I wonder now, how many people out there would like a show that they can watch with young kids, be they theirs or their Grandkids, and not be embarassed?

Contrived or not, we get the sense we are watching everyday people in unusual circumstances, and it’s mezmerizing to see how few are able to adapt and excel.

Ultimately, I suppose, we see ourselves in those circumstances and we can safely compare and compete from the comfort of our home.

On some level, it’s like watching two trains bearing down on one another from opposite directions on the same track. As much as you do not want to see a wreck, it’s almost impossible not to watch.

Watching reality tv is like sitting anywhere and watching people go by…it’s like staring into a campfire. We all do it.

On the other hand, watching the Kate Gosslins of the world is tedious and not gratifying on any level.

Good luck with your project. Use the Mark Burnett model and you’ll have a huge headstart.

In Hell’s Kitchen, they thankfully bleep out the bad words, but the show itself is a real study in the human nature of individuals from a different strata of life. Being a chef is an unusual calling, to say the least. It takes a certain balance of activity that most of us can’t fathom.

The people in reality cooking shows aren’t highly educated, aren’t writers, aren’t singers or public speakers – they were born to prepare and serve cuisine. That interests me! To see their struggles as they journey by blood and gutz into deeper levels of the show (calling for them to stretch like rubber bands) makes me laugh, smile, get mad, gasp…in other words, I’m engaged! Love it!

On the talent shows, especially singing ones, I’m living every second of every performace. I guess that’s what it is…we can live out the roles with the participants, sweat with them, worry with them, fell annoyance or kindness toward them.

In Celebrity Apprentice, my husband and I pause the TV constantly and discuss endlessly the business moves/tactics the contestants made (my husband is a business exec., and my degree – though I am an author – is in business management). So we can project our feelings and think about how we would solve the tasks Mr. Trump presents. Great entertainment and, again, all our emotions/brain cells are in play.

To a lesser degree, we enjoy the Storage Wars, American Pickers and Pawn Stars because it appeals to the little bit of “gambler” in all of us. What will those guys find, see, buy, bid for next? We also learn, amazingly, lots of history on all three of these shows.

We save all these shows on the DVR and watch them when we can…yah! no commercials. I don’t have time for a lot of TV, so when I see these shows, I feel better emotionally and mentally. I “live” the angst, worry, anger, joy and more – and walk away feeling relieved and lighter inside.

That’s why I love (those particular) reality shows. Hope this helps in your research. “Friend” me up in Facebook; I’ll be lookin’ for ya! Jodi Lea Stewart