Pool's next big thing!

It's funny that you should bring this up, Jay.

Click on this link in about an hour - The video is still processing on YouTube but should be available very soon. This video was put together only to show people that the pool world does have this potential, not necessarily to say that I will be the one to provide it.

After all, I'm a bit of a 'hack' when it comes to filmmaking, so I wouldn't expect this to be huge, but, the potential is there...

POV Pool presents - "My Pool Reality" - Ep. 1

Daniel, our match might make series 1, so be on your best behaviour when i'm beating you, or the hooligan might have to act up for TV ;)
 
I think it would be interesting to see something more like "top shot" or "the ultimate fighter" with pool legends to coach players. Can you imagine pool players living together???? gambling, egos, the whole 9. at least that would be formatted with an over arching objective. I mean duck dynasty, american chopper, these shows are a joke. Pool deserves more that that.

I hope it works out.
 
The pool reality show! There are at least four of these shows in the works now, and that's a good thing. In addition, Angel Levine is coming out soon with a dynamite documentary on pool. Some of these reality shows could be on television networks in 2014 and that should spark new interest in pool.

Keep your fingers crossed, some good people are involved in these projects and they just might make them fly. You will see familiar names in all of these shows. Naturally they have picked the guys (and gals) with the best (and most colorful) personalities. I can't tell you more right now, but these shows are definitely in the planning stages and ready for production when they get the green light.

Every time pool is at a low point something new comes along to bring it back up. This just may be it. Stay tuned! :thumbup2:
Sure would be great if it did get pool kicking again.:smile:
 
Nothing Compares

I hate to say this but sad to say most sports do not need the lift that Pool does.I am not sure if there are any other Reality sport shows, unless you count NBA wives.The thing with Pool what hurts it in main stream , things like gambling etc. is what would make it so interesting.Keep your fingers crossed.

_________________________________________________________

Nothing compares to everybody being themselves, doing what they do- every pro player, every head of industry, every cue builder, gambling, woofing, eating, sleeping, negotiating, LIVING-
there is no script better than real life:grin-square: ;)
 
You guys are talking about a pool reality show like it will have something to do with pool: it won't. It's about the characters, their ups and downs, relationships, arguments and such. Pool will just be the background.

We'll pick it apart because we expect it to be accurate about pool. But the producers want the public to love Betty, hate Bill, think Jim is a snake and tune in next week to see if Jane double-crosses Jay.

Reality shows aren't reality. The characters are professional actors, the dialog is scripted nothing is left to chance.

Watch one episode of The Bachelor.

But the result will be great for pool.
 
You guys are talking about a pool reality show like it will have something to do with pool: it won't. It's about the characters, their ups and downs, relationships, arguments and such. Pool will just be the background.

We'll pick it apart because we expect it to be accurate about pool. But the producers want the public to love Betty, hate Bill, think Jim is a snake and tune in next week to see if Jane double-crosses Jay.

Reality shows aren't reality. The characters are professional actors, the dialog is scripted nothing is left to chance.

Watch one episode of The Bachelor.

But the result will be great for pool.


The characters picked for the reality show we are doing, are defo not actors... Well unless they are trying to hide their true speed and then the oscar performance comes out...
 
The pool reality show! There are at least four of these shows in the works now, and that's a good thing. In addition, Angel Levine is coming out soon with a dynamite documentary on pool. Some of these reality shows could be on television networks in 2014 and that should spark new interest in pool.

Keep your fingers crossed, some good people are involved in these projects and they just might make them fly. You will see familiar names in all of these shows. Naturally they have picked the guys (and gals) with the best (and most colorful) personalities. I can't tell you more right now, but these shows are definitely in the planning stages and ready for production when they get the green light.

Every time pool is at a low point something new comes along to bring it back up. This just may be it. Stay tuned! :thumbup2:

Jay,
I haven't followed the threads on the reality show thing although I had an idea and posted it once on a thread Colin Colenso posted.

I have to agree with you and I think there are several things like this that are going on behind the scenes. I would like to think that US Pool maybe down but its not out and I would like to see it turning around good by the time I check out of here. My hope is that new formats will get the people we have still playing, back playing. I think people having fun is a good way to attract people back to the game as well.
 
The UFC and The Ultimate Fighter. That single reality show pretty much saved the entire sport of MMA in the United States, which is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

Yup.

The problem with pool (everyones favorite phrase) is there is no entity to sell with a show. The UFC was selling the UFC. They didnt do the show to sell MMA in general. Before a show will have any serious impact on the game and industry there has to be a structure in place to take advantage of the attention a show could bring. Most successful reality shows are nothing but a commercial for a particular business: Duck Dynasty=Duck Commander, American Chopper=OCC, Pawn Stars=LV pawn shop...and so on.

So unless its an American Idol type thing it will almost have to end up a show in the Jersey Shore/Mob Wives/Housewives of Boston (or whatever city they are on now) type show.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and some good people make a good show that helps the industry and players as a whole. I've heard various things about different shows in various stages of production. Time will tell if anything ever sees the light of day.
 
Has any sport found a new audience due to reality TV? I can't think of one that has.

Regardless, I'll cross my fingers for the success of all the endeavors cited by Jay Helfert. I'm especially keen on seeing Angel Levine's documentary.

I believe with all the survival reality shows it difinitely sparked an increase in outdoor adventure, camping and lighter versions of what was seen on the shows
 
Wonder how the idea would do on the TV show "Shark Tank"?

Would Mark Cuban invest?

J
 
yes the ultimate fighter 1st finale helped the ufc greatly but it still would of turned into a billion dollar business because it is a sport that sells itself that was bought out by billionaires and the previous owners didn't have the $ to grow the business, the ufc got really lucky w the griffin vs bonner fight sort of a reality show lottery ticket but the company still would of taken off like a rocket all it did was speed up the launch

now look @ the ultimate fighter and the ufc, they've gotten away from their bread n butter and keep changing the show because of low ratings they moved it to brazil and now half the cast is women, their model worked a few years ago because mma wasn't as big but now most of the elite fighters are already in the ufc so there's not much left out there to choose from, the show is ruining the brand by watering it down, mma has been my favorite sport to watch since i saw ufc 3 but now i could careless for the most part

reality tv keeps trying to reinvent the wheel which only works for so long, sadly pool would need a show about people like gene and rhea but w about 1000 times the drama and they would make it fine on tru tv
 
yes the ultimate fighter 1st finale helped the ufc greatly but it still would of turned into a billion dollar business because it is a sport that sells itself that was bought out by billionaires and the previous owners didn't have the $ to grow the business, the ufc got really lucky w the griffin vs bonner fight sort of a reality show lottery ticket but the company still would of taken off like a rocket all it did was speed up the launch

now look @ the ultimate fighter and the ufc, they've gotten away from their bread n butter and keep changing the show because of low ratings they moved it to brazil and now half the cast is women, their model worked a few years ago because mma wasn't as big but now most of the elite fighters are already in the ufc so there's not much left out there to choose from, the show is ruining the brand by watering it down, mma has been my favorite sport to watch since i saw ufc 3 but now i could careless for the most part

reality tv keeps trying to reinvent the wheel which only works for so long, sadly pool would need a show about people like gene and rhea but w about 1000 times the drama and they would make it fine on tru tv

I will agree with one thing you said here... the best format for a reality show about "pool" would be centered around a pool players life in general, the hopefully soon to be celebrity character would be the attraction and the pool would be secondary if I were trying to draw attention to pool. The character has to be cool and interesting though... someone people have to watch... someone the kids want to be like.

There were a lot of advantages that TUF had over any reality show that pool will produce.

1) They had a station like Spike who was looking for sports programming but they had no budget for licensing. Spike decided that they were going to stand behind either K-1 or UFC and although they preferred K-1... because they werent thrilled about the grappling... things didnt work out with K-1 and their second choice in the UFC got the nod.

Once they decided on the UFC, the sport of mma benefitted because it was the promotion of spike imo, not the Fertittas, who were already 40 million in dept and SO close to pulling the plug, that really gave the UFC or mma for that matter its start into mainstream here in the US.

2) The othe big advantage TUF had besides major commitment and promotion from the network is... TUF had a built in audience. The scheduling behind WWE RAW gave them a great lead in with fans who were already into fake fighting and now they were getting a chance to see the real thing. No pool show is going to have anything like that.
 
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I will agree with one thing you said here... the best format for a reality show about "pool" would be centered around a pool players life in general, the hopefully soon to be celebrity character would be the attraction and the pool would be secondary if I were trying to draw attention to pool. The character has to be cool and interesting though... someone people have to watch... someone the kids want to be like.

There were a lot of advantages that TUF had over any reality show that pool will produce.

1) They had a station like Spike who was looking for sports programming but they had no budget for licensing. Spike decided that they were going to stand behind either K-1 or UFC and although they preferred K-1... because they werent thrilled about the grappling... things didnt work out with K-1 and their second choice in the UFC got the nod.

Once they decided on the UFC, the sport of mma benefitted because it was the promotion of spike imo, not the Fertittas, who were already 40 million in dept and SO close to pulling the plug, that really gave the UFC or mma for that matter its start into mainstream here in the US.

2) The othe big advantage TUF had besides major commitment and promotion from the network is... TUF had a built in audience. The scheduling behind WWE RAW gave them a great lead in with fans who were already into fake fighting and now they were getting a chance to see the real thing. No pool show is going to have anything like that.

Great post.

Dana White is on record as saying they were going to pull the plug but decided to wait and see how the show did first since they were already paying for its production. Without that show there would be no UFC as we know it today.
 
My fear is that to make it entertaining to the "reality show crowd," they'll put all this ugly stuff in it. Key characters will be big apes with full sleeve tattoos and cigarettes drooping from their mouths, the women will be Tonya Harding wannabes, they'll have near-fights, affairs, and so on. Look at these towing shows, Operation Repo, Orange County Choppers, etc. For sure, they won't just show a "bunch of nice people playing nice pool."

So as far as benefiting pool in general, it could go either way.
 
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