I'm sure we've all seen the sad case of the person that appears to have killed themselves a week after a Kyle episode he was on was recorded. I'm not looking to discuss that, specifically, not least because detsils of what actually happened, let aline why, are currently pretty sparse. At least, publicly.
But my local BBC radio station is now ooenly questioning not only the future of the Kyle shiw, but also Love Island, and reality shows in general.
My concerns are this - are they (as usual) going off-half-cocked with knee-jerk reactions? Sorry about the mixed metaphor.
Look, personally, I don't give a hoot about the Kyle show, Love Island ir any other reality TV show.
Disclaimer - I don't watch all that much TV anyway, and am pretty selective when I do and this sort of stuff just doesn't float my boat. In the interests of full disclosure, I watched some of Big Brother's first series and about 15 mins of series 2, episode 1. The first series was .... well .... different and modestly interesting as an experient in group dynamics. Even the first rew minutes of S2 Ep.1 was enough to convince me it was full of wannabe celebs, posers and publicity-whores seeking a career-launching platform. Probably S1 was too, but at least it was novel.
Since then, the only such stuff I've seen is what was on before my frantic grab for the remote control put a stop to it.
BUT .... apparently millions watch them.
I've not the first notion why, but they do.
So .... an episode was filmed and a week later, what happened .... happened.
And ITV suspended the show (quite rightly), appear to be cancelling it permanently, pulled ALL episodes from on-demand and are looking sideways at Love Island.
But do we, or even they, even know if there's a direct link between the Kyle episode and the suicide? Surely, wait for he inquest.
And if there was a direct link, even that doesn't necessarily indicate causation.
So suspend the show by all means, but permanently cancel what is apparently sucu a popular show, let alone L.I. and allegedly putting a question-mark over reality shows in general, and certainly confrontatioal ones like Kyle before knowing all the facts?
Did the show itself fail? Let on someone mentally unable to handle it? If so, can ore-show vetting and psychological assessment be imoroved.
Or was it all just a coincidence?
I mean, personally, .I won't miss it at all. If they can add in TV, Rugby and .... shudder .... test cricket, I'd be grateful. Add Soaps to that and it starts to sound like my idea of TV nirvana. Yet, loadsa people love this sh.... stuff.