The Changing Nature of Audience Participation in Mainstream Entertainment Programming
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MM From Props to Products The Changing Nature of Audience Participation in Mainstream Entertainment Programming Have you ever been a member of a Media audiences of the past are often 1967-1975). As with many quiz and game shows characterised as being passive recipients of of the time, members of the public took part as studio audience, for the recording of a the information and entertainment that was competitors. The true stars of these shows were, radio sketch show, a TV sitcom, Strictly handed down by media institutions. In our however, the presenters. Bob Monkhouse was modern media world, audiences are thought the first presenter of The Golden Shot and was or Buzzcocks? Once upon a time, you to be much more active and media institutions massively popular with contemporary audiences. might have thought that would be actively encourage audience participation. To The original host of BBC’s long-running Saturday the closest you’d get to involvement; some this is an indication of a new, democratised tea-time audience participation show, The state where the power traditionally held by Generation Game (BBC: 1971-2007) was Bruce but in fact audience participation has media institutions is being shared with audiences Forsyth (1971-1977 and 1990-1994), who long been a feature of ‘old media’ who are able to participate in the construction is astonishingly still a household name, as he and development of media texts. currently presents Strictly Come Dancing (BBC: entertainment programming. Steph This view, however, can hide the fact that 2004 onwards). Hendry considers the role of the audience participation is not a new idea. From Both Monkhouse and Forsyth had a the earliest days of television broadcasting (and background in Variety theatre and light audience in TV past and present. even earlier), audience participation has been entertainment. Both were comedians, and a crucial element of mainstream entertainment Forsyth was well known as a song and dance programming. Yet even though it is not a new man whilst Monkhouse had had some success phenomenon, it is clear that the role of the as a film actor. They both had a range of talents; audience and the way they participate has but what made them popular in their primetime changed over the years. shows was their ability to put members of the public at ease and, when necessary, encourage The Audience as ‘Props’ entertaining performances from them. However, Traditional forms such as quiz shows, vox pops the presenters were undoubtedly the stars of in news broadcasting and documentaries which the shows. Although the participation of the follow the normal lives of regular people have audience members was crucial to the success always required audience participation. of both programmes, they were there largely In the 1960s and 70s one of the most popular to allow the presenters to demonstrate their shows on TV was ITV’s The Golden Shot (ATV: wit and to be the foil for jokes and routines. 36 MediaMagazine | February 2012 | english and media centre MM diversion and were put on TV doing their ‘party pieces’ or demonstrating some quirky aspect to their personalities. The presenters of That’s Life could be quite patronising at times when dealing with the public and, as in the game shows of the time, a clear line was drawn between the amateur audience members and the professional presenters and hosts. shows often provide a global insight into funny Whether ‘props’ or ‘curiosities’, the audience pets and YouTube provides a worldwide library members in this show were there simply to be of videos of people falling over. As the number looked at. of available videos is increasing all the time, presumably these shows have enough material The Audience as ‘Content’ to continue broadcasting for many years. More A popular prime time Saturday night show in importantly they will appeal to producers as they the 1980s was Game for a Laugh (LWT: 1981- are exceptionally cheap to produce. 1985) which played extravagant practical jokes on members of the general public. The format of The Audience as ‘Subjects’ this show was based on a U.S. programme called Another popular format in the 1990s was a Candid Camera (which itself was a television development of the documentary format into development from the 1940s radio show Candid the ‘fly on the wall’ series, sometimes called Audience members could participate and take Microphone). ‘docusoap’ due to the integration of soap opera- part in quizzes and games – some even won The joke was watching ordinary people react like narrative conventions within observational prizes; but largely they were there as props for to extreme situations they found themselves ‘documentary’ programmes. Many of these shows the host to work with. in, whilst being secretly filmed. Jeremy Beadle focussed on work environments; amongst the was one of the presenters and he went on to most successful examples of this format are The Audience as ‘Curiosities’ host other massively popular programmes that Driving School (1997) and Airport (1996-2008). Another phenomenally successful programme relied on audience participation, Beadle’s About Both featured break-out characters: Maureen of the 1970s based around audience participation (LWT: 1986-1996) and You’ve Been Framed (ITV: Rees (Driving School), a seemingly hopeless was That’s Life (BBC 1973-1994) presented 1990-1997). Beadle’s About was another hidden- learner driver whose incompetence made great by Esther Rantzen. The programme was a camera/practical joke programme, whilst You’ve TV, and Jeremy Spake from Airport. Jeremy magazine-style blend of songs and humour; but Been Framed was based around home videos was a slightly camp character whose matter-of- its main purpose was to investigate consumer that had been submitted by audience members fact approach to some of the bizarre characters or health and safety issues. The humorous – perhaps an early ‘old media’ precursor of and situations he encountered as part of his job side of the show created ‘celebrities’ of its YouTube. endeared him to the viewers. Jeremy went on to own – most famously a talking dog who could In all these programmes the participating present other light entertainment programmes (apparently) say ‘sausages’ and ‘Esther’ (perhaps audience members provided the content of the and Maureen released a cover of Madness’s pre-empting some of the more successful show. The videos in You’ve Been Framed often ‘Driving in my Car’, and was part of a road safety YouTube memes of recent years...) and an elderly showed people falling over, or pets and children campaign. From audience members participating lady named Annie who was a regular contributor doing odd, funny and cute things. This format is in a TV programme, Maureen and Jeremy went to the programme via a street-based vox pop. still highly successful; YouTube is now another on to become celebrities themselves; they are She would offer an enthusiastic response to source for videos of this type, and the internet early examples of what may now be a common whatever questions the reporters asked her. site has been used to provide content for many expectation. It is now a convention of reality Here the public were presented as a humorous TV clip shows (e.g. Robert’s Web C4: 2010). These television that some participants will find the english and media centre | February 2012 | MediaMagazine 37 MM format provides them with the platform to move other companies involved in the infrastructure participation’ programmes. Contestants who were from being an audience member to being a used to allow the participation. In its most successful in the auditions (like The X Factor) were celebrity. successful years Big Brother was sponsored by taken to boot camp (like The X Factor) and each O2, Talk Talk, Carphone Warehouse and Virgin week they have to complete a specific task (like The Audience as ‘Stars’ Mobile. No coincidence that the sponsors were The Apprentice) which usually culminates in having Contemporary Reality TV can be seen as the telecommunications companies who would benefit a photograph taken (like Next Top Model) which genre that heralded in a new era of audience from the volume of phone calls and texts used is then judged by the expert panel before one participation. Big Brother began on Channel 4 in during the voting process. contestant is rejected and sent home (like Next 2000. Not only did the programme ‘star’ audience Top Model). Signed by Katie Price makes it clear members, but audience members were invited The Audience as ‘Product’ the contestants are ‘managed’ in a way that will along once a week to take part in the Friday night A more recent development in the way audience deliberately create conflict. For example, when eviction programme; and the audience also had participation is being used by media producers is placing contestants in teams, past conflicts and some control over the way the programme would in the way participants are being turned into a problems are openly discussed on camera; and develop through its run by phoning in to evict one product that the institution can sell in some way. contestants who recently had a stand-up row were of the contestants (or housemates). Big Brother In Sky Living’s Signed by Katie Price (2011) the paired up to see ‘how well they can work together’. also drew in the participation of another audience audience participate as contestants. ‘Real’ people The show is at least very open about the fact that as the conflicts and relationships, the scandals and auditioned for the opportunity to go through a the participants can expect to be rewarded if they the tantrums became an integral part of summer process where the winner would be signed to Katie show themselves to be marketable.