A new
reality show by
Fox that runs more like a
documentary. 14
students at a
high school near
Chicago were given
camcorders to make "
video diaries" while two additional
camera crews followed the students through their
lives. All of this was voluntary, and the students were given pretty free rein. The show seems very well done and the students' diaries tend to be
thoughtful and
meaningful. Unfortunately the
American public didn't buy this real "
reality TV" and it has been a
ratings failure. It was
cancelled after only two
episodes were aired.
I would also like to add that unlike "
reality" shows like
Survivor and
Big Brother,
American High had at least some air of
respectability. It was in essence a long
documentary, one that had the potential to
teach as well as
entertain. It seemed to me that the
show could help
parents of
teenagers to
understand some of what their
kids were going through. This show was a chance to show people that
Dawson's Creek and other such shows didn't even come close to what the inside of an
American High school is actually like. Sure, some of these guys were acting for the cameras (
Morgan), but most of them seem to use the show as an opportunity to let their feelings on
teenage life to be heard, which is what the show's
creators wanted.
I am greatly
saddened by the
absolute lack of
faith that
Fox put in this show, and that no attempt was made to move it ot a less
competative time slot. It appears that Survivor has done more than prove that
America is obsessed with the utterly pointless, it has also shown that these
networks have truly given up on quality
programming.