Really, we like to watch

I remember years ago watching with my parents a television show called The 1900 House. Created in 1999, The 1900 House was a fairly early example of reality television, which documented the experiences of an ordinary British family as they lived in the style of the late Victorians for three months.

My memories of the show are patchy, but I clearly recall some of the family's struggles, such as the lack of shampoo, and the time the coal range burned the dessert.

Though such pressures doubtless caused much stress, The 1900 House focused more on its subjects' individual challenges than on interpersonal conflict, and all was presented to the viewer in dignified fashion by the neutral voiced, respectable-sounding narrator.

How reality TV has evolved. Today's film-subjects-in-a-house type reality shows largely consist of throwing several strangers in a house together (somewhere hot so no-one needs to wear very much) and provoking them to do as much sex and fighting as possible.

Humans love sex and fighting, which is why such shows are so successful and numerous.

Yet despite the huge appeal of these shows, many viewers are embarrassed to admit watching them. We know we are slightly worse people for watching them, but, so help us, they're mesmerising.

This paradox is why Sky TV's Neon streaming service has a category of shows titled ``Secret Shame''.

A new addition to this category is the fourth season of MTV's Ex on the Beach. The premise is simple: eight British subjects holiday together in a fancy house by a beach. One by one, ex-lovers of the original cast join them in the house. Drama ensues.

Arrivals and other dramatic twists are heralded by the appearance of the Tablet of Terror, an electronic tablet which apparently materialises from nowhere bearing instructions. Cast member Joe explains the Tablet (and really the whole show, more or less) thus: ``You look at that red little [expletive] and think, my pants are getting pulled down. Metaphorically. And sometimes physically.''

As with most ``reality'' TV, considerable suspension of disbelief is required. I especially enjoy the way the exes supposedly arrive on the beach by emerging out of the actual water, accompanied by scary music, like Jaws. How they got there in the first place is not explained, nor are the exact mechanics of their sudden reveal to the other cast members, but it really doesn't do to think too hard about it.

With its horror movie soundtrack and frequent gleeful exhortations to ``EXpect the unEXpected!'', Ex on the Beach promises a spectacular trainwreck of human interactions, and it delivers. A secret shame it may be, but with four seasons available on Neon (and another two in existence), I'd guess a lot of people have the same secret.


 

Comments

'1900 House' hits Ferrymead.

What do you think? Will our pioneering man chop firewood before getting a chimley?

Will pioneering woman rustle up some nice damper?

Will English children refrain from shouting 'So's your old man!' at the first inhabitants of the Province?