Presidential Reality Show

on Sep 10 in News by Don Silver

From: Aaron
To: Jerry N., CBS

Jerry, what would you say if I told you I could deliver 55,000,000 television viewers to CBS for the first episode of a new show? You’d say, bring it on! wouldn’t you?

The show is called: Shadow Government and it shows nearly-elected administration behind closed doors setting policy, wrangling with each other and responding to real world events as they happen!

Think about — faux politicians running the country with real time live input from current events. As the real administration caters to their base, we bring real folks to the cash registers. This could change politics!

I know what you’re thinking. World Leaders. Will they participate? Will they be funny? Can you even do subtitles in prime time? This will NOT be a problem. My people have feelers out to Castro, Qaddafi and Chirac. We can get them AFTRA passes, use a split screen, solid color backgrounds, the whole nine yards. I picture Putin, Blair and Sharon once the ratings kick in. The Bush people will love watching Kerry try stuff, stealing what works and taking the credit.

Jerry, there are a million details to work out, but the bottom line is: we can’t let the 55,000,000 people who voted for John Kerry down! You had real emotion there. You had a sense that something mattered. What we need is vision. A network with a big view. Obviously, Fox isn’t going to do this.

Let me be blunt with you. After the Dan Rather thing, you people aren’t going to be invited into the White House for a long time. You need something edgy, racy, post-modern. This creates a new front line and puts your people on it. You’d be influencing the news and reporting it.

Give me a call, buddy. This is too hot to let simmer. I have meetings scheduled tomorrow with the other networks that I’d just as soon cancel.

Yours, Aaron

This appeared in the Philadelphia Independent