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Controversial TV genre may finally be dying out as producers across US say number of available jobs has slumped
Reality TV may be on the decline as producers across the US say the number of available jobs have dwindled.
The 2007-2008 writers' strike catapulted reality TV into the spotlight. With scripted production halted, networks turned to cheaper, faster unscripted formats to fill airtime.
Shows like Say Yes To The Dress and Keeping Up with the Kardashians and dominated, ushering in a new era of television.
But the 2023 writers' strike painted a different picture. Celeste Diamos, a TV editor who has worked on 'House Hunters,' 'Property Brothers' and 'The D'Amelio Show,' told the LA Times she 'thought because of the strikes there might be an uptick in reality TV because most of my jobs haven't been union,' but 'in fact, it was the opposite.'
While reality TV was once seen as a safe haven during industry disruptions, production plummeted by 57 percent in Los Angeles between April and June compared to the previous year, according to FilmLA.
Reality TV may finally be on the decline as producers across the US say the number of available jobs have dwindled
Molly Shock, a renowned editor, there was an unprecedented demand for editors in the television industry before the 2023 writers strike. However, this period of high demand created a false sense of security among editors
This dramatic decline is part of a broader industry shift in media affecting all forms of production not just unscripted content.
While other forms of production have bottomed out at around 15 percent below of what FilmLA considered the normal about of production activity and available work.
'Reality TV has taken a pretty substantial hit,' said Paul Audley, president of FilmLA, told the LA Times.
'People have asked us ... 'Are we losing it to Georgia?' or 'Are we losing it to New York?' he added. 'Well, they're all screaming the same thing. They're all seeing a loss of production. It's global. It is national, and it is also local.'
For a while, Reality TV was safe. The genre thrived during the pandemic and subsequent writers' strike. With fewer restrictions on production compared to scripted content, unscripted shows quickly rebounded after lockdowns and were largely unaffected by labor disputes.
This period of growth created a false sense of stability for the genre. However, the current industry-wide cost-cutting measures have now impacted reality TV as severely as other forms of production.
Studios are slashing budgets, production companies are seeking cheaper locations, and the shrinking cable market has reduced demand for new reality shows.
With many post-production jobs moving overseas, competition for remaining positions is fierce.
While reality TV was once seen as a safe haven during industry disruptions, production plummeted by 57 percent in Los Angeles between April and June compared to the previous year, according to FilmLA
The 2007-2008 writers' strike catapulted reality TV into the spotlight. With scripted production halted, networks turned to cheaper, faster unscripted formats to fill airtime. Shows like Say Yes To The Dress and Keeping Up with the Kardashians and dominated, ushering in a new era of television
Editors, a crucial part of the reality TV workforce, have been particularly hard-hit.
Molly Shock, an editor whose résumé includes 'Project Runway,' 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' and 'MasterChef USA' said there was an unprecedented demand for editors in the television industry before the strike.
'In 2022, you could not find an editor in this town' because the demand for workers in the field was so high,' she said.
'That flood of work created some false expectations of people thinking, 'Oh, streaming is great. We're gonna have all this work all the time,' not really seeing it as a bubble that was going to ultimately burst.'
Omega Hsu, an editor with credits including 'Rescue 911' and 'The Voice,' attributes the decline of reality TV to the shrinking cable market.
The rise of streaming services, which prioritize existing content over new reality shows, combined with industry consolidation and fewer cable channels, has led to a significant decrease in production.
Omega Hsu, an editor with credits including 'Rescue 911' and 'The Voice,' attributes the decline of reality TV to the shrinking cable market
'There's just not enough money in it, so there's a big consolidation,' said Hsu. 'I don't think that it's coming back. I think it's just gonna get worse from here.'
Although the once-thriving world of unscripted television is facing an uncertain future, Hsu said she is lucky to have a steady editor job at a major network, but she has friends with Emmys who are out of work.
'I feel relatively safe for the next three to five years, but I don't know,' Hsu said. 'The landscape is going to change a lot.'