From the East To The West

If you're interested in traveling to La-La-Land, also known as Los Angeles, check out California writer Bill Karz's latest blog post at LA Nomad where he names L.A., "The Reality Capital of the World." This blog may encourage your possible trip or force you to cancel your flight.

Reality TV burst onto the U.S. scene in 2000 with CBS’s “Survivor” in Borneo. Since then, several reality shows have traversed the world on location. From “The Amazing Race” to “The Bachelor,” exotic locales have been showcased consistently. However, no destination has been featured more than the City of Los Angeles. NBC’s “The Apprentice,” starring billionaire Donald Trump, recently deserted New York in favor of sumptuous digs in Bel-Air and a haute hotel on the Pacific shoreline. Millions of viewers are currently watching “Apprentice” contestants strut their stuff on the chic streets of LA. Other reality TV shows capitalizing on LA’s industry leadership and expertise include Bravo’s “Top Chef,” filmed in the Downtown Arts District; MTV’s “Parental Control,” filmed in the Valley; Style Network’s “Clean House,” shot in the Valley; and VH1’s “The Surreal Life,” filmed in the Hollywood Hills. The reality is – reality TV is good for business. Reality TV episodes shot in LA soared 53 percent in 2006, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all on-location TV production. The LA entertainment industry supports some 240,000 local jobs and contributes an estimated $30 billion to the local economy. While reality shows don’t pack the economic punch of scripted shows (a typical 22-episode, one-hour drama costs close to $50 million, compared to about $7 million spent on a 10-episode reality show), the dramatic increase in LA reality production is definitely a positive trend.