Constructed Reality TV is all the rage these days. From Liverpool to Newcastle down to Chelsea via Essex, one can hardly move for fear of coming across the sheer arrogance of Spencer Matthews or the stupidity of Joey Essex (yes, that is his actual name). However, amid all these shows, there are two fighting for supremacy…E4’s Made in Chelsea, which follows the lives of a gaggle of posh toffs and ITV2’s The Only Way is Essex, which follows the lives of a group of orange kids…and Nanny Pat.
TOWIE is the older of the two shows, now in its 5th series with MiC in the middle of its 3rd run.
Both have given their respective channels something to smile about and both have their staunch supporters who tune in every week to see what their favourite ‘characters’ are getting up to. TOWIE even took home a BAFTA last year when it was voted by the viewers as the Audience Favourite, a result much maligned in the industry. At this year’s BAFTAS, Made in Chelsea has gone one better and been nominated by the panel for new award, Best Reality and Constructed Factual. Does it deserve it? On some level, yes.
I’m a self-confessed MiC fan and while I don’t watch it anymore, have watched an early series of TOWIE before tiring of the all too obvious falseness. MiC’s cast seem to be better actors than those over in Essex and as a result, it seems more real, gripping and forces you into forming an opinion. Two weeks ago on MiC, Louise began dating Jamie (who we love), but she has history with Spencer (who we hate) and it was left until the following week to find out whether she would cheat or not (she did). Never has a week gone so slowly, I kid you not! I can honestly say that in the time I watched TOWIE, I never cared what happened to anyone in the show, not even the allegedly ‘lovable’ Joey Essex, whose stupidity just made me angry. I’ll leave a kind word for the fabulous Gemma Collins, though…
So there we have it, the cream of the Constructed Reality crop has been destructed but which are you? Team TOWIE or Team Chelsea? Or heaven forbid, are you one of those boring folk who hates Reality TV? If so, get back to the latest Maeve Binchy and let us cool kids keep living the dream!
This article has also been published on Scott’s own website, which you can view by clicking here.
