One of the best films I have ever seen is the Truman Show. It is a dark, dark, satire about Reality TV at its most real and obsessive. This was a Film way ahead of its time, before the advent of dreaded shows like Big Brother (although the idea for Big Brother came in 1997, it was not shown in the UK until 2000).
The problem with modern Reality TV, is a different one - it's not reality. The latest example is the X-Factor. It now has emerged that the first episode of the new series - shown on Saturday night - did not represent singers with their true voices. They were 'auto-tuned' which means that some technological gizmo made their voices sound better for the watching public.
This is a great con perpetrated on viewers. Figures show that one of two households with TVs watched the X-Factor- (I was one of them) all under the illusion of 'wysiwyg'.
Too often so-called Reality TV shows are a let down. Either rules are changed, voting is rigged or viewers are not shown the full story. X-Factor is a quality programme. It - and other Reality Shows - should be more Ronseal (does what it says on the tin) and less like snake oil salesmen of old.
By Robert Halfon
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