I see some shows on PBS (am thoroughly enjoying The Roosevelts), and some live sports events, mainly baseball. I also get some series and movies from Netflix and Amazon, but no reality series.
In the sense that Home and Garden TV is reality TV, yes. I also love...
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all the British TV shows about restoring old houses, like Restoration Home and Britain's Empty Houses. I have to watch all of those on Youtube, though, because we don't get them here.
I thought the Quest was a noble effort
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that didn't quite work for me ... but I appreciated the intent.
I did watch pretty much every episode.
I think they didn't quite achieve an optimal balance between making it a 'story' with 'characters' and a competition 'game' show. I thought the finale was most successful when they crammed in the competitions. I also liked the episode where they had to run around finding those glowing globes.
My fav. reality show is Amazing Race and that is pretty much all about the tasks they have to achieve. I like seeing how they're structured and how they try to infuse the culture of the current location into each challenge.
I wanted more interesting challenges in the Quest infused with the 'story'. But all the time spent setting up or supporting the story outside the challenges just seemed to bog down the momentum, imo.
I think it would be hard to set up a show like that to please everyone. If one went in expecting an SCA, D&D, and/or roleplaying experience... I expect they might have been disappointed a little, too.
I thought it was an interesting effort. The premise of the 'paladins' competing to see who was worthy of wielding the All-Powerful McGuffin worked well enough for the format of the show. I do want to see what the producers do with a second season.
When it comes to Kitchen Nightmares,
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I much prefer the original BBC version. It's before Gordon Ramsey went all yell-y, and was actually interested in trying to make the restaurants succeed. The American version was alright-- i watched quite a few of them-- but he started performing for the camera a bit too much, and the shows were very heavily edited to make the "story" go a certain way. I could never get into it that much, though it could be funny at times. But the British one, i really got into that. I'd suggest looking it up.
Mythbusters is the best, and Adam Savage seems like such a smart, funny, socially conscious, all around great guy. And i love his recreations of famous movie props and costumes.
Normally I avoid the "contest" variety, although I did watch a show called "Outback Jack" because "Jack" was "HOT!!!" Never watched Survivor or American Idol, but I did watch the first season of "Amazing Race," and more recently "The Great Escape." They seem more fair - first one there wins, not a popularity contest. I would compete in BOTH of those shows.
I prefer the "straight competition" sort to the "social dynamics" sort. Note to reality TV producers: I do not enjoy manufactured "drama" or dysfunctional relationships as much as you seem to think I do. I don't enjoy watching people screech endlessly at each other or make obviously-producer-elicited/edited catty comments about one another in interviews. I stopped watching Survivor a couple seasons in because I got tired of watching people conspire, scheme, and backstab their way to the triumph of the mediocre. (Don't stand out, get rid of the strong people as soon as you don't need them to carry you anymore, bring a token weak person along to make yourself look good at the end...)
Now on to what I like...
I've watched The Amazing Race ever since the first season. I still love seeing the countries and the tasks, but I'm not thrilled with the current trend of casting minor celebrities and wannabes from other reality shows...it's more fun when it's "average" people (ie not trying to make a career out of it). Also, contestants, if you're having relationship problems, do not try to fix them by putting yourselves under even more physical and emotional stress during a race with very little downtime and expect to use it to work our your communication issues. This is not a good idea. Thank you.
I watched American Ninja Warrior over the summer because I enjoy watching people be good at gymnastics and things and it's fun to watch people run giant obstacle courses. And everyone cheers everyone on and they don't spend the time snarking on people, so I can manage to put up with the overhyped approach.
I occasionally watch cooking competition shows online, and I've recently seen some Project Runway (the fashion industry baffles me in so many ways but it's fun to watch people make things) but I don't watch any of them regularly as they air. I did watch The Quest via Hulu and I thought they made a decent attempt at a "fantasy/reality competition", which was greatly helped by the willingness of the contestants to play up to it. I'd probably check it out again if they get a second season, to see if they can make it work.