"Shattered": a good idea dies for a long time.

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Fri, 2004-01-09 16:59

Is anyone else watching, or trying to watch, "Shattered"? I thought I would enjoy it, because, being a saddo, I usually like Reality Shows - and this one promised to have some interesting scientific facts and experiments thrown in.

But there's so much wrong with it. In the first place, it's on late at night, and every time I try to watch it, I quickly become tired and want to go to bed, the inevitable result of watching a bunch of tired people yawning. Bizarre: a programme, based on showing a group of people at their dullest and worst, that employs suggestive techniques for putting you to sleep.

The format is that the one who stays awake the longest is the winner. But that's risky for the programmers, because what if the contest was all over in four days? So, in order to stretch the programme out, they've been allowing the contestants to have ninety-minute stretches of sleep. Which, I would have thought, skunks the whole premise.

Yesterday, for example, one of the contestants was so tired that he was staggering about like a drunk. "What's the solution to this?" the presenter said. "Simple," answered the sleep expert. "Sleep." So the contestant was given ninety minutes sleep. Eh? And the others weren't. How can that be just? Sure enough, in the elimination competition the lad who'd had the ninety-minute kip survived by a single point in a word game, beating a lad who hadn't had any extra sleep. Patently unfair.

And they have these elimination competitions, which depend, as far as I can see, as much on previous knowledge as on ability to survive lack of sleep. So the other night we were treated to the sight of a psychiatrist beating a tanning operator, of all things, in a complex test of mental agility and general knowledge.

My favourite to win is this awesome girl called Claire ("The terminator") who hasn't even looked tired yet, unbelievably. But it strikes me that if you are one of those people who don't need much sleep in the first place then you have a much better chance of winning the hundred-grand prize for going without sleep. I wonder if Claire's been properly researched on that score.

Still, I'm glad I watched it. Plenty for a writer to observe and learn from. One guy's persistent efforts to be the alpha male of the group, for example.

Sat, 2004-01-10 16:44

Agree with Bes - you can tell the original concept was to watch as the contestants dropped to the deck, one by one. But that wouldn't have got past the bores upstairs, so they had to dilute the idea completely: notice, it is presumed that the contestants will not flake out completely until the end. They are working on the basis that any "illegal" sleep will be minor, 15-20 seconds or so. It's interesting though : we assume that human beings need eight hours a night. Far from it, human beings are designed to go days without sleep, needing a couple of hours here and there. Ask any of your caveman ancestors. We just pamper ourselves these days. If you can free your brain from those years of conditioning, you'll have a good chance - as it is with "The Terminator". I'd have been a really good candidate on this program, I'd have apllied if I'd known about it. Two hours a night? That's for pussies!

Sat, 2004-01-10 16:49

Liana

I heard that once - that humans initially only slept as they were nestling away in dark places hiding from predators. Not sure how true that is mind you. I only sleep about 4 hours a night, thats enough for me. Then every two or three weeks, i will sleep for a mammoth 10 hours, which would indicate that my body needs a significant amount more. Which I dont appear to be able to do, and often get irritated about. Sorry Bes, I cant agree that watching people feeling sleepy, counting peas, hugging cuddly toys and talking about "wot a right laff" the ejected contestant was, is prime entertainment...

Sat, 2004-01-10 18:23

d.beswetherick

That's what I was trying to say. The premise, before adulteration, was promising. I'd have been more interested in it (to learn something useful from a writer's point of view - characters are sometimes sleep-deprived) as a scientific study); as a game show it's a disaster. A gameshow needs lively, alert people and interesting games, surely. It's an oddity, though. I doubt there'll be a "Shattered 2".

Sat, 2004-01-10 18:24

d.beswetherick

God, what ar*se punctuation.

Tue, 2004-01-13 17:08

hovis

I was kinda interested as I sleep a hell of a lot - need at least 8 hrs - best scenario is 10 - weekends 14. Kind friends say it's because I'm a very relaxed person but my family call me a lazy bustard. Anyway in the end I felt I couldn't physically watch someone go without sleep as it would be like watching my worst fear or phobia being reenacted and I also thought it would be toooo predictable - we know it makes you go crazee - hallucinate etc - its been a torture method for years - so anyway I didnt watch it.

Fri, 2004-01-09 17:11

Mark Brown

Thank you! Thank You! Thank you! Someone else who watches reality tv because they are interested in watching how people behave and how they respond to each other. I thought it was just me. I thought they were going to let people stay awake until they got to the out of body experience stage. I've not really had a chance to watch it properly, but I was hoping for some prize bits of whacked out conversation, where an idea suddenly is taken up and becomes more real to the individuals in the conversation than anything in history of the world ever. The best reality show I have ever seen in terms of revealing behaviour was the one on the BBC that was a replication of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Which I'll explain when I've got a minute, if anyone's interested.

Mon, 2004-01-12 12:24

ely whitley

I supoose it's understandable that if they schedule a programme to run for a week and plan around that but have a situation that could result in everyone failing by day three then they have to come up with a way of ensuring they stay the distance and leave by elimination (although one girl just dropped out on day three and they still had an elimination. I've been very busy this wekend, who won?

Fri, 2004-01-09 20:14

1legspider

I wonder if reality shows will one day render soaps irrelevant... I much prefer reality shows but wish sometimes that they would select more 'interesting' characters... those that can string a few sentences together without grunting in between for instance.. I think 'Servants & Masters' made for some pretty eye-opening television. IMO, there is a lot of learning/entertainment to be had from these types of shows.

Fri, 2004-01-09 20:25

#10

d.beswetherick

Some people might say, why watch reality shows to learn about behaviour when you can simply observe life? Well, because in real life you only get to see snatches of people's behaviour; either that, or you're part of the interactions yourself, which restricts your objectivity. I mean, you can't just sit there and watch people. For me, reality shows often elucidate the processes of people's behaviour. For example, Big Brother showed the microscopic ambushes by which Kate inched her way into Spencer's confidence, boxing with him, asking to do his hair, wheedling snippets of praise out of him. In "Shattered" I've noticed the way a not very bright alpha male type can impose his will, against all the odds, on a group of people mostly more intelligent and subtle than him - exactly the way the likes of Napoleon and Mussolini got ahead. The last Big Brother taught me a lot about the intuitive, supporting way women talk to each other when there are no men around. For example: Nush: I totally feel like my nose is dirty all the time. Steph: I know. I just want to... Nush: Have a good time. Steph: It's because it's nominations Nush: As well. I don't think men talk like that. In "The Games" I was fascinated by James Hewitt, because the toff ladies' man isn't a character I've come across in real life. There was this moment when he was sitting in the men's bedroom with Harvey of So Solid Crew and he saw Miss World, a beautiful girl called Azra, loitering by the door. Hewitt's combination of opportunism and manipulative charm was breathtaking. Hewitt: Come in, Azra, come in. (Whispers to Harvey) She's coming in. Ding dong! AZRA COMES IN. Hewitt: Sit here. Sit on my bed. AZRA SITS ON HIS BED. (YES, SHE SITS ON THE BED OF A FIFTY YEAR-OLD GUY EVEN THOUGH A HANDSOME RAP STAR OF HER OWN AGE IS ON THE NEXT BED.) SHE EXTENDs HER LEG ALONG THE BED. Hewitt: You've got long legs. Can you put them behind your head? AZRA TRIES. Woe. In about half a minute he's managed to get Miss World sitting on his bed, putting her legs behind her head. It's easier to analyse these things on telly than in real life, where it's not fully clear how they're done. d.beswetherick.

Fri, 2004-01-09 20:50

#11

1legspider

F.uck.. Bes.... its weird to think some of us here on ABC are going to end up as characters in your stories.

Fri, 2004-01-09 21:42

#12

justyn_thyme

I admit to watching The Osbournes from time to time, mostly because there's so little English language TV here, but it's acutally quite well done, the editting....it's just the right annoyance level..

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