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Television

The Celebreality Pantheon

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Most Introductory: “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America”
Like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, Victoria Beckham is the kind of celebrity who doesn’t exist unless she’s constantly featured in the tabloids. To ensure that she will be properly (and frequently) photographed after moving to Los Angeles, the former Spice Girl filmed a one-hour reality special about her move overseas. (It was originally supposed to be six full episodes, but then her husband, who actually has a career, was called away.)

Lesson learned: Nothing says “Hello America!” like a reality show!  (Mark Avery / AP)
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Most Depraved: “Breaking Bonaduce”
This show about former Partridge Family bassist Danny Bonaduce aired on VH1 in 2005 and was on the forefront of what has come to be called “train wreck” reality TV. On the show Bonaduce fought with his wife, threatened to kill himself, and spent long amounts of time in rehab. He also let the cameras into his therapy sessions.

Lesson learned: Privacy is overrated!  (Rick Meyer / LAT)
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Worst: “The Anna Nicole Show” Not long after the cataclysmic success of “The Osbournes” the E! network gave Anna Nicole Smith her own reality show called “The Anna Nicole Show.” Because Anna did not come with a built in immediate family the cast of her show was her taciturn teenage son, her weird beaten down assistant, her lawyer, her dog and her decorator. This makeshift family did not make for a warm show. Smith appeared to be out of her mind most of the time, and what many viewers hoped would be funny turned out to be desperately pathetic.

Lesson learned: It’s no fun to watch a show about people who can’t take care of themselves. No fun at all.  (Franicne Orr / LAT)
By Deborah Netburn
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Times Staff Writer

There are numerous subsections in the vast universe of reality television, but perhaps no subset is more depraved, depressing and (therefore) entertaining than the celebrity reality television show.

The celebrities who open their families, homes and lives to the scrutiny of television viewers vary from singers to wrestlers to former child stars, but what they share is a desire to sip for one more fleeting moment from the sweet cup of fame (or at least notoriety).

What do we, the faithful viewers, get from these brave souls willing to share their weaknesses and faults with a curious, obsessive, public?

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From them we learn lessons about life, love, reality, and the fabricated reality that is what we usually witness when watching these shows.

Some of these shows are successful (“The Osbournes”), some are not (“Victoria Beckham: Coming to America”). But all have their place in the pantheon.

TelevisionEntertainment & Arts
Deborah Netburn

Deborah Netburn covers faith, spirituality and joy for the Los Angeles Times. She started at The Times in 2006 and has worked across a wide range of sections including entertainment, home and garden, national news, technology and science.

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