THIS MAY BE THE CRAZIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!! Special Report: CYNOPSIS MEDIA PRESENTS: Before the Ballot: Reality Host/Competition/Structured & Unstructured By Randee Dawn 06.18.14 Decades into their existence - and domination - on television, reality programming looks to Emmy award season as the moment for accolades. In fact, the reality field now has four categories in which shows can receive TV’s highest honor: Competition, Host, Structured and Unstructured (the latter two are the brand-new result of dividing the generic Reality Show prize in half). But there’s a lot of reality programming to sort through - the pre-nomination Emmy ballot put nearly 150 shows and more than 50 hosts (or groups of hosts) up for contention - and the reality is… no one has seen all of those shows. “Emmy voters lag audience trends by a few years,” says Darren Campo, former head of programming for TruTV, now a professor at New York University’s school of business. “They always vote for perceived production quality over the value the audience derives from the show.” So just how are those voters likely to pick this year? Here’s a guide to the names and shows to expect when the nominees are announced on July 10. Outstanding Reality-Competition Program Likely contenders: The Voice (NBC), The Amazing Race (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo), Project Runway (Lifetime), Dancing With the Stars (ABC) Dark horses: So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), Face-Off (SyFy), American Ninja Warrior (NBC), Survivor (CBS), The Biggest Loser (NBC) Get Real: Around since 2003, the competition prize has seen relatively little competition: Race has run off with it every year, bar two - Chef won in 2010, and Voice in 2013. If voters are choosing based on quality, then Race may just have it in the bag: The show is competitive without being mean, features locations around the world, and has uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer behind it. But, says Tim Brooks, a former network executive at Lifetime, USA and NBC-turned author, “Amazing Race is not invulnerable any more.” “Voice” will be “tough to beat,” says Gold Derby senior editor Chris Beachum, adding, “Everybody’s got some type of person on that show they can root for, whether a coach or singer or mentor.” But there’s a sense that musical competition shows are on the wane, which could hurt last year’s winner; likewise, don’t expect American Idol to make any kind of comeback. “That show is just done,” says Mary McNamara, television critic for the Los Angeles Times. “There’s only so long these particular conceits will last, and then you have to tweak the show or just bring on a new one.” Outstanding Structured Reality Program Likely contenders: Undercover Boss (CBS), Shark Tank (ABC), The Profit (CNBC), (Discovery), Antiques Roadshow (PBS) Dark horses: American Pickers (History), Pawn Stars (History); Naked and Afraid (Discovery) Get real: For the past two years, Boss has been in charge, giving it an all-but-assured berth in the upcoming nominations. But this is a new area, one of two split from the originally-named Outstanding Reality Program category, so anything is possible including the inclusion of a lesser-known but critically-lauded show on CNBC, Profit. “Some of the shows on lower cable deserve more notice,” says de Oliveira. “That’s where some of the better work is being done, honestly - a leaner, meaner show can delve into details.” The fact is, reality nominations are both extremely predictable (witness winners from previous years) and entirely dependent on voters’ whims. While there is the belief that voters will go for big, recognizable names, never underestimate the hidden agendas of Television Academy voters. Says Brooks, “I was one of those voters. You get long lists of names and titles and if someone doesn’t like the category particularly - maybe one of those shows cost them a job - there’s no telling how they’ll vote.”
Posted on: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 18:31:40 +0000
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