What do networks look for in a reality show?
When a network is being pitched on a reality show, they are looking for a couple of things. With some of the things, it's impossible for you to even know about what they are thinking, because they are looking to fill a particular time slot - when they know the show is going to be over, they want to replace it - or there's a particular new demographic that they need to go after. You can't even imagine what they are looking for, sometimes. The things that they are always looking for include confidence from the producer or the picture - that they know what their show is, that they know who their audience is and that they know how to get the show actually done. They are looking for that basic competence and confidence that it can be done. Of course, networks are also thinking, "Does this have hit written on it in any way?" You may think it does, because you love it. You are pitching something you want to watch and you can imagine that millions of Americans would want to watch the show. Networks have the hard job of really trying to figure that out at because every pitch they hear, the person pitching it thinks it's the next big hit. Their problem is, they have tried this a lot and it usually fails.