FACT/FICTION SANDWICH

Use as much fact as you can and as little fiction as you need, to make it true for you

Q: What do the Beatles documentary GET BACK, the action movie MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and the TV series LOVE ISLAND all have in common? 

A: They all play with reality rather than fiction.

In the wake of this year's writers' and actors' strikes, creatives have been remembering the last writers' strike in 2007/2008. At that time, networks and studios increased their orders for unscripted programming to fill the holes, including classic prime-time shows like BIG BROTHER and CELEBRITY APPRENTICE. These shows were cast with non-professional talent and needed no writer. We are poised on the edge of a similar flood of screen material right now, in the absence of the drama we love to make and watch.

Since that time, 15 years ago, our taste for Reality TV has only increased. Let's think about why.

THE MAGIC OF REALITY

Let's consider Tom Cruise, who famously performs his own stunts, none more daring than dropping off this cliff into freefall on that bike...

This is what makes the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE seri…