Why There are so many talent competition shows

The answer to this question is obvious at first -- talent competition shows dominate the ratings. Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, the Voice, and America's Got Talent are among the top rated shows every week. More competition ideas keep being announced -- Duets is on the air, The Glee Project has returned, and more are in development at every network. Cost is also a factor. Even with the outrageous salaries paid the top judges, reality competition shows cost less per episode than scripted dramas. The major broadcast networks are no longer very profitable -- some regularly lose money. They are no longer the flagship businesses but instead part of a portfolio of channels owned by major media companies -- Comcast (NBC), Disney (ABC), CBS/Viacom (CBS) and Fox (Fox). Broadcast networks provide a valuable platform for these networks' sports and news properties. They have value for these media companies even if they lose money. Understandably, the corporations want them to lose as little as possible. Hence, the move to reality competition shows. I've predicted this move in this blog. Variety shows used to be a staple of network broadcast schedules in the 60s and 70s. The Ed Sullivan Show is the most iconic, but other popular variety show hosts included the Smothers Brothers, Flip Wilson, Sonny and Cher, and Dean Martin. Howard Cosell even hosted a variety show on Saturday nights for one season, the show that introduced the Bay City Rollers to America. In television, everything old becomes new again. It's the time for variety shows, updated to include modern competition and new judges. When you're looking for content ideas, try giving an old idea a new twist. After all, how many variations of Romeo and Juliet have we seen since Shakespeare first penned the play the in 1500s?