Tom Ballard has a brand new television show on the ABC. ‘Reality Check’ is a new panel show that is set to delve into world of reality television programs. We caught up with the comedian to talk about reality TV.

Can any reality show be made better just by putting the word ‘celebrity’ in front of the title?

It would seem so now, but when it all started it was more about regular people having a moment in the spotlight, now it seems like most shows need some sort of famous face. Whether it’s the host or the judges, I mean look at ‘The Voice’, Ricky Martin, Kylie Minogue – they’re huge stars.

For you, has reality TV always been part of the television landscape?

Pretty much, if you think about where it all began you can debate the starting point. There’s things like ‘Candid Camera’ in the 1950s, or there a show called ‘American Family’ which was this huge groundbreaking expose where they put cameras in the house of a Californian family to watch a couple’s marriage disintegrate, they found out the son was gay – that was a big one. Then the boom really began with things like ‘Survivor’ and ‘Big Brother’ and ‘The Mole’ and ‘The Real World’ on MTV. I’ve certainly grown up with it.

I immediately thought of the Australian series ‘Sylvania Waters’ which documented an Australian family in the early ‘90s.

Exactly, a huge series that was based on that American family series. That was the era when people didn’t know that being on a show would change their lives and they’d volunteer for it. Now people go on reality TV to launch their singing careers or to get a radio job, it a new post-modern post reality TV world where people are doing it for what comes afterwards.

What’s the worst reality show you’ve come across?

Oh man, there are so many, there’s one from Denmark where a woman just comes out and strips in front of a male host and a male judge and just critique her body in front of her. Anything with nudity, there are so many nude ones. “I Want to Marry Harry’ is incredible, the fact that they could fool those people, ‘Love at First Marriage’ where psychologists really dissect people and then match them up with their perfect partner and the first time they meet is at their wedding.

Join Tom Ballard as he dives deep into the world of reality TV on ‘Reality Check’ the first episode will premiere on Wednesday, August 13 at 9pm on ABC.

Graeme Watson