Black-White Reality TV

You have to hand it to the creators of reality TV shows: There seems to be no limit to their creativity, their ability to imagine unusual, fascinating situations. Now the F/X Network has used the latest Hollywood makeup techniques to create a new series, Black-White, in which a black family and white family change races. In this piece from NPR's Day to Day, Race Reality TV Series Debuts (3/8/06 - 8:55), Madeleine Brand talks to the show's executive producer and two of the show's participants. Here's a link to the show's website.

There's a longer piece, Shades of Gray, from Talk of the Nation (3/7/06 - 40:23).

NPR also has these other features on reality shows: 'Fat Chance': A Plus-Sized Beauty Contest
(8/5/05); 'Dancing with Stars' Gets Off on Right Foot (7/3/05); 'Being Bobby Brown': Surreal Reality TV (6/30/06); The Reality of 'Amish in the City' (7/28/04)

Classroom thoughts

• A tangle of issues specific to the F/X show, Black-White
• What makes a good premise for a reality show? Can you come up with a new one yourself?