Where Fact Meets Fiction: Scripted vs. Reality Shows

Ever since the sexy teens of Fox’s The O.C. were reborn in reality form on MTV’s Laguna Beach, producers searching for the next great reality show have turned to scripted terrain.

Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County, mining the same thematic territory as ABC’s Desperate Housewives, quickly became a hit and ignited multiple spinoffs.

On truTV, the lifeguards of Ocean Force stirred memories of the hugely popular syndicated drama Baywatch. And reality giant Mark Burnett, creator–executive producer of Survivor and The Apprentice, is developing a competition show based on Fantasy Island, the ABC series that made Mr. Roarke a household name.

“We are taking inspiration from scripted series because they often focus on the next counterculture group or parts of the population that haven’t been explored,” says Kathleen French, a partner in Evolution Media and an executive producer of Real Housewives.

“But reality or scripted," she continues, "a good story is a good story. It’s always about looking under the surface of interesting characters going on a journey or inhabiting a specific world.”

Matt O’Brien, a lawyer turned reality producer and a fan of Gossip Girl, believed that the antics of privileged teens in Manhattan — as seen in the CW drama — had the makings of a great reality show. He and Liz Alderman share credit for the original concept of NYC Prep and were supervising producers of the Bravo series, which followed students from top prep schools on the Upper East Side.

“While there are core themes that run in both shows, in reality TV we don’t know where our stories will take us,” says O’Brien, who attended Stuyvesant High School, one of the schools featured on the show. “This atmosphere lets viewers into the lives of characters in a deeper and more spontaneous way.”

Veteran writer-producer Ilene Chaiken is taking the process a step further: she’s making the leap from her own scripted series to a reality version of the same show. A creator and executive producer of Showtime’s The L Word, which ran from 2003 to 2009, she is now working on The Real L Word, which is expected to launch on the cable network this summer.

“When The L Word ended, I received so much feedback from fans who wanted more,” she says, “and, really, the show could have gone on and on. Doing the reality show is a logical continuation of the storytelling and a fresh way to circle back to it seamlessly without taking a year off.”

Chaiken is upbeat about the franchise, which follows the lives of lesbians. “There’s nothing else on television that tells these stories and continues to shatter stereotypes. We can delve into issues that we could only scratch the surface on in the scripted show.”

The Real L Word is produced by Magical Elves, the company behind reality hits Project Runway and Top Chef.

“Both [those shows] were pretty original in their time, but it’s much harder to find that new show that will draw an audience,” says Dan Cutforth, who cofounded the firm with Jane Lipsitz. “The market is saturated, and to get noticed it can be important to hitch your wagon to something that’s already successful. Sometimes that’s a scripted drama or comedy.”

The line between scripted and reality programming will continue to blur, Cutforth believes, as audiences have reached a comfort level with the two genres — and with shows that display characteristics of each.

“Modern Family, Arrested Development and The Bernie Mac Show have all used the conventions of reality storytelling,” he points outs, “and MTV’s The Hills and Laguna Beach, with amateur actors, had the production values of a scripted show and were very well done.

There are all kinds of ways to tell a story, and going forward I think we’ll see more hybrid shows.” •