Adaptations of Reality Television Programmes: “The Big Brother Africa” Reality Show

Abstract

From the 1990s, social and economic changes in the form of privatization, deregulation and trade liberalization particularly in the United States and Europe, laid the basis for various types of production environment in the media industry. The increasing focus on, and use of Information Communication Technology to generate programme concepts with wide appeal became the salient feature of contemporary television. Like other forms of globalization, media content transverse national boundaries easily. Television concepts are copied, modified and exploited by television stations globally as media producers juggle to keep viewers happy with entertainment and provide opportunity for advertizers to place their products in the programmes produced. This important development in the changing media industry over time, led to the phenomenon where viewers progressively display insatiable need for interactivity from the programmes watched. The viewer wants to make telephone calls and talk back on television or radio shows, send emails/SMS (Short Message Service), vote in audience polls as well as buy goods and request for services as advertized in programmes and on the Internet. These became extremely popular methods for comments and feedbacks for media producers. These participatory elements naturally become a vital part of television experience and heralded the emergence of what is known as Reality Television. This paper takes a look at the growing trend towards popular television format and content adaptation for international market with particular reference to “Big Brother Africa” Reality Show. The Big Brother format, which originated from the Netherlands in September 1991, is estimated to be franchised and adapted in over seventy different countries in Europe and the African continent. The paper examines “Big Brother” as the African participation in the globalization of media content and its implication for the local economy, cultural, social and television programming development. This paper particularly analyzes the structure of “Big Brother Africa” and what motivates viewers to watch the programme. Keyword: Television, Globalization, Reality, Programme