Reality TV Experiences: Audiences, Fact, and Fiction

Three aspects of reality television experiences as fact/fiction are explored in this chapter in relation to audience research, using quantitative and qualitative data. First, there is the way various reality formats such as Got Talent and The Voice sell experiences to consumers, audiences, and publics. Second, sense and performance are part of the business of reality television and at the same time part of the way audiences experience these formats. Third, various kinds of reality television structure the actions of real people, for example through the construction of multiple characters, narratives, settings, and interactions. The chapter draws on audience research to explore how and why a fact-fiction mix is a major feature of reality television and its positioning within media culture.