Sally: Hey did you watch “America’s Next Top Model” last night? It was awesome!

Brad: No way man, I hate reality TV.

Sally: Really? I love it. It’s so great; you get to look into people’s lives. I love “America’s Next Top Model” and “The Biggest Loser”, oh and I’m definitely a fan of “Runway”, as there is always lots of drama and action.

Brad: You know it’s not actually reality eh? A lot of it is scripted and the producers manipulate what you see and what you don’t so that you only get to see someone as they want you to see them.

Sally: Why did you have to go and burst my bubble like that Brad? Now reality TV will never be the same for me.

Brad: Well you know me, always a cynic. I’m really into my soaps, I have to admit that I’m addicted to “Home and Away” at the mo. It’s just so exciting; you never know what is going to happen.

Sally: Oh my Gosh! “Home and Away” is so tired; I can’t believe you watch that silly show. If we are talking soaps then let’s talk “Shortland Street”. Now that has got some great storylines, and fantastic character development.

Brad: “Shortland Street”…what a joke! It’s like the dumbest show on TV. It’s so boring and like New Zealanders really behave like the characters on that show.

Sally: Whatever. I like to think that it’s quality. “Friends” is also a personal favourite of mine. I can watch the same old episodes over and over again and I never get bored with them.

Brad: Wow, something we actually agree on. “Friends” is great, it’s so well written. I think that it’s one of those timeless shows. You know, like “The Simpsons”. The writers must be really good, because comedy can so easily become dated.

Sally: Yeah, some of those comedies from way back that the olds watch are so not funny, because the jokes are really out of date. It’s like they were written in the Stone Age.

Brad: I know what you mean. Anyway I’ve got to go, don’t want to miss “Home and Away”. See you Sally.

Sally: See ya.

Glossary

  Awesome: This word is often used in New Zealand; it is used to describe something that is really great.

Reality TV: Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors.

Fan: someone who likes something intensely eg. a TV programme, a band, an actor.

Eg. I’m so glad a new movie starring Brad Pitt is coming out. I’m his biggest fan.

Eg. I’ve always been a fan of romantic comedies.

Drama: Drama in this sense is used colloquially to refer to unnecessary emotional turmoil, such as that created through social events or gossip.

Action: When a lot is going on all at once. Action is also a genre of movies and TV programmes – action movies etc. focus on events in the plot rather than character development.

Burst my bubble: This refers to when your hopes or illusions are broken because someone informs you of something.

Cynic: A cynic is a person that can be difficult to please. They have to be really impressed by something in order to appreciate it. Cynics often see the worst in situations.

Soaps: Soap opera - A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction , usually broadcast on television or radio . An example of a soap in New Zealand is Shortland Street.

Soap opera episodes usually end on some sort of cliffhanger (a cliffhanger is an ending that leaves the viewers curious about what will happen in the next episode, and ensures that they will watch the next episode).

At the mo: At the moment. At this time.

Tired: When a TV show is tired it means that the show is repeating material as it has exhausted many of the avenues that it could go down.

Storylines: The narrative threads experienced by different characters or sets of characters that together form a plot element or subplot in the work of fiction.

Character Development: The things that a character does and says show who they are. The writer chooses what information about the character to show so that the audience’s opinion of the character is influenced by this information.

What a joke: this means that the show is not done well and people do not take it seriously because it is so poorly done.

Dumbest show on TV: this is an exaggeration, used to say that a TV show is very silly.

Whatever: This is a way of dismissing what someone has just said. Sometimes it is said in a joking way; sometimes it can be nasty. It can also be used to mean “I’m not going to bother to challenge your opinion.”

Quality: This means that something is done really well.

Personal Favourite: This describes something that you really appreciate and enjoy. A favourite is something that someone likes the best. So your favourite TV show is the TV show you like the best.

Timeless: This means that something does not lose its meaning or relevance as it gets older.

Dated: this is when something loses its relevance over time. When a TV show is dated the things that are referred to are no longer understood because they are from a different time.

From way back: When something comes from a long time ago.

The olds: Parents

Out of date: No longer fashionable or understood because it is too old.

Stone age: An exaggeration that means a long time ago.

See ya: short for see you later, which is another way of saying goodbye.