TVGuide.com

For a second there I was unsure if I should put this in the "Politics and World Events" forum since Fox will essentially be adding to unemployment numbers with this show.

Controversial show, I'm sure Fox Execs. won't think twice about not putting this show on television.

Wow.

I dunno, that could drive someone to suicide.

Only FOX...

^which means they'll get mauled by a bear on their way out.

Hopefully the people getting laid off/fired will get some $$ out of the deal, some public humiliation for a little financial security. Or it'll just turn out like Swimming with Sharks with a Fox head in Kevin Spacey's role. Or something more akin to what happened in New York last week.

.... as long as the company they're working for is Fox and they sack a few network executives...

If they really have balls, this would be the pilot/first episode (do reality shows have pilots?).

It's Fox. They've done worse.

How do you figure they're adding to the unemployment rate with this show?

These companies would probably lay off more people if not for this agreement. I'm not saying this show is a good idea, and it really is tasteless, but FOX isn't putting people out of work, they're just putting the process on the air.

I'm a pretty big supporter of FOX's scripted programs (24, House, Bones etc)

But, besides Idol and Hell's Kitchen, their Reality TV department is absolute crap. Noone wants to sit in front of their TV to see people lose their jobs and I don't know anyone will think it's entertaining or funny. I hope this show gets alot of pre-buzz backlash and FOX will have no choice but to not air it. Put this shit on FOX Reality. This has no place in Primetime Network TV especially in a recession.

Don't be so sure. Never underestimate how low those Neilsen viewers will go. That "someone else's life sucks more than yours" concept can be a huge draw, and FOX is counting on that. (While in a separate vein, COPS has been on for how long now?)

How about those reality shows that drag in viewers who watch for the carnage factor rather than cheering any one particular contestant on? This show is 100% carnage and will certainly appeal to a staggering amount of reality viewers.

I concur.

I will watch a lot of reality garbage, particularly the VH1 "celeb" and "love" shows, but I cannot see myself tuning in for this.

The fame however small these people will get from the show will ensure they get employed somewhere so don't feel sorry for them

Like getting George Bush elected in 2004.

I think you're underestimating people. CBS tried something just as low rent and it didn't pay off.

I thought Fox couldn't sink any lower than Moment of Truth. I stand corrected.

But I guess it isn't all that bad (for the person getting fired) once you dissect it. They were going to get fired anyway, now they get the opporitunity to let it happen to them on TV (they do have to sign something before it airs, right?) and they'll probably get some money out of it.

I don't know. This is quite a different concept in a much different economy. It is not voyeurism like watching the usual "watch people compete" show. It is watching people lose. While you can sympathize, you can enjoy the fact that it could but isn't happening to you. Feeds on misery... the example you gave is little more than your average contest show that just sucked. Not at all good example to promote your argument versus my point. Carnage.

First episode will pull big numbers for a new show. It'll drop after that and Fox will cancel it before the first season is complete.

I won't be watching, as I think every reality show is complete garbage. This sounds like more of the same.

That's horrible....

Where is the proof that this is really happening? Other than the fact that FOX says so?

I always thought that was the goal of reality television - like that show with the lie detector.

What a F'd up show. Why would the person getting fired agree to have their picture shown? The fact that employees get to choose who to fire might end up with someone getting canned that doesn't deserve it. Some guy might be a jerk (or could be as lame as someone that brought the worst dish to the company lunch) but still could be the best worker there. I smell lawsuits. The show might be less offensive if it was a sort of Punked type show where the person really isn't fired.

What's next FOX? Any more tastless shows? How about these?

"Evicted" Watch as people are thrown out of their home and have to go live in tents.

"You've got cancer" Hidden cameras watch as doctors tell patients they have cancer. Sweeps week has the ones that have a month to live.

"Dead Baby" Again hidden cameras watch as doctors tell pregnet women that their baby has died.

"Fallen Heroes" Cameras go along with the officers who tell family members that their loved one has died in Iraq/Afganistan.

"Rape Inc." Cameras film people coming to the hospital after being raped.

Fuck Fox.

Not sure how this would fly... they'd have to get all the people involved to sign legal wavers up front as any firing from a group of peers would probably have all sorts of lawsuit problems. Then you have the privacy issues of opening up salaries to people who are peers?

This seems like a planned 'reality' show that is most likely more or less scripted.

To quote from Weird Al's 'Couch Potato' song,
It's scary when reality makes absurd parodies seem more and more plausible.

Classy. Just classy.

Only if it's the Fox Exec's getting the sack.

That's basically what I was going to say. The winner of the first Apprentice spoke at my college and he talked about how all the businesses they "dropped in on" actually had to sign waivers beforehand.

Sounds scripted.