As hard as it might be to believe after almost a decade of reality TV as a prime-time staple, we have without much notice entered a new and harsher realm of the genre in recent weeks.
I have been worrying about where reality TV is headed since early May when NBC announced an airdate for Farrah's Story, Farrah Fawcett's video diary of her battle with cancer. Using Fawcett's own narration and images shot by her and friend Alana Stewart with Fawcett's video recorder, the special that aired May 15th felt so private and personal I wondered at times if I should be watching.
I had a variation of that same uneasy feeling Monday night while viewing the season premiere of the TLC series Jon & Kate Plus 8, a hit reality TV show about a suddenly unhappily married Pennsylvania couple and their eight kids. Watching two angry parents barely able to share a couch as they spoke to the camera, I wondered if this year on Jon & Kate we would see a marriage implode before our eyes.
I have reported on and written about Fawcett for a long time. The first national trend story I did was on her famous poster in 1976. It went coast to coast, and at age 26, I thought I was as famous as her.
Now after hearing her say that she is going to continue to chronicle her struggle, I wonder how far she is going to take it if she doesn't recover. Knowing what I know of her, I suspect she will take it all the way, and that it will be shown on television. She is a creature of the medium. Ryan O'Neal, her partner, said the morning after Farrah's Story aired, the first thing she wanted to know was how it did in the ratings. It did well with 9 million viewers.
We have a Page One story today that Jill Rosen and I wrote about Jon & Kate as pop phenomenon. It includes area viewer reaction to the painful talk about marital problems on Monday's opening episode. It did even better in the ratings: 9.8 million viewers.
But my question is this: If the marriage breaks down and the couple separates or moves into divorce, will you watch? Is this something you want to see. And how did you feel Monday night as you were watching? And, finally, what about Fawcett? Will you watch her next video diary if it airs?
