyone somewhat knew each other, and so when nude photos of the locals flashed on screen, the laughter in the studio was so genuine and warm out of famialiarty and relatability it was warming to watch. It made the novelty of a hometown a global experience, and for one night Greensville, Alabama as a place was the star, and not only a star but a benefactor of many prizes and changes. No doubt when everyone returns home now, this will be one of the most welcoming localities in the states, as everyone will now have a mutual bond, mutual friends, and mutual blue Vespa scooters.

I really appreciate what ABC is trying to do with My Kinda Town, and it made me think a lot of where I think television is heading.

The show brought back a conversation I had in an overly influenced Saturday late night this weekend. The last four of the party were chilling out and as all conversations go at 5am, anything and everything came up as a topic; including television. One excessively boring and disgruntled dude (*cough*nicolesboyfriendsisboring*cough*) brought up his disgust for reality shows and his feverous worry about the future of television and the potential for the all programming to be reality based.

Being the media driven loudmouth once influenced guy that I am, I naturally went off. Reality television and HBO styled programming is the future of television. The sitcom is dead, sorry Arrested Development lovers, and the future of the tube will lie in the viewer being more and more engaged in the programming. Already you can log online and buy products that you see on television or aid in the production as participants via calling or voting to be involved in the programming. Soon everyone will have the opportunity to be an American Idol via performance, simple random selection, or by clicking the remote, and in my eyes, this is the best means for this medium of obedience and guilty pleasure.

Ridding oneself materialistic critique, if one realizes the constant presence and purpose of a medium like television is to sell product, then why not combine the advertising efforts with the nature of fame. Make the everyguy a star, give the awkward seven footer a new tractor, and move the poor trailer park resident to her dream location, all the while offering the viewers at home the opportunity to play along, apply to be on, or simply win via watching some form of prize, be it fame, good, or service.

We should embrace reality programming for it is the stepping stone to an interactive televisual community, similar to the internet without the freedom or the access (*larph). Yes television is a controlled medium, where few can decide what is said to millions, and fewer will ever influence the message. But if I can watch a whole town become overjoyed with how and where they live amongst all the horrors and control mechanisms that the television otherwises promotes, then cool.

Fictional programming will remain, but it will become filmic in its production. The world of 24, Sopranos, Huff, Entourage, and now Rome will take television to a new level where every night you get 1 hour of a four month long movie. From here on you will be able to choose excessive escapism or personal interaction from your bubetube, and after last night, I am finally once again intrigued as to the future of one of the worlds most unique and powerful mediums.
*you are now safe to change the channel.

posted by mr. tomas ubik @ Monday, August 15, 2005