Wednesday, May 28, 2008

ABC has a new show they're promoting on, of all things, DailyKos, my procrastination tool of choice these days. It's called The Mole. I was all excited about it. I assumed it was a spy show about a compromised intelligence operation where, I assumed, everyone has motives for betrayal, and everyone is doing something on the side that could amount to betrayal. Who is the traitor? Great show idea.

How annoying to find out it's a reality show. I would totally have watched the pilot.

Still seems like a great pitch for a narrative show. I'm just throwing that out there.

What show ideas can you steal from reality TV? Is there a scripted version of SURVIVOR? How about THE AMAZING RACE? Is there a feature version of BIG BROTHER?

Labels: watching tv

3:34 PM

9 Comments:

You're right -- though technically the first season of Alias was about a mole. Be worthwhile to see something like that played out for a longer stretch.

By  Steve Peterson, at 4:03 PM  

I believe LOST was pitched as a scripted version of Survivor.

I could see a sitcom based on Hogan Knows Best, or The Osbournes. But I don't see how most reality tv shows could be poached for scripted, because they have little to do with character, and are just competitions. Or are about someone's crappy house being renovated.

By  Trevor Finn, at 5:37 PM  

"How about THE AMAZING RACE?"

Yes: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World". :)

By  Webs, at 5:42 PM  

Not only is it a reality show, but it's not even a new show - after seven years, they're bringing it back from the dead: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270792/

If it bombed the first time, why on earth are they bringing it back?

By  J.D., at 6:56 PM  

Considering it launched Anderson Cooper (the original host) into a more well-known name, it wasn't that big of a failure.

Also, it was only a 4-year break. After the second installment in '02, Celebrity Mole aired in '03 & '04.

Can you tell I work on it? :)

By  Josh Elwell, at 7:26 PM  

I'm happy the Mole is back. I'm not a reality TV fan myself but it was one of those shows I actually got hooked on. Same with Murder in Small Town X.

@ Josh

Did they bring everyone back who worked on it years ago or is it a whole new crew now? Just curious.

By  THE FLEMINIST, at 10:27 PM  

It's animated, but "Total Drama Island" is like scripted Survivor...

By  Crystal, at 2:52 PM  

The Tom Green show was the original Fear Factor - certainly one of the (if not the) originators of putting nasty things in your mouth for other people's reactions.

Tho' I don't really think it was scripted... :P

By  Brandon Laraby, at 3:33 PM  

I can't come up with much for competitive reality, but I always thought that a show about the kind of pretty, tanned, LA-based twenty-somethings that volunteer for shows like Big Brother or Survivor might be interesting. You know, in a trashy night-time soap kind of way.

And I always think that any candid reality show could be flipped into a good sitcom idea. The requirements are pretty much the same, a likeable guy or girl in a relatable situation, who just keeps getting into messes each week. Like, surburban mom and dad raise rambuctious sextuplets. Or aging actor hires a life coach to help him figure out why he's never been able to commit. (Well, that log line's awkward. The show is a little awkward too. You get my general train of thought.)

By  nadia*, at 1:42 PM  

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