So TV programmes fake things - so what?

This "faking it" scandal is getting ridiculous now - I think the fact we've barely talked about it here says once again it's the press liking to have a dig at TV companies (because the press never make up stories, do they?) more than the public being concerned.


Yes, fake competition winners are deceptive and unnecessary.

And yes, it's wrong to edit footage which gives viewers the wrong interpretation.


But now they're digging up virtually every show and seeing how they can make out it's "fake", the latest being Bear Gryll's Born Survivor thing - where some scenes may not have been what they've seem - but frankly, they're making a TV show - and sometimes nature needs a helping hand. It's a practice that's been going on for decades.


The other main thing bought up last week was Five's Shark Attack Live programme, which included a recorded segment transmitted "as live". Again, this is done regularly in many many live shows for various reasons - quite often interviews and music performances (notably on Saturday Night Takeaway) are recorded then slotted into the live show.


If we're going down that route, isn't virtually every music programme that's aired in the last 50 years "fake" then considering half the acts usually mime rather than perform live.


Rant nearly over, but it's something that's seriously getting on my nerves as I don't think it's the producers, but the journalists reporting these "fakes", which are treating viewers like idiots.


We're just going to end up with loads of ridiculous disclaimers in the opening/closing credits which I don't think anybody wants.

Although I agree with most of your post, I think there are a few examples that do need to be investigated further. This Shark Attack Live show is one of them. I don't think anyone has a problem with recorded segments in live shows but the problem here is that they showed footage and billed it as live. This was not a mistake like some of these 'scandels' have been. This was someone making the decision to lie to viewers. They even went as far as adding 'technical problems' like audio drop outs and encoding errors to the recorded footage in post production.

nothing new about faking TV whether live or not - remember the fake guests on The Vanessa Show and then the scandal grew to most talk shows -- and that was less than 10 years ago!!!!!!!!

Faking TV is nothing new and it will NOT go away just as long as the shows either entertain or educate - they are not harming anyone so why bother about it.

The only scam that should be completely banned are the phone in quizzes etc unless the compaines involved can be proved that they CAN operate within the law - and I bet, including the late amented QM would not be able to reach that threshold.

PS whay is Greggles doing nowadays - he'd be perfect for an early evening gameshow/entertainment show

I was in the live opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 1986, and I can exclusively reveal part of it was recorded the day before.

I claim my £5.

You were there tooo. Fantastic event and not at all staged!!!!!

Aaaahh - that's a point - the Olympic Torch - they never light it, they just turn on the gas!

There is probably still some poor bloke pierced to the ground outside the Barcelona Olympic Stadium with a blazing arrow!


P.S. If they're going on a fake crusade, can we get rid of all the botox enhanced personality free TV presenters please?

So now companies are pledging to ensure promos don't lie - but isn't that just going to spoil things?


With drama especially quite often on the "Next time..." promos they like to give you the impression one thing will happen, when something else is generally the outcome.

I remember watching Magpie about 35 years ago and Mick Robertson was explaining 'noddy shots'.

I attended the launch of the Astute submarine by Camilla at Barrow and they filmed the school kids waving at the cameras before she'd even arrived, then edited them into the footage of her on her walkabout so it looks like the kids are waving and cheering at camilla

so tv people even fake royal wakabouts

by the way the coronation street terrace is just one long building with lots of doors and windows in it so it looks like a row of seven houses sandwitched between a pub and a shop.

These idiots baying for Peter Fincham's blood probably think Michael Grade should have been sacked for commissioning a realistic-looking BBC1 globe that was in fact generated by a box of circuit boards(!)

Part of the appeal of TV is that it can fool viewers (in the right circumstances) but obviously there is no excuse for inventing fake competition winners.

*tut* next they'll be telling us Father Christmas doesn't exist.

the whole tv industry is based on illusion and imagery but I agree that real people should be doing the competitions