Thoughts on Japanese variety show transmigration

[Chronomaster]

Alright, so we've seen it by now, stuff like Brain Wall and Run For Money have crossed the waters to our respective countries. The question is how do they stack to their original concept? Give specific examples here.

Since I already mentioned them, Brain Wall (Hole in the Wall in the US) lost a lot of its humor when it hit American shores. Japanese game shows traditionally feature celebrities being put through insane acts, and everyone gets a laugh out of it. Here, we have too much competition, and a lot of the charm is lost thanks to the watering down of the formula (our announcers are in love with themselves, quite simply. Not only is the female host annoying in voice, but the male host booms out some lame quips and spends too much time explaining a simple concept). I made a previous comment elsewhere on how the concept was essentially stretched to a 22-minute show, leaving us with little true content in such a broad amount of time. Overall, it's the shift in culture that ruined the charm of this show.

Run For Money Tosochuu (Cha$e here) didn't change much in transition. Though there was the ludicrous rebranding (IT'S AMERICA'S SHOW, DAMNIT), the formula remains the same and the culture is loosely parallel. I haven't seen much of Run For Money (a few clips here and there, mostly of chase moments), so I'm unaware if they have tasks to perform or items to use in game. Their gear seems better designed for traveling though (why is it that I always see people juggling five items in Cha$e?). There's not much else to say. I do have to laugh at the contestants of Cha$e though. Most of them are plain dumb when it comes to performing tasks, often stumbling into traps or failing to perform correctly. One person lost a race to the finish by not opening the door before his opponent did. Just stopped dead there. If the game continues past its first season, we'll probably see less offenders.

There was one particular change in the formula which everyone seems irate at: The prizing. RFM gives cash to those who survive, and maybe to various other avenues that I haven't seen (opt-outs, mid-game scoring, etc.). Cha$e has two options, either be the one to cross the finish, or opt out for a set amount. Everyone else, whether they survive or not, gets jack squat.

So, any thoughts?

[Grain]

You think people just started copying ideas from each other yesterday?

[SacredGuyver]

You think people just started copying ideas from each other yesterday?

I heard a version of this rant this morning. It's not really the whole "they had a good idea, so I'm gonna copy it" complaint, which is fairly common, but more of a "they made a horrible copy of a good idea."

[Chronomaster]

You think people just started copying ideas from each other yesterday?

It's becoming more popular.

And yeah, Guyver got an earful this morning.

[Phades]

I just find it sad that not only "reality" style television is becomming more popular, but also flourishing in the void of "normal" programming that is any good to begin with. So then you take the people who fail at organizing, writing, and directing "normal" programming and let them copy a "successful" genre and you have what we have today. This has been going on for a number of years now and is really proliferating recently. I thought to myself years ago that there were better things to do with my time than watch TV and over the years this trend has only reinforced my opinion of this... About the only thing i take the time to watch lately, if i even bother to, would be G4...

[Grain]

I just find it sad that not only "reality" style television is becomming more popular, but also flourishing in the void of "normal" programming that is any good to begin with. So then you take the people who fail at organizing, writing, and directing "normal" programming and let them copy a "successful" genre and you have what we have today. This has been going on for a number of years now and is really proliferating recently. I thought to myself years ago that there were better things to do with my time than watch TV and over the years this trend has only reinforced my opinion of this... About the only thing i take the time to watch lately, if i even bother to, would be G4...

G4 finally caved in after years of losing money. It's just not the same anymore...

As for me, anything is better than crime dramas. I'm sick and tired of crime dramas.

[Chronomaster]

I hate how game shows have been relabeled "Reality TV".

[Phades]

I hate how game shows have been relabeled "Reality TV".

When the show starts being more about the contestants' than being whatever setting they create for it, then it is more like a reality TV show... The sad part is, even though they are all semi derived from variety TV like the gong show and star search from ages past, it seems that other nations took that idea and made it better, then we took that idea back and made it worse... Kinda reminds me of the automotive industry with the big 3 vs toyota and trying to re-invent the wheel worse than the japanese are producing it, yet had many pattents to take innovation in other directions for over 30 years now and chose not to...

[Chronomaster]

You know, I think I realized what really irritates me about American 'reality TV'

Everyone acts like incredibly bad drama actors. Stating the blatantly obvious? Come on now?

[Phades]

You know, I think I realized what really irritates me about American 'reality TV'

Everyone acts like incredibly bad drama actors. Stating the blatantly obvious? Come on now?

Its the law of the average human being being placed in front of a camera, they turn into idiots (this assumes you dont read up on many reality show participants being part of the screen actor's guild)...