"A Happier World Through Reality Television"

January 26, 2005


BE HAPPY ZONE
By Lionel Ketchian

Imagine large populations of television viewers witnessing; first hand, individuals rising from unhappiness (or marginal happiness), to much greater happiness. As you may know, Fox Network recently premiered a television series called "Nanny 911" that brought a professional nanny to the rescue of parents having great difficulties managing their young children. At the end of each episode, delighted parents are presented as having adopted the nanny's recommendations, and restoring health and harmony to their household. This series has been so successful that on January 17, 2005, ABC premiered its own version called "Super Nanny."

The first idea is to encourage the creation of a reality television series that features a happiness coach who is brought to the rescue of unhappy, or marginally happy, families. As with the nanny series, each episode would enable viewers to witness first hand, and in a single episode, the relatively quick transformation of these families from varying degrees of gloom to healthy levels of happiness. Very importantly, select clips would highlight the various happiness-increase techniques responsible for the families' joyful metamorphosis.

By seeing these successes, many viewers would gain assurance that unhappiness is not something we must passively endure. Many would seek happiness coaches or businesses to teach them and their children to become happier. Businesses and entrepreneurs would then quickly notice that this newly created consumer demand for happiness training is largely unexploited, and would establish new businesses to sell consumers happiness as a product. As businesses advertised their happiness training, the demand for happiness would grow, and many people throughout the world who cannot afford to pay for training would realize that they can become just as happy by forming happiness clubs and support groups.

The second idea is similar to the first, however it relies on the "competition" reality show format. For "Happy House," a dozen co-eds would live in a house together with a happiness trainer, and vie for the program's grand prize and title of "Happiest Housemate." Each week, viewers would be thoroughly entertained as they watched the contestants became more joyful by following the trainer's instructions. Lionel and I recently taped an episode of "The Happiness Show," www.thehappinessshow.com, titled "Happy House; A Reality Television Idea," that presents this idea. It is available in broadband and dialup streaming video through the website.

Optomen Television, an award winning production company located in London, is in the final stages of developing a major happiness documentary series for BBC2. Their ambitious plan is to boost the happiness level of an entire town in Britain using current research findings. Very recently, a top happiness researcher informed me that another British production company had actually begun work on a happiness-based reality television show. Surely if the Brits can create these happiness series and reality shows, we can do the same here in America.

I am optimistic that American companies would be willing to produce happiness-based reality television shows in the two above-described formats, or through other ways (like a "Dr. Phil" of Happiness). I can think of no better way to convince large populations that becoming much happier through training is possible than through reality television programs. I can think of no faster route to a happier world than through these programs. Please consider how effectively happiness-based reality television shows could spark a global happiness training industry and thousands of happiness clubs and support groups world wide.

If you know someone in television, tell him or her about the idea. Reality TV is very hot in America and its popularity is growing very quickly throughout other parts of the world. Whoever produces a happiness-based reality TV program in America will have a very successful show. I recently launched a major publicity campaign promoting the creation of happiness based reality shows. If you believe in this idea, and would like to help see these shows on the air, the campaign can use all the help you can give.

As Lionel and I say at the beginning of all our shows, "Happiness is, always has been, and always will be, the point of it all." The magic of reality television could be very helpful in assisting our world to finally get the point.

I’d like to thank my wonderful co-host, Lionel Ketchian, for giving me this opportunity to present two very promising strategies for helping us all to become much happier. Our world is in the process of realizing fully that happiness is our most cherished desire in life, and that we can all become as happy as we like. By the year 2010, our world should be much happier. In part because of Lionel's keen understanding of happiness and his great compassion in devoting his life to sharing this profound wisdom with the world.

- George Ortega

Our next Happiness Club meeting will be on Thursday, February 17, from 7:00 - 9:00. The presentation will be "A Happy Heart!" It will be held at the Sullivan Independence Hall, Fairfield. Admission is free; everyone is welcome. Looking forward to seeing you. Come on down, meet some great people, get connected, and have a great year!

Lionel Ketchian is the founder of the Happiness Club, a Happiness Coach, and can be reached at PrintLRK@aol.com. The Web site is http://www.happinessclub.com/.