Are You Interested?

A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila is back. And, um... it's just as trashy-delicious as ever. In fact, it might be more trashy-delicious. Even if I've heard that outside the show Tila has a steady boyfriend... whatever, she knows entertainment (in its lowest common denominator form).

Semi-related, semi-serious question: can one script a reality television show? I mean, when I get together with friends and watch Top Model, we can say exactly what's going to happen and how it's going to go down... so I think it's possible, in elimination-based shows. Thinking of the financials... you have your series regulars (your "host", your judges), and you have guest cast in the form of mentors and "contestants" (the trick is figuring out exactly what the fake competition is... there was a terrible The Amazing Race ripoff sitcom script for CW last development season). The standing sets would be the home of the "contestants", the "confessional", and the judging room... which isn't a ton, so you'd have a lot of stage space (and presumably an ample enough construction budget) to play with. Not a heck of a lot of locations, or even necessarily exterior shooting. You could probably knock the whole thing out in 7 shooting days (two days at the "house" and doing confessionals, two days at judging, and three days at the various challenges).

But what about non-elimination shows? For instance, The Hills (which I've never watched). First of all, it's apparently partially scripted... would one be able to pull something like that off in full-scripted mode? Like, could one fake a show like Gossip Girl and have it set in "the real" Upper East Side? The actors would have to be very good improvisers, because, if The Hills are an example, they'd have to be out and about and "in character" 24/7...

Sigh, I should stop thinking about these things this late at night...