What are some concepts that would make great television but would push the boundaries too far for what’s considered acceptable? Not just porn of either the sex or violence varieites, but unrestricted graphic realism where the story genuinely called for it.
Climbing For Dollars
I would have reality or game shows with big prizes but the chance of permanent injury or death to the contestants is very real and likely. I always wanted to see a version of Survivor that awards a ton of money to the last few people that literally just survive in some god forsaken place but the rest of them that we get to know so well over the course of the show, don’t. They just waste away, die from dehydration, or get eaten by something else and no one will help them. People go into all of these knowing full well what they are getting into and what can happen so let’s see how far the writers and the contestants will push it if given the chance.
Let’s just say that American Gladiators would be more true to the title.
So would Survivor.
Those ‘Battlebot’ type shows would have much larger manned bots, and injuries to the operators would be accepted.
Foreign governments would televise torturing their prisoners.
I think the world could do with a little LESS graphic violence.
But I wouldn’t mind more realistic bedroom scenes instead of the strategically placed sheets you see now. A little nip slip isn’t going to hurt anyone. I would love to see more realistic same sex couple behavior too.
My first thoughts were along these lines as well. In fact, I’ve been thinking about things like this ever since I read Poul Anderson’s *The Devil’s Game *when I was a kid. The book involves a Survivor-only-real type scenario, and it was written years before the television show. I wouldn’t be surprised if the some of the Survivor people were inspired by this book.
How about secretly televising the home life of an abusive spouse?
Televised executions.
Mythbusters would save a lot of time that they’d normally spend on mixing ballistics gel, I’ll guess that much. :eek:
I’ve sometimes wondered if Battlebots could include a human participant in the arena. Someone with a sledgehammer, maybe some metal shin guards, and their own ability to intelligently dodge hazards and smack robots. Then I realize I’ve simply recreated Ancient Roman gladiatorial games with robots instead of lions and I feel icky. Still, someone could take the idea and make it interesting, challenging and risky for the human, but not a death sentence.
Also, The Long Walk. Only that was a contest instead of a game show, but same basic idea.
{I was wondering if I could do an autologous quote here, I see the answer is ‘yes’}
You could talk to the local police, and get a feel for which couples are most likely headed for a murder, or murder/suicide, and then surreptitiously put cameras in their home, and start recording. Sooner or later, if you do this to enough couples, you’ll get what your looking for, and once the bloodshed occurs, any ‘survivor’ will at that point no longer be a ‘private’ citizen, and you can edit all the tapes leading up to the final confrontation, and have a ratings winner.
Heck, this program concept is probably legal for cable right now, any one want to pitch it to Viacom?
I remember a sci-fi short story that involved a TV with a special feature. It could tune in to “bugged” homes and you could watch what happens. Totally random and the big secret is how the homes are bugged.
The TV contains a camera which only operates when the TV is off.
sharktopus vs megapirana would be on the Discovery Channel instead of Syfy.
Something intelligent.