The Reality Behind HGTV's New Reality Show

摘要

With the decline in the numbers of television viewers in recent years, networks are in search of a sure-fire way to guarantee an audience for advertisers. They should look no further than Scripps Networks, which on June 19 debuted a TV show created in a most unconventional way. HGTV (Home & Garden TV), owned by Scripps, unveiled "Rate My Space," a show spawned from the community website of the same name. Launched in February 2007, the site, also powered by HGTV, invites users to post photos of their favorite spaces, ranging from bedrooms and bathrooms to pools and dorm rooms. Users rate each space on a scale from 1 to 5 and post decorating advice and colorful comments about each one. (One recent user posted, "Does Imelda Marcos live here?" about a photo of someone's closet filled with hundreds of shoes.)