Lurkers are such losers

[Debra]

but if people are being asked to phone it, at cost, for something that has been fixed in advance -and the finalists at least, are selected before the live programmes take place- then it is borderline criminality. There was a scandal with the BBC or ITV as a result of which one programme either ended or stopped taking calls, can't remember which one.

The call in votes are taken but changed if necessary to fit the script. If the scripted winner got more votes, then no need to fix anything. But it the scripted winner got less votes, then they add enough votes to their winner to make it look legit. It is all part of the gimmick to get viewers to see their ads. The call in voting is to make the viewer feel more important to their favorite show, so they can believe that they had a part in the show. But call-ins mean nothing.

As far as borderline criminality goes, they studio and it's entire production staff is covered. They never tell you that the show is 100% real and not scripted. And when confronted about it's realism, the studios never really say it is or it isn't. They sidestep the question like politicians. They don't actually tell the truth, but they don't actually lie either.

Television is a big money making business, and that is their first priority. The CASH!

[Debra]

It was a tacky ITV gameshow. I doubt the BBC would do something like that.

I'd just like to point out that there is a difference between a show being formulaic and scripted.

Shows like X Factor (in the UK at least) follow a very strict formula, but they are not scripted. In fact it would be counter-intuitive for those talent shows to defy audience votes because the whole point of them is to rapidly market and publicise new acts based on what the public want to spend their money on.

This does not mean they won't plant certain people in the audition process - it has often come to pass that a few favourites have had prior industry connections to Simon Cowell, or that they will not create controversy with their opinions and who they save etc... (ie the formula for the show).

X Factor has been successful for a long time in Britain before you guys got it, and they have that formula down to a T.

There was a big American movie many years ago called, "QUIZ SHOW". It was the true account of a scandal concerning a real game show called, "THE $64,000 QUESTION". The show aired back in the 1950's on American network TV. One of the contestants was very popular with viewers and gave the show big rating to see if he ever got to win the $64,000. It was later found that he was given the answers to every question so he would keep coming back every week to compete. Much the same as they do today on all game shows. But back then, the network claimed the show was real and the contestants won or lost based on their knowledge. Today they don't make those claims, so they are clear of fraud charges.

[Silcc69]

The call in votes are taken but changed if necessary to fit the script. If the scripted winner got more votes, then no need to fix anything. But it the scripted winner got less votes, then they add enough votes to their winner to make it look legit. It is all part of the gimmick to get viewers to see their ads. The call in voting is to make the viewer feel more important to their favorite show, so they can believe that they had a part in the show. But call-ins mean nothing.

As far as borderline criminality goes, they studio and it's entire production staff is covered. They never tell you that the show is 100% real and not scripted. And when confronted about it's realism, the studios never really say it is or it isn't. They sidestep the question like politicians. They don't actually tell the truth, but they don't actually lie either.

Television is a big money making business, and that is their first priority. The CASH!

So while I really don't pay attention to this shit to much I do remember Bristol Palin getting hella votes on Dancing with the Stars so how did that work out?

[Debra]

So while I really don't pay attention to this shit to much I do remember Bristol Palin getting hella votes on Dancing with the Stars so how did that work out?

It may have been an actual true count of the votes. It was claimed that thousands of her friends kept calling over and over hundreds of time to stack the vote in her favor.

Or because she was a Palin and got the show lots of attention, the show faked the numbers on purpose for ratings. Reality TV is all bull shit.

[robertlouis]

The voting cheats are a side issue.

Reality TV is all utter Shite!!!

[Paladin]

It may have been an actual true count of the votes. It was claimed that thousands of her friends kept calling over and over hundreds of time to stack the vote in her favor.

Or because she was a Palin and got the show lots of attention, the show faked the numbers on purpose for ratings. Reality TV is all bull shit.

That's why i call it UNreality TV and i don't waste any time watching any of it.

[loveboof]

There was a big American movie many years ago called, "QUIZ SHOW". It was the true account of a scandal concerning a real game show called, "THE $64,000 QUESTION". The show aired back in the 1950's on American network TV. One of the contestants was very popular with viewers and gave the show big rating to see if he ever got to win the $64,000. It was later found that he was given the answers to every question so he would keep coming back every week to compete. Much the same as they do today on all game shows. But back then, the network claimed the show was real and the contestants won or lost based on their knowledge. Today they don't make those claims, so they are clear of fraud charges.

Well I don't doubt that tv producers are still more than comfortable fixing results if they feel it will be beneficial. The only problem with these kind of phone voting shows is that because of the many millions of calls received, usually an independent telecoms company is hired to process the votes (and money). This is how ITV was caught out not so long ago, and I can't imagine it would work too differently in America.

Also, like I said before - the whole point of these shows is to fast track an 'artist' to success by allowing the audience to voice their preference. The actual content is obviously scripted to some degree in so far as it follows a tight knit formula.

[Debra]

Well I don't doubt that tv producers are still more than comfortable fixing results if they feel it will be beneficial. The only problem with these kind of phone voting shows is that because of the many millions of calls received, usually an independent telecoms company is hired to process the votes (and money). This is how ITV was caught out not so long ago, and I can't imagine it would work too differently in America.

Also, like I said before - the whole point of these shows is to fast track an 'artist' to success by allowing the audience to voice their preference. The actual content is obviously scripted to some degree in so far as it follows a tight knit formula.

Who do you think those telecoms companies are working for? In America, everyone has their price and signs contracts to get it.

The 2009 American Idol show had 4 contestants that already had recording contracts before they did the show. The audiences show their preferences by applause. The show is just to get their performers public air time to be seen.

[loveboof]

Yeah, the contestants are often planted in the audition process. Sometimes these people just want to sing and perform and apply for the show despite some previous measure of success in the industry tho.

Leona Lewis had apparently been in talks with Syco or Simco (I forget which) well before she was on X factor.

In the UK the voting is definitely legit - I don't know about America; you guys could be more corrupt lol...

[Debra]

Yeah, the contestants are often planted in the audition process. Sometimes these people just want to sing and perform and apply for the show despite some previous measure of success in the industry tho.

Leona Lewis had apparently been in talks with Syco or Simco (I forget which) well before she was on X factor.

In the UK the voting is definitely legit - I don't know about America; you guys could be more corrupt lol...

It's all run by Simon Cowel. How corrupt can you get. If the UK studios don't fake the numbers, you can bet they pad them by making thousands of calls for their own contestant.