CineTV released a contest prompt yesterday, asking us to talk about our favourite reality tv show. Of all the shows out there, and binge-able content available to us, reality television shows are the easiest form of content to get lost in and watch constantly. Most of the time you'll get roped into some show, and then kind of become disinterested in it after a while, at least, that's what happens to me, however, there is one show that I can easily watch whenever it's on.
Here's A Link To The Prompt Post If You'd Like To Check It Out.
Pawn Stars
Of all the shows of this same nature, Pawn Stars is the one that seems more down to earth and real, as opposed to something like Hardcore Pawn, or Storage Wars.
Hardcore Pawn has always come across as being ridiculously staged and fake, and while Storage Wars seems good, I've heard that it too is pretty fake and staged.
Pawn Stars isn't above this, as I have done a little digging and found that it is also staged to a certain extent, but only in the sense that it being a tv show with a certain amount of episodes they need to hit, they have to be by the book and organised in a way that the crew and all the people involved need to hit their target for content and have it come out with a certain amount of quality.
The Show
It is a collection of individuals bringing in some items to sell to the pawn shop owners, and in each episode, we might have 3-4 sellers coming in, once they do a bit of authenticating, they'll haggle on the price, and the customer will either sell or pawn their item or - if they don't get the desired amount - they may walk away from the deal, taking their item with them.
I've seen episodes where someone can't show proof of ownership of the item they're trying to sell, which is a big red flag for any pawnshop owner, as they'll be fined, and potentially get in trouble with the police for buying and selling stolen items.
One instance of this I saw was when a person brought in an antique gun of some sort, but the serial number was shaved off it making it impossible to look up and find out about it.
The Faked Part of The Show
Apparently, what happens when you're on the show is, you'll drop the item around off camera, the owners and faces of the show will look it up, authenticate it, check out some of its background, and have a professional in waiting to come in and talk about it on camera. I actually love when they get the professional in, because every single time it's always the same, "Let me go ask a buddy of mine," or "I'll make a call to a buddy and see if they can swing by."
It's always a buddy, and sometimes it's funny to see the interaction between the professionals and the owner of the piece they're looking to sell. Sometimes some drama can ensue at this time, because the customer doesn't trust, or tries to contradict the "buddy's" assessment.
So, the pawnshop owners can assess the item beforehand, gives it back to the customer, sends them out of the shop, the cameras start rolling, they come in, and talk about the item - that's how the owners seem to know everything about every item that comes in, then the buddy comes around, we hear the assessment, they haggle - which is real - and then afterward the costumer steps outside and talks to the camera, and mentions what price they're looking to get for the item after they've already sold it.
Why I Like It
I think it's pretty funny, I like Rick, The Old Man, Corey, and Chumlee - or as my partner thinks his name is "Chumbly" - I think they all have a good repour with each other, as can be expected from so many years of working together. Some of the professional assessors who come in are good and are like re-occurring characters in a way. I also like to see the customers when they get a good deal or are surprised by the actual cost of an item, especially if they've undervalued it. Sometimes the drama can be funny too, when someone overestimates the price and gets annoyed, however, the show doesn't dwell on those sorts of people, which is another thing I like about the show.
History is a big interest of mine too, and I love how the text comes up about each item, giving us some of the history behind each piece, and then we're able to learn even more about it while everyone involved discusses the item.
I think as far as those kinds of shows go, it doesn't treat the audience like an idiot, it's educational to a certain extent, it isn't overly fake, and in general, I think it's fun seeing the banter of everyone involved in making it.