When MTV launched “The Real World,” the ground it broke became a sinkhole sucking American TV into a glut of reality shows and programming designed for passive absorption over active engagement.
Let’s establish one point now to help you decide if you want to read any further. I have never seen a single reality show. “The Real World,” “Survivor,” and “American Idol” hold zero appeal to me. If you enjoy those shows, then we disagree and the rest of this will probably just hack you off.
Honey Boo Boo Child? Seriously?!
While a few gems lurk in the muck of American television–House MD (RIP), Fringe, and Touch immediately come to mind–the BBC has been cranking out cerebral hits for decades. I thank Netflix for opening me up to a whole new world of smart television programming with shows including “Dr. Who,” “Eleventh Hour,” and “Sherlock.” These shows push my intellect and entertaining with interesting, complex plots that make me think.
From my humid perch here in the Southeast U.S., I cannot claim to watch a steady stream of British broadcasting. Lacking that research, I can’t claim that producers across the Atlantic have been able to resist the siren call of reality TV. That would be unrealistic. I can say I enjoy the challenging BBC shows I choose to watch.