I watched most of an episode of “20/20” last night about reality tv (the reality tv phenomenon fascinates me), and I feel like I just watched a 44 minute infomercial, advertising the reality tv shows that ABC broadcasts. I thought “20/20” was a news show; I expected a story here, with a thesis that would be investigated and supported with actual journalism (hopefully with some controversial ideas thrown in). Am I just out to lunch about what the show “20/20” is about? I love watching current documentaries at CBC’s “Doc Zone” where they actually do the things I expected from “20/20” - what’s going on here?
I agree completely. 20/20 seems like crap. My wife and I have been really into documentaries and “news” TV programs lately (W5 and The Fifth Estate, mostly). The other night we watched a 20/20 to see an American version of these types of shows. I don’t know if it was the same spisode, but at least half of the program seemed to be an ad for reality TV programs. Even the first segment, about a soldier who had a bomb stuck inside his body that had not exploded, seemed really poorly done. The interviewer asked inane questions, the whole context of the segment seemed exploitative and maudlin. By the time we got to the reality TV segment, we looked at each other and said “This is sure no Fifth Estate, is it!”. Have you tried similar American shows like Dateline or 60 Minutes? We were wondering if those were worth a watch - if they’re anything like 20/20, though, we’ll pass.
20/20 was at its peak for good reporting about 15 years ago. Since then it’s been eclipsed by 48 Hours, Dateline and a bevy of cable channels that specialize in these kinds of newsmagazines.
I actually had no idea it was still on until I stumbled across it channel surfing a few months ago.
Yeah, back in the day they were actually a pretty good news show in the vein of 60 Minutes. They were perhaps a little more salacious (“Restaurants workers caught doing disgusting things on camera!” was one episode I remember from the early '90s), but their journalism standards were solid, and it was considered one of the network’s marquee properties.
Sad to hear they’ve gone so far downhill.
I’m not a regular viewer, but don’t 48 Hours and Dateline focus on crime nowadays? Seems like every time I click past them, they’re rehashing a domestic murder.
I did catch the 20/20 on reality TV and thought it was interesting. It explained the attraction. Their thesis is that reality TV has replaced scripted soap opera, and we watch so we can feel superior. 
And I learned something. I didn’t know that reality TV stars are paid for public appearances like red carpets for award shows. All they have to do is show up and they get paid. (Snookie and The Situation are making millions.)
20/20 has sucked since John Stossel stopped being a occasional contributor and more of a main guy. Wasn’t Hugh Downs doing this with Barbara Walters at one time? Now it’s another commercial prop.
60 Minutes is the only real news magazine of note on terrestrial TV in the US.
Yes, of all the newsreel shows only 60 Minutes delivers what it promises. As for that 48 Hours, they are just blatantly lying! 
I haven’t watched them recently (if at all), so I can’t comment. My husband’s comment on the difference between a show like 20/20 and CBC’s “The Doc Zone” is that CBC is publicly funded - they don’t have to pander to ratings, and can therefore focus more on the actual story they’re presenting. I’ve been a vocal critic of CBC in the past, but they do make a good news story.
As for the thesis of the 20/20 Reality TV show, it was so subtle that I completely missed it - that doesn’t get them talking around the water cooler.
Has 20/20 gotten worse? Is that possible? Back in the '80s it was frequently just the mouthpiece for Satanic Panic true believers. The piece they did on role playing games, for example, was just short of a Chick tract.
So 20/20’s always been not really a news story show? I didn’t know that - I won’t waste any more time on it.
If it’s not on The Colbert Report and or The Daily Show, it’s not news and not worth knowing about.
I think 20/20 is just entertainment and ABC promos for their other shows. Do they promote it as news?
It sounds like what you want is Frontline, a news show on American Public Television that examines one issue per episode and is frequently excellent.
Though 60 minutes is pretty good to.
Shows like 20/20, 48 hrs (not the one with Nick Nolte), and Dateline are utter crap. Dateline is the king of these crap purveyors. Not only did they bring us the “To Catch a Predator” series, but they will straight up just fake the news sometimes. Back in the '90s, they did a story on how GM trucks may explode on impact. They recreated the conditions and, sure enough, the thing went up in flames. However, GM disputed this and it later came out that Dateline had rigged the whole test, even going so far as to plant explosive miniature rockets under the truck. And the funniest thing about that scandal was that the story hinged on the trucks gas tank rupturing. Even after the mechanical tinkering and freaking planting a bomb on it by Dateline, subsequent examination revealed that the tested trucks gas tank didn’t even rupture. The rockets just made it look like it did.