Reality TV Proposal-- Pitch

REALITY SHOW PITCH

A bunch of people who have no martial arts experience agree to live and train in a dojo for three months. A person is eliminated every other week. Experience of living in the dojo, away from family and friends is shown. Experience on the mat with other students of the dojo is shown. Determination of which student will be kicked is shown. Should the show survive the first year, other locals and martial arts may be viable, i.e. Japan, China, Korea, Brazil, etc. Example follows.


UCHI DESHI -- (first season) Aikido (thereafter, other martial arts will follow)

TEASER

VOICE OVER (along the lines of Iron Chef)

Centuries ago in Japan, people would devote their lives to the study of a martial art. They would petition a master for study, and if accepted would become ... UCHI DESHI. They would devote their lives to service of the master, hoping that they would learn the art in exchange. The master's desires were to be anticipated and fulfilled before asking. Daily life consisted of fulfilling the needs of the master in the hopes of a bit of wisdom. Chores were routine, training was daily.

From all over the world, twelve people have been chose to serve as UCHI DESHI to [insert name of master here]. They will live in the dojo. They will serve the master. They will train at least five hours a day. Every other week, Sensei will dismiss the least of the students, until only one student is remaining.

THREE ACTS

Shots of training and life off the mat. (i.e. training on the mat, life in the dojo...chores, etc. time with fellow dojo mates at bars and restaurants or other locations.) Confessions to the camera in a private room. Shots of Sensei teaching students and chastising participants. Shots of Sensei in a private room. Shots of training.

TRAILER

Dismissal of the student of the alternating week with explanation as to why the student failed, along with private comments to the camera by the student if warranted. OR Comments about the students who may be dismissed the next week depending upon the 22 episode cycle. Comments by Sensei, sempai, and fellow students not contracted for the show at the selected dojo.

The final episode will entail the test and awarding of the black belt.

(Yeah, I know. Humor section, remember. This is reality tv. Give me a break :-)

Brenda, associate producer
<giggles>

Hehehe i really like the idea of that, but its high time i take a break frm reality tv.
Btw, where do you suggest we insert the cheesy love affair with sensei and the betrayal-of-sempai episodes? And lets not forget about the evil plot to backstab all the uchi deshi. Last man standing gets a fat turkey cash prize and a chance to be on the gossip pages.

Perhaps the only consistent thing about reality TV is how unreal it is. True advancement in the martial arts is more like watching paint dry. Perhaps a producer can change that into something dramatic, but then they lose the reality of it.

What about the students who realize that they've gotten in over their heads, and want to flee?

Student: Sensei, I'm just not ready for this. I want to go home.
Sensei: Too bad. You're testing anyway.

can we call it hells - dojo??

Oh yeah! That is almost perfect!

Didn't they do something almost like that before? I think it was British show named "Fight School," shown in 2004. All I remember was the ridiculous outfit they made the "Grandmaster" wear...I bet he still can't live that down.

Hell, why be an uchideshi when you can take a training vacation in Phuket:

http://www.mmaphuket.com/

Of interest to some would be the last item in the FAQ section. Boys will be boys.

It's been done. Not exactly as you put it, but a similiar thing, where every episode two studets fight, and whoever loses is eliminated.