Compiled and written by Nicole Fries, Ayesha Khan, and Erinna Mettler with David Sharp
Challenging soaps for ratings, and perhaps not tightly defined, programmes about real people - sometimes in unreal situations - seem to be turning us into a nation of voyeurs. Programmes such as Driving School and The Cruise have made "stars" out of some participants, or at the very least led them to the redtop newspapers and hence to wider attention. With roots in observational or fly-on-the-wall documentary, the focus is on the personal and the intimate, but with a bottom line that entertainment must rule. Think Castaway, think Big Brother, but above all use our guide to help you think for yourselves.
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