Reality TV

I know that there are a lot of people who believe reality tv shows are highly overrated, entirely fake, and a waste of time, but my husband has developed an idea for a new reality tv show which he believes will be a huge hit (might I add, particularly for the male species, but some women may also enjoy it)! I don't know that we entirely agree with every reality tv show that is out there, but the truth is, people watch them. And the cost of producing these shows is relatively cheap in comparison to other primetime shows and movies.

So, here is an idea that we would love to see come into action, as it could mean a new way of making a (very good) living! I, however, am slightly skeptical, but my husband has high ambitions and dreams and will do what it takes to make them happen, whereas I would just give up and say it could never happen (I have a lot to learn). Either way, we'd like to share this idea and get some feedback! And if any of you have some producer friends who need some fresh ideas, please let us know!

AGENTS

A SWAT team, fully equipped with tactical gear, stand next to the door of a large warehouse. On the count of three, the lead member spins toward the door and throws a kick at it, busting it open. The team enters amidst the sounds of yelling, and as the lead member tries to get out his last few instructions, shots ring out.

This scene is from a dozen shows that you have already seen in the movies and on TV, but this SWAT team is not a group of actors or even real SWAT members. They are the average, everyday people: a grade two teacher, a doctor from New Jersey, a young gas attendant from Texas, and a hot blond who mixes drinks in Las Vegas. Why are these people today busting into a warehouse to take down a drug ring, and tomorrow figuring out a way to get into a hijacked plane to take out the hijackers? Because they are one of the teams on a new reality TV show called AGENTS.

AGENTS is a reality TV show where regular people see how well they can do at being super agents. Average people are given assignments that are parallel to that which Hollywood portrays in the agent type TV shows and movies, including shows such as: Mr. and Mrs Smith, CSI, 24, Live Free Die Hard, The Kingdom, James Bond, etc. AGENTS will take everyday people, who have not necessarily had any training in this field, and put them into some of the very same scenes that are seen in the above scenario (and on TV) to test their skills as super agents, while being watched by fans worldwide!

The “agents” selected for the show will be watched by three judges and will be evaluated on their skills as individual agents, as well as how well they do at completing the missions as a team. Each week one of the agents will be eliminated, and this continues until the last two agents are pitted against each other in one last Super-Agent battle. The winner goes home with one million dollars.

The agents are judged by three individuals who have the know-how when it comes to these types of situations. The judges would include people who have had experience in the military, on a SWAT or CSI team - people who know what they are talking about and who know what to look for in a good agent. Agents will be judged on leadership and tactical skills, ability to follow instructions, ability to improvise, clear thinking and judgment, and skilful and resourceful planning to fulfill mission objectives. After each mission is completed, the judges will point out weaknesses and strengths of each team member, and critique each team’s success or failure of the mission. The weakest agent will be eliminated, revealed during a target shot activity rigged by the judges: the one whose gun fails to fire goes home.

Each mission will follow a theme from TV shows or movies, mimicking specific scenes from those shows. On those theme nights, a fourth judge will be added, a representative from the theme show that is being portrayed. For example, if the theme is CSI, the fourth judge will be an actor, writer, or director from the CSI show seen on TV. This will add interest for the audience to see already famous people from other shows also take part in the AGENTS show. The guest judge will critique the agents on how well they carried themselves as that specific type of agent, and will judge them on aspects from the theme show that the agents succeeded or failed at. An example of this: on “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” them night, Brad Pitt would come as the guest judge and might look for chemistry between a male and female agents as they fight their way out of a large shopping center.

At the beginning of each week, the host of the show will give each team the mission objective. The team then selects its gear, devises a plan of action, and reveals the plan to the judges, who then select the order in which the teams (or individual) complete the mission. The judges will then watch the agents complete the mission, and later review all the camera footage to determine strengths, weaknesses, flaws, failures and successes. The judges then meet with the agents, pass on their criticism or praise, and the weakest agent is eliminated. The show ends when there is one agent remaining, the one million dollar winner.


So, there you have it. Questions? Comments? Criticism? Just wanted to get this idea out there and see what people think about it!