Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Reality TV, which has enjoyed something of a heyday ever since the breakthrough success of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "Survivor" led to dramatic changes in the prime time television landscape, is now getting the reality treatment itself -- in the form of an upcoming five-part documentary series on NBC's Bravo cable network. "The Reality of Reality," which premieres on Sept. 8, examines the history of reality TV from the earliest days of the medium, as well as the culture of instant celebrity that contemporary reality shows has spawned. It also looks at the willingness of reality producers to use production techniques to create the illusion of reality. Advertisement Richard Herlan, co-executive producer of "World's Wildest Police Videos," concedes that viewers often get a distorted picture of what cameras originally saw. "What you see is real," said Herlan, "but the order in which you see it is not necessarily real. What it means is not necessarily real. And the drama behind it is not necessarily real." Advertisement Jay Renfroe, executive producer of "Blind Date," concedes that actual reality wouldn't be much of an attraction. "We call it assisted reality," said Renfroe. "We have to assist reality. Reality is boring." The documentary uncovers manipulations ranging from relatively minor tweaks to major reshooting of scenes thousands of miles from original locations, all in the interest of serving what everyone involved in reality TV agrees is the form's primary function -- to entertain. Shari Levine, an executive producer on "The Reality of Reality," told United Press International most viewers don't mind that reality shows do not present pure reality, as long as they are entertaining. "I think most American TV viewers are actually pretty savvy," she said. "TV has become such a part of the American experience. We've grown up on it. Shows based on behind-the-scenes of making movies and TV shows have made it into prime time. People get to say, 'Oh, so that's how it's done.'" The documentary cites a CNN-Gallup Poll -- but does not mention when the survey was conducted -- showing that 57 percent of those asked said reality shows presented a distorted version of reality. While 23 percent said the shows are "totally phony" only half as many, 12 percent, said they saw reality shows as "truthful documentaries." Advertisement Levine said younger viewers in particular can distinguish between true reality and the heightened reality of reality TV, drawing on their experience watching such fare such as MTV's "The Real World." The show was designed to be overtly manipulative -- throwing total strangers together on neutral ground to generate personal conflict. "A lot of the viewers ... knew this and accepted that falseness as an acceptable premise for the show," she said. "The Reality of Reality" features interviews with several contestants who gained celebrity from their appearance on reality shows -- including Justin Guarini ("American Idol"), Richard Hatch ("Survivor"), Sarah Kozer ("Joe Millionaire") and Jerri Manthey ("Survivor" and "The Surreal Life"). Dr. Will Kirby, the winner on "Big Brother 2," appears in a segment illustrating the ways in which producers can massage film footage to create pretty much any impression they want. Kirby has formed a partnership with Fox talk show host Rob Nelson. The sequence shows the two pitching a series idea to network executives, with the meeting edited two different ways -- one showing the meeting going well, the other showing the idea falling flat. In an interview with UPI, Kirby said an appeal of reality TV is its ability to highlight the competitive nature of life. Advertisement "We could be talking about sports," he said. "You can turn anything into a competition." However, Kirby conceded a fundamental difference between sports and reality shows. Legitimate sports leagues thrive on public confidence that competitive events are genuine, and not subject to manipulation. "We're not completely legit," he admitted. "It's manipulated. It's sort of a game where people can cheat -- one of the few sports where you're allowed to cheat." In "The Reality of Reality," the point is frequently made that producers often must answer to charges that they deceive not only audiences but, on occasion, contestants as well. A couple who appeared on "Temptation Island" -- a show that tested the fidelity of "committed couples" -- accused Fox in a lawsuit of dumping them from the show for allegedly concealing the fact that they had a child. The suit claimed producers knew about the child all along, and used the knowledge to disqualify the couple in a dramatic way to boost ratings. Fox denied the allegation and the suit went nowhere. A contestant on "Survivor" accused producers of interfering to get her voted off the island. CBS responded with a suit accusing the contestant of breaching a confidentiality agreement. Advertisement Paige Jones, a contestant on the dating game show "For Love or Money," told UPI the experience changed her life for the better, even though producers "really get inside your head" during interviews intended to goad contestants into speaking freely about each other. "When I got back into society, I felt so weird for two weeks because I was so used to saying what I really feel, and people are so guarded," she said. "I am so open now, and I can't imagine being any other way. I am more confident. I feel like I can do anything." Jones also experienced the dark side of celebrity when word of DUI arrests in her past spread across the Internet. "I just told myself I'm not going to have any secrets anymore," said Jones. Although Jones said "For Love or Money" was edited with "integrity," she said other reality show contestants have told her their experience was distorted during the editing process. The documentary revives the public relations controversy surrounding "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett's admission that he used body doubles in one episode. The series also has new details about an incident involving "Manhunt," in which a group of strongmen chased contestants on an exotic island with paintball guns. Advertisement Producers were caught reshooting sequences in a Los Angeles park with potted palm trees in the background. One contestant sued, charging producers with intentionally defrauding audiences. The suit contained echoes of the quiz show scandals from the 1950s, which led to federal legislation outlawing fixed game shows. According to the documentary, the producers of "Manhunt" escaped prosecution because federal law applied only to games involving "intellectual knowledge or skill." Fenton Bailey, one of the producers of "The Reality of Reality," told UPI he was not shocked at what he uncovered in his research on the project. "We work in television, so it's hard to be shocked and dismayed as veterans of the medium," he said.
