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You might think a reality TV show that chronicles 11 young nerds as they think up tech start-ups wouldn't generate much interest. Bizarrely, it has. TechStars, a show that does just that, premiers tonight on Bloomberg TV, reports Beta Beat's Nitasha Tiku. "New York’s tech set has finally hit the big time, you guys! At 9 p.m. EST tonight, TechStars new reality show premieres on Bloomberg TV." The new program sounds like the least exciting hour of reality television--again: watching nerds thinks--but for some odd reason it has at least some people excited.
Reality television often involves elicit behavior, sex, pretty people, or competition. This show has none of that. Yet Tiku thinks it's an ideal way to spend an hour.
If you think about it, the reality show format is a natural fit for a seed stage accelerator like TechStars. Like America’s Next Top Model and American Idol, you have the desperate audition to actually make it on the cast, only with PowerPoint decks instead of strutting and singing. Then once you’re in, your work is constantly being scrutinized by a panel of experts, which makes David Tisch the Heidi Klum (albeit with a filthier mouth) to Roger Ehrenberg’s Nina Garcia. But as every reality show "winner" can tell you, getting anointed by the powers that be doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in the real world.
So the show loosely fits the reality competition paradigm, but the actual substance doesn't sound all too appealing. PowerPoint presentations during precious television-watching leisure hour? No thanks.