But The Apprentice and Bake Off ARE reality shows?
The lines are blurred, but I'd put Bake Off as a talent based contest. You could argue The Apprentice as reality as the contestants live in accommodation provided by the show and it's a more immersive experience.
Bake Off is not a "reality" show as such, they're mostly amateurs lobbing things into bowls and then into ovens to create something tasty, and the end result is a giant picnic, a trophy and bragging rights for a few months. Masterchef is probably closer to reality in this genre as that tends to attract people who harbour aspirations to either open a restaurant or work in a professional kitchen somewhere down the line, whereas Bake Off contestants are happier at home and don't want to be the next Gordon Ramsey.
Apprentice is probably closer to reality overall because the prize up for grabs can change your (business) life, a £250k investment in a company you do all the work for in exchange for the injection if you're prepared to occasionally look like a pillock along the way. Dragon's Den I suppose it could be argued is a similar concept, except it places more emphasis on the business know-how and the idea. some of the pitches on The Apprentice over the years would have been laughed out of The Den at the first hurdle.
I suppose as a general rule if it can change a life should you win it it's probably reality. Otherwise its just either a non-studio based gameshow or a talent competition on film.
I'm not sure I'd agree Bake Off doesn't fall into the reality category based on the criteria you've outlined above.
There are numerous Bake Off contestants who had "ordinary" jobs before appearing on the show who are now writing cookery books, doing demonstrations at food events, making TV series, appearing on TV cookery segments and running food-related businesses which I think would probably constitute life changing in most peoples' eyes.
Well as above lines are blurred so we're all happy to decide ourselves whether its reality, talent or it just boils down to people mixing ingredients in a bowl and lobbing it into a oven.
I burn toast so I'm going to be no good on Bake Off
By that criteria, Who wants to be a millionaire is a reality show which it patently isn't.
The defining features of reality TV are fly on the wall filming of members of the public (as distinct from actors) in an artificial environment /set of circumstances controlled by the production team.
X Factor, Bake Off and BGT are not in that category. You can argue either way for Gogglebox.
I think Fame Academy is partly to blame for some of the confusion, that genuinely was a crossover between the Big Brother style reality and a talent contest.
By that criteria, Who wants to be a millionaire is a reality show which it patently isn't.
The defining features of reality TV are fly on the wall filming of members of the public (as distinct from actors) in an artificial environment /set of circumstances controlled by the production team.
X Factor, Bake Off and BGT are not in that category. You can argue either way for Gogglebox.
I think Fame Academy is partly to blame for some of the confusion, that genuinely was a crossover between the Big Brother style reality and a talent contest.
Regardless of how you define these shows, the industry tends to define them for some reason as reality shows.
The media tend to include talent shows and elimination formats with either public or not public vote offs as reality TV.
So Strictly, X Factor, BGT, The Voice, The Apprentice, Big Brother, I’m a Celeb, Bake Off, Masterchef, Love Island...
As referred to a few posts ago, people often look down on the genre of reality TV yet will happily watch the likes of The Apprentice not admitting that it is still in the same genre just a bit more middle class.
Yes I agree the term is widely misapplied to anything with an elimination format, but that doesn't make it correct. Although I accept that dictionary definitions evolve to reflect usage rather than the other way round.
If every show with an elimination format was regarded as a reality show, you'd also have to include the likes of Pointless, The Chase, Catchphrase, Eggheads, and almost every other game/quiz show!
Only a couple of weeks ago they tried to tar reality TV with the Jeremy Kyle brush.
No reason why BGT and Strictly can't just be classed as entertainment, though reality TV alongside Big Brother style formats works for me. For me it's a format which results in one winner at the end of the series and involves judgement by either judges, other contestants or the public, though can be skill based in a show like Race Around the World.
Many docusoaps, documentaries and even gameshows have been reclassed as reality TV, incorrectly IMO but ultimately it doesn't really matter.