The concept of 'reality TV', so close to the forefront of audiovisual culture in the UK throughout the 21st century to date, appears to be finally losing some steam. Viewing figures for the last few series of Big Brother, the show that launched the existing boom in reality television, have been significantly lower than those of earlier series.
Even the most popular offshoot of the reality genre, that of the 'competition' show, is beginning to suffer, with shows such as Pop Idol and Fame Academy having already fallen by the wayside as quickly as they rose to prominence. There is one such programme in the UK, however, whose popularity continues to grow - that celebration of all things British that is Britain's Got Talent.
Reality Television is a Growing Part of British Culture
In today's multicultural Britain, many people are often found bemoaning the disappearance of what is referred to obliquely as 'British identity'. Specifying such an identity is a tricky proposal; finding examples of it even more difficult. These days, even to fly the Union Flag from a bedroom window can sometimes be interpreted as an act of defiance towards a multicultural society, and fears over the influence of the British National Party are steadily growing.
It is thus that new and interesting cultural institutions such as reality television can develop as a form of cultural identification; the diverse nature of the acts featured on Britain's Got Talent unites members of all ethnic, social or cultural groups, and does not discriminate based on any archaic notion of 'Britishness'. In truth, newly-generated methods of cultural identification such as television, music and cinema are the only readily available forms of social integration for first- or second-generation immigrants.
Singers, Dancers, Talent And Diversity
Series three's triumphant winners, a Dagenham-based dance troupe named Diversity, represented the best that Britain's Got Talent had to offer - not just from this series, but as a microcosm of the show's whole ethos. They are multi-ethnic, and range from age twelve to twenty-five; many of their number are from poorer backgrounds; their name itself indicates one of the very principles upon which modern British society prides itself, and upon which Britain's Got Talent regularly relies.
Moreover, they are not the only act to have participated in the show that celebrates Britain's cultural variance. 2008's second-placed act, British Asian duo Signature, gained recognition for their dance routines based around a blend of Michael Jackson moves and jaunty bhangra influences, while Scotland's own singing sensation Susan Boyle wowed viewers in 2009 with her audition performance, and proudly went on to represent her native land in finishing second overall to Diversity.
Pure, Unadulterated Entertainment
Above all, what makes Britain's Got Talent so overwhelmingly popular is that, simply put, it is far more entertaining than other shows of its ilk. Shows such as The X Factor, which deal exclusively in singing artists, tend to produce stilted, manufactured acts who release one number one album and then fade into obscurity. Britain's Got Talent provides acts of all kinds with an opportunity to present themselves to the public, and this variation means all kinds of entertainment for the viewer.
Entertainment such as that provided by Stavros Flatley, a father-son duo of Cypriot origin whose over-the-top hybrid of Irish and Greek dancing styles had crowds on their feet on more than one occasion, is at a premium in today's television environment. Acts performing not with the promise of a record deal at the end of the rainbow, but with the promise of a performance at the Royal Variety Show in front of the Queen, are not there for the money, the fame, or the chance to tell Simon Cowell how much they dislike him. They are there simply because they deserve their moment.
A Phenomenon Here To Stay
With ratings for the third series of Britain's Got Talent soaring through the roof, and numerous stars of entertainment being created off the back of the show's success, it seems like the sky is the limit for the show. While other reality competition shows retain the same format and the same old acts, this one does not. It all goes to show that you can take as many manufactured pop acts as you like and put them on our television screens, but they won't add up to Diversity.
