Quiz custodiet ?
How many people in Britain are now wonder- ing whether they did wrong, that time they were on a TV quiz programme; when they accepted the producer's friendly advice on, say, how to look harassed when answering a question; or on what books to .read to make sure of know- ing something about the subject? There is no evidence that any quiz show here has been faked as elaborately as 'Twenty-one' was in America for the benefit of Charles van Doren and others; but at least one of the quizzes put on here fell under grave suspicion; and others certainly em- ployed minor deceptions, making contestants appear to be more knowledgeable than they were, or persuading them to simulate agony of mind, racking of brain, when in fact they knew the answers all along.
The trouble with such little tricks is that they create a climate of amorality in which all stan- dards tend eventually to slide. If the sole criterion is 'entertainment,' then why not deceive audiences, if the deception keeps them happy? This is a problem with which every contracting company is faced every day. Ought 'live' audi- ences watching, say, a variety show, to be shown cards telling them when to applaud, and when to stop applauding? Obviously, yes, because studio applause must be subordinated to the more impor- tant needs of the viewers. But if so, why not go a step farther and dub on the applause, so that it really fits the needs of the programme?
Dubbed applause has not, so far as we'know, afflicted home products; but comparable devices are in common use here--for example, presenting shows as 'live' 'which have in fact been filmed or 'taped.' Again, in moderation this is a perfectly respectable practice; with the majority of pro- grammes it is a matter for indifference whether they are live or recorded, and often they may reasonably be a mixture of the two. But there are programmes in which the interest lies in the spontaneity: where, for example, the audience is identifying itself with the man on the screen, wondering what is going to happen to him next, and how he is going to react to it.
Facilis de.scensus Averni: but Charles van Doren's act of self-immolation in revealing his own turpitude may do good if it wakes up the TV authorities here as well as in the US to the realisa- tion that mass entertainment is sometimes a good TV guide, but can be a very sordid master.
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