A few people responded to last week’s post about casting. One reader called himself “Max Powers.”
Max writes:
There is a large difference between game show casting and actual show casting. For a real show you have to find actors who fit into parts, coordinate their look if casting a family, make sure they fit into the feel of the show, and generally deal with production trying to fuck you over and cut costs.
Actually, all of that applies to game and reality shows, except for the family part (hopefully). In some ways, casting unscripted can be even harder, since you can’t give them a script and see how it sounds.
Game shows live and die by their contestants. Howie and Regis can carry the conversation only so much. In the control room, I’ve witnessed countless screaming outbursts from the producers, cursing the casting department and their terrible choices.
Oddly, I don’t recall the producers crediting the casting department for the good contestants…
4 Responses
The biggest difference visually is that they allow non-white people to be in the “hero” role in reality and game shows.
And mixed couples in a scripted show? Supporting cast only, please.
No way they’d feature a white lady married to a Japanese-American if they would get away with it (WifeSwap or some show like that).
A Samoan guy gets to spin the wheel? I guess, but only if he gets the price right.
This to me is something I wish more scripted shows followed… meritocracy-ish.
It could be because in LA there are way more white actors than “ethnic” actors but more “ethnic” non-actors than white non-actors. Oh.
High five?
I tried to sign up my mother for “Wife Swap.” She’s such a crazy, raving, old-fashioned Indian mother, that she would be *perfect* for national TV. When she found out, she threatened me so badly, that I had to buckle down and insist that it was all a joke.