BBC Radio 4 LW

Watching Us

Watching Us: Week 5

Week 5

BBC Radio 4 - Watching Us, Week 5

Twenty years after Big Brother hit our screens and reality TV has produced a president

In the final episode of Watching Us, Jamie explains how reality TV produced a president, and the impact of living in a world where we share our lives online.

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy to become leader of the Republican Party he was already known by millions of Americans as a shrewd and astute businessman who, for 10 years, had cut through the crap on national TV. 
A ruthless bad-ass who hired and fired and got things done. Just what Americans needed as real politicians seemed slow and boring and disingenuous.  
But that wasn’t the real Donald Trump at all. That was Donald Trump created by reality TV.
Twenty years since Big Brother hit our screens and just look how far reality TV has come.

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Jamie Bartlett looks at the impact of twenty years of reality TV on culture and society.

20 years ago a TV show launched which changed history, revolutionising TV and transforming our ideas about truth, surveillance, technology and politics. The show was Big Brother.

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