ABSTRACT
The professional face of television is Robin Day, Leslie Crowther, Alastair Burnet, Selina Scott: abrasive political interviewers, smooth game show compères, personality presenters. There is, however, another less discussed group who also appear a great deal: ordinary members of the public. These individuals-rather revealingly described as Real People by some professionals-provide the substance of many of television’s programmes. This is your show’ Leslie Crowther tells the audience during his warm-up at The Price is Right ‘without you there’d be no show’. The sentiment is echoed by documentary director David Cohen. ‘I can’t operate without real people. It’d be like making a feature film without actors’.
