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TV is King.
Sep. 27th, 2017 03:24 pmAfter some shenanigans with our cable feed last night - it dropped out just as they were announcing the winner on Forged in Fire - we stayed up to watch the "live" (nothing is live when you live on the West Coast) season finale of Ink Masters - Shop Wars.
It was terrible. First of all, whoever was doing sound needs to be shot. The three judges could barely be heard of the constant screaming audience. Host Dave Navarro had to repeat himself at several points to keep the show moving.
Which brings up the point that it appeared this event had a bar. Which meant half the crowd was sloshed. Which meant it sounded like a typical night in a bad club. I almost turned on the subtitles just so I could see what was going on.
Next problem, they had *all* the defeated contestants on stage, sitting on two sets of risers at stage left and right. Now, these are tattoo artists, not people generally given to the finer points of etiquette to begin with, and the show format is designed to foster bad feelings. So, early on, we were subjected to shouting matches across the stage. Charming. We got sick of these morons yelling at each other weeks ago!
All of which led to a loud rushed show. The three shops in the final, represented by two artists, had done two full back pieces at their own shops, one black and gray, one color, as well as a "live" six-hour tattoo in the studio. Fans voted for the favorite live tattoo, and the winning team went to the top two, and then the black and gray work was judged. The final winner was based on the body of work shown that night.
But the judges had almost no time to work, They had done previews of a spin-off, and the next season, announced that Spike was becoming the Paramount Network, and did everything but examine tattoos. As I said, the whole feel of the event was loud and chaotic. They didn't even have time to spend a minute or two with the winning shop, present them with their check for $200,000, get a reaction, you know, happy winner stuff.
I freely admit that I'm addicted to reality TV. Especially competition shows where talented people are pushed to their limits to perform. This is why we've come to love Forged in Fire. In last night's episode, four blade smiths had to make a good blade out of a chainsaw. Seeing the process of them all using the teeth and bar to make cannister Damascus steel, seeing the problems that can result, and getting an in-depth examination of the blades by experts is fun and educational.
Things like that. Hell's Kitchen is great because it puts chefs under a pressure cooker (NPI) like they've never experienced. Top Chef does the same, but with higher standards and less yelling. Project Runway has taught me a lot about fashion, and how *not* to make a dress. Then there's MasterChef, where home cooks get held to Gordon Ramsay's standards. If you really want to question your life choices, watch the Junior editions of Project Runway or Master Chef. Seeing a 9-year-old kid present a stunning Boeuf Bourguignon when you have just mastered not setting the house on fire with your Foreman Grill really humbles you.
There are a dozen more, many of them on the Food Network. I could spend all day watching people struggling to make that perfect Paella Mixta for the judges. But then I'd eat everything in the house, and that would be bad.
Then there are the "fix it" shows. These are where an expert goes in and rescues a flailing business. The grandfather of these was Kitchen Nightmares, which ran both on the BBC (where it was about food) and on FOX (where it was about screaming.) The formula again is simple. The expert comes in, identifies the issues. Deals with a recalcitrant owner and/or staff, makes radical changes to the services and building, everyone is (usually) happy, roll credits.
Kitchen Nightmares (US) ended after Ramsay realized that people were gaming the show to get free remodels. That's the problem. On another favorite, Bar Rescue, it seems that the drama is played up for the cameras. Still, it's a great lesson in how not to run a bar. We all miss Tabitha Takes on, where a blond Australian Amazon megastylist took over all sorts of businesses and applied tough love that was just shy of a BDSM session.
We watch a mix of scripted and reality TV, plus a lot of sports. I think the key to keeping the interest is don't get too formulaic. Especially if your show does makeovers. Make it clear that changes in the physical plant require changes in the people. For the skill shows, keep throwing curves. Make designers make a dress out of car parts, force chefs to fun a food cart in competition with the other teams. Force them out of their comfort zone and see if they can overcome.
And make sure your finale doesn't suck, OK?
It was terrible. First of all, whoever was doing sound needs to be shot. The three judges could barely be heard of the constant screaming audience. Host Dave Navarro had to repeat himself at several points to keep the show moving.
Which brings up the point that it appeared this event had a bar. Which meant half the crowd was sloshed. Which meant it sounded like a typical night in a bad club. I almost turned on the subtitles just so I could see what was going on.
Next problem, they had *all* the defeated contestants on stage, sitting on two sets of risers at stage left and right. Now, these are tattoo artists, not people generally given to the finer points of etiquette to begin with, and the show format is designed to foster bad feelings. So, early on, we were subjected to shouting matches across the stage. Charming. We got sick of these morons yelling at each other weeks ago!
All of which led to a loud rushed show. The three shops in the final, represented by two artists, had done two full back pieces at their own shops, one black and gray, one color, as well as a "live" six-hour tattoo in the studio. Fans voted for the favorite live tattoo, and the winning team went to the top two, and then the black and gray work was judged. The final winner was based on the body of work shown that night.
But the judges had almost no time to work, They had done previews of a spin-off, and the next season, announced that Spike was becoming the Paramount Network, and did everything but examine tattoos. As I said, the whole feel of the event was loud and chaotic. They didn't even have time to spend a minute or two with the winning shop, present them with their check for $200,000, get a reaction, you know, happy winner stuff.
I freely admit that I'm addicted to reality TV. Especially competition shows where talented people are pushed to their limits to perform. This is why we've come to love Forged in Fire. In last night's episode, four blade smiths had to make a good blade out of a chainsaw. Seeing the process of them all using the teeth and bar to make cannister Damascus steel, seeing the problems that can result, and getting an in-depth examination of the blades by experts is fun and educational.
Things like that. Hell's Kitchen is great because it puts chefs under a pressure cooker (NPI) like they've never experienced. Top Chef does the same, but with higher standards and less yelling. Project Runway has taught me a lot about fashion, and how *not* to make a dress. Then there's MasterChef, where home cooks get held to Gordon Ramsay's standards. If you really want to question your life choices, watch the Junior editions of Project Runway or Master Chef. Seeing a 9-year-old kid present a stunning Boeuf Bourguignon when you have just mastered not setting the house on fire with your Foreman Grill really humbles you.
There are a dozen more, many of them on the Food Network. I could spend all day watching people struggling to make that perfect Paella Mixta for the judges. But then I'd eat everything in the house, and that would be bad.
Then there are the "fix it" shows. These are where an expert goes in and rescues a flailing business. The grandfather of these was Kitchen Nightmares, which ran both on the BBC (where it was about food) and on FOX (where it was about screaming.) The formula again is simple. The expert comes in, identifies the issues. Deals with a recalcitrant owner and/or staff, makes radical changes to the services and building, everyone is (usually) happy, roll credits.
Kitchen Nightmares (US) ended after Ramsay realized that people were gaming the show to get free remodels. That's the problem. On another favorite, Bar Rescue, it seems that the drama is played up for the cameras. Still, it's a great lesson in how not to run a bar. We all miss Tabitha Takes on, where a blond Australian Amazon megastylist took over all sorts of businesses and applied tough love that was just shy of a BDSM session.
We watch a mix of scripted and reality TV, plus a lot of sports. I think the key to keeping the interest is don't get too formulaic. Especially if your show does makeovers. Make it clear that changes in the physical plant require changes in the people. For the skill shows, keep throwing curves. Make designers make a dress out of car parts, force chefs to fun a food cart in competition with the other teams. Force them out of their comfort zone and see if they can overcome.
And make sure your finale doesn't suck, OK?
