Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Fox needs to pink slip the guy who green lit this show – a reality TV series about layoffs

The Fox network is making a reality TV show about layoffs in the current recession.
The upcoming series, called “Someone’s Gotta Go,” lets employees of a small business decide which one of their colleagues will be laid off. Each week a different company lays off an employee, according to the Associated Press.
No air date has been announced for the show, which is being developed by Endemol USA, the company behind “Big Brother,” “Fear Factor” and “Deal or No Deal.”
“Someone’s Gotta Go” sounds just as slimy as Fox’s lie-detector show “Moment of Truth.”
Not only does the show sound exploitative and in poor taste, I don’t think it will do well in the ratings. People don’t want to be reminded about the troubled economy. They see the effects of it every day. They want escapist entertainment – superheroes, B-list celebrities learning how to dance, young singers looking for their big break, etc.
“Someone’s Gotta Go” will fail for the same reason movies about the Iraq war have bombed. It’s a serious and sensitive topic that hits too close to home.

Photo: Advertisement for Fox's reality TV programming.

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