As the evolution of television progressed from watching reality shows about people doing incredibly mundane things, to watching reality shows dedicated to discussing those reality shows, to supplementing the watching of reality shows that are dedicated to discussing those other reality shows with a “second screen experience,” where we participate in a live hashtagged discussion of those shows while we watch them, finally, we have arrived at the apotheosis of the medium. Bravo has just ordered the new series The People’s Couch, a show in which we will watch people watch television.
Based on the UK series Gogglebox (which is what we just assume British people call television now), The People’s Couch sets up cameras in the same homes week to week—“whether it is a group of sorority sisters doing their nails or grandparents watching with their technology-obsessed grandchildren,” or just a gathering of hollow-eyed specters, gazing as Narcissus into the pool of their TV screens—and records their reactions to the shows they see. Viewers will then be forced to have their own reactions to those reactions, as technology has not yet addressed this.
“The People’s Couch is a funny, unfiltered comment on America’s current TV viewing habits,” said Bravo VP Lara Spotts, not even bothering to mask her contempt anymore.