I thought that I would mention the return of television's biggest cryfest, The Biggest Loser. I've waxed poetic on the blog before about how this show is really the best that reality, or television in general, has to offer. So, what happens to a good reality show once it become popular?
Well, the first thing is the mass ordering of more episodes. The producers of Biggest Loser have done this before with filler outings of Biggest Loser:Families (one episode jaunts that featured the weight loss exploits of just one family at home) proved both inadequate in content and ratings. Instead, the producers tried pushing more and more actual seasons into the year.
The problem with this formula is that the audience gets burned out on the schtick. Reality programming especially has a particularly formulaic editing process. Training, conflict, diet tip, training, personal conflict, overcoming-adversity-story, worried contestants, last chance workout, weigh-in, discussion, voting. I still cry everytime but it's all getting a little...scheduled.
They're certainly trying to make this season different in some ways. They've brought back fan-favorite from last season Daniel--the former largest contestant ever--and he's just genuine enough for his tips and guardian like behavior not to be annoying. Bob and Gillian are training together for the first time and it's fun to see the competition more about personal weight loss than it is about mob team mentality. And the saddest contestant story ever, a woman whose two children and husband were killed in a car crash, makes me want someone to win perhaps harder than I ever have.
So far, the forula seems to be working. Other reality programs have done it before. The Amazing Race and Survivor are both in their teens and twenties, and they're still pumping out quality, fresh product. Biggest Loser could, however, benefit from a little CBS storyline/editing to keep the old standby from getting stale.
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