Don't believe the hype

I'm not yet sure what to make of Space Cadets, Channel 4's latest entry in the already overcrowded reality tv arena. I'm sure it will soon be discussed around water coolers in offices around the country, but since that's a luxury I'm presently lacking, I hope you'll allow me to indulge myself.

It's yet more reality tv, so it earns a hearty "meh" from me on that front. On the other hand it is trying to do something different, namely to play a massive practical joke on it's cast. The appeal of that should be obvious - people have been suggesting for years that the producers of Big Brother should simply trap 12 people in the house, and simply not film it for 10 weeks and what a jolly jape that would be. Space Cadets seems to have sprung from similar thinking. Only with, you know, tv cameras.

I watched the first episode, I'll admit. Partly because I've been suckered by the considerable hype, but also because I'm curious about how it will all operate from a technical perspective (which, yes, also means I've been suckered by the hype). In doing so I did learn one piece of information that I was previously unaware of. I'd imagined that the show was going to simulate a sub-orbital flight in the vein of X Prize winner SpaceShipOne, i.e. getting them up and down in relatively short time frame. But no, they're actually going to simulate a 5 day mission. The gravity of the situation should be obvious, even to the contestants.

The obvious question that springs from this is "Just how gullible are these people?" Somewhat amusingly the answer appears to be "very" as the first programme showed the audition process taking care to select potential contestants with the requisite level of "suggestibility" (read gullibility), and being sure to weed out any with any technical knowledge which might lead them to suspect the truth.

They also appeared to be looking for people who'd be able to take the joke. Regardless of how serious their efforts will prove to be on this front, I'm still wary of this sort of event. Producing a television series who's ultimate aim appears to be to make a laughing stock of it's contestants doesn't sit particularly well with me (my assumption - it could be that they'll be treated with due compassion. Because tv is famous for that). Given that it's being shown on television as events are unfolding, rather than afterwards, by the time the contestants discover what's happening it will be too late for them to do anything about it. It's not a situation I'd like to find myself in, although I'm sure there will be financial recompense to accompany their 15 minutes of fame so perhaps I shouldn't feel too badly for any of them.

It's got my attention for time being, at least, if only because I want to see how the contestants are going to react to being "in space," not to mention exactly how the production team plan on pulling off the launch and subsequent 5 day mission.

Personally, I'm rather hoping that someone twigs along the way...